Job Discussion Forums

[mimi_intheworld]

Flattery gets you everywhere, right? Or nowhere? Either way, I am desperately seeking your wisdom. (If you haven't already guessed, I'm yet another newbie here.)

What I want to know is where you think I should go, what you might recommend, based on the following:

- I have a BA in English
- I have an MA in Intercultural Studies
- I have a teaching cert. from the State of Texas to teach English and Reading for grades 4-8.
- I have 3 years English teaching experience in an "alternative school" setting (in which I taught children who'd been kicked out of their schools for such infractions as fighting, drug possession, gang-related activities, general insubordination, and assault), where my students were almost universally below grade level, often illiterate, sometimes bi-illiterate (in English AND their home language of Spanish), and of course exceptionally difficult in large groups. I combined ESL, special ed, and general ed teaching every day to a very mixed group.
- I have 1 year experience teaching English at a bog standard British comprehensive, including special GCSE exam prep for students who were below-standard in writing.
- I have done (in the distant past) informal EFL lessons in Bangkok, both at universities and in the business world (well, medical world).
- I have lived, worked, and visited in several different countries, so the whole culture shock issue, while real, is kind of old hat.

So much for qualifications. I am also in pretty dire straits financially, so I'd really like to find a post that offers such delightful amenities as up-front airfare and provided housing. I'd like to go just about everywhere, though I've been kicking around the idea of going to South Korea ever since I lived in Thailand 12 years ago. China seems possible, like a great unknown, Japan seems too expensive, and many other countries (generally) don't offer a salary I can clear some debts on. (Curse you, credit cards!) Still, I'm sure there are places & teaching levels I'm not considering. I have to admit, I lucked into my first teaching job in Texas, and practically fell into my school in the UK. So I haven't HAD to do a lot of searching/researching before now.

I know I could stay in the US, and possibly go back to my old school in Texas, and earn a pretty good wage, but I have a personal policy of Never Go Back, and I'd frankly prefer the adventure of going somewhere new.

Suggestions? Recommendations? Hate mail? (Please no hate mail.)

[JLL]

I taught in Japan for 3.5 years, and even at the base salary most places offer of �250,000/month you should be able to save US$1,000 a month with a little discipline.

So, one vote for "don't write Japan off so soon!" You might need some cash up front to get you by until the first paycheck though.

Note also that I have nothing like the experience/education you do, so you might look around for a more substantial job, such as at a University in Japan where you can make lots more.

[denise]

What about Oman? Check out their international schools in Muscat (or some of the private colleges/regional colleges in small towns--but international schools are a better deal).

You get airfare--should be paid upfront + paid housing + tax-free salary. I send home half of my salary every month. And the cost of living is so low that no matter how hard I try, I can't spend the other half quickly enough!

d

[Glenski]

International schools seem to suit your experience.

Now, pick a country with a culture that interests you. Start learning the language, and attend job fairs for int'l jobs.

[mimi_intheworld]

Thanks for the suggestions thus far.

JLL, I go back and forth on Japan. Two years ago, I was dead set on Japan. Then I changed my mind and went to the UK.

Denise, thanks for the Oman tip. I am tempted. I shall look into it forthwith!

Glenski, I had heard that International Schools were kind of creme de la creme and quite hard to get into. Am I misinformed? I shall have to look closer.


Now, who else has some tips for me?

[Sadebugo]

Try international schools in the Middle East. You can clear up debts quickly there and have a luxurious lifestyle.

Sadebugo
http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/

[Glenski]

Creme de la creme?

They let you teach any subject in English, not the local language. They pay more than most jobs. Nice, but you have to have a minimum of a teaching license and a couple of years experience in your home country. Not everyone has those things.

Hard to get into? Only from the standpoint that most people don't have teaching licenses. I'll let the experienced posters describe any other hardships in getting such a job.

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

[naturegirl321]

Intl schools are good. They do pay well. But you will work for it.

[mimi_intheworld]

So, after spending untold hours reading posts in several of the country-specific forums, I am pretty sure I am going to try for a post in UAE. I want to clear some debts and save some money to go to the rest of the world, and that seems my best bet right now. Following the advice of Veiled Sentiments in the Middle East threads, I'm sending my resume to http://www.teachaway.com/ for a start.

And this is where I've hit my second wall: What exactly does one put on a resume/CV for EFL?

I don't remember my resume for when I started teaching, but it's irrelevant now, really. And my CV to teach in the UK was, I kid you not, OVER SEVEN PAGES LONG. Even my CV for a semi-teaching post in a non-profit youth outreach was over 5 pages. That seems too long, and I get the feeling it actually IS too long. So I'm looking for suggestions, tips, etc.

Great knowers of all things? What does one put on her EFL CV for (one hopes) a well-paid post in Abu Dhabi?

[Glenski]

[mimi_intheworld]

The 7 page CV was according to a form used by the recruitment agency I went through in the UK. It included things like qualifications, special training & certificates, union/society affiliations, sections about my philosophy of teaching, etc. Creating that CV definitely helped me to distill my teaching philosophy & classroom management policy, but I know it's massive overkill for a general EFL CV. I just wasn't sure what is essential/looked for by recruiters or schools elsewhere. Now I feel I have a better idea. Thanks again, Glenski! Anyone else with tips on what to leave in/take out of a TEFL CV?

[denise]

What sort of school is it in the UAE? If it's a college, find out if they are going through the accreditation process. If they are, they might be impressed by anything that shows that you can help them meet their goals of getting students to certain IELTS levels (or equivalent, since they may well have their own exams), integrating e-learning, teaching research & study skills that the students will need in their university courses, etc. In fact, even if they are already accredited, those are skills that I think would look good on your CV.

And, the Gulf being somewhat different culturally, they will want to make sure that you can a) cope an b) not corrupt their students. But I think including travel/cultural experience in a CV is a bit...well, silly, and looks better in a cover letter--but not "I have traveled to X countries..." The sort of teacher who is qualified for the better Gulf jobs will most likely have live/worked/taught in many, many places, so it won't help you stand out. Let them know that you are aware specifically of Muslim culture & learning styles.

I haven't updated my own CV in a couple of years now, but one change that I made (I think... I will have to check...) is not listing each and every job chronologically. Rather, they can go into skills groups--international teaching experience (keep this short-ish, since many jobs involve the same basic skills), materials development experience, assessment experience, e-learning experience, etc.

d