Job Discussion Forums

[ChilTip]

Hi everyone,

I'm seriously considering moving to PP to teach ESL in Jan of 2012. I'm getting TEFL certified in country--a program called TEFL Institute, which I was recommended by a friend. I'll be done mid Feb. of 2012. I've read most every post on this thread but still seek some timely, 2011+ answers, because it seems that the pay and cost of living have been growing less attractive over the years. Here are my questions:

I have a BA and will be TEFL certified by Feb. of 2012. Will I be able to get a job by, say, March? Basically, I'm wondering if Feb is a bad time to begin looking for a job?

I will likely begin graduate school back in the U.S. in late Aug or early Sept of 2012, so timing will be tight. Are 6-month contracts more difficult to obtain than one-year contracts? Are they obtainable at all?

I read that ESL jobs are becoming saturated in Cambodia, that supply is outstripping demand. Is this true? Could someone elaborate?

Finally, I know there is no housing with your job. What's the best way for expats to find housing these days?

Thanks in advance for the help. If you'll be there in January, I'd love to meet up!

[PattyFlipper]

March is perhaps not the best time to look for work in Cambodia, as things are beginning to wind down for the Khmer New Year holidays (around 12 -14 April) when pretty well everything shuts down for a week or so. That said, TEFL is a very transient business, and people leave jobs all the time, so you may be able to pick up hours here and there. It is a question of hitting the right place at the right time - i.e. when they desperately need someone. The time immediately after Khmer New Year will be much better, as many Westerners leave to escape the 'hot season'.

The type of jobs you will be looking at with your qualifications and experience typically pay between USD $8 to $12 per hour, with $10 being the norm. Many schools are now deducting tax from that at about 10%. Rates-of-pay have barely increased over the last 10 years, but the cost of living, particularly in Phnom Penh, certainly has. TEFLers generally earn around $1000 - $1200 a month, which is enough to live on as long as you don't aspire to a lifestyle which is too extravagant (don't expect to save anything, though). Fixed-term contracts, with attendant benefits, are something of a rarity in Cambodia, and most 'teachers' are remunerated at a part-time, hourly rate. You may have to scrabble around to find enough hours to support yourself initially, and these may well be at times which are popular with students, but rather unsociable, i.e. weekends, early mornings and evenings. Bear in mind, however, that you will not be paid for public holidays - and there are a stack of them. Because of the transient and part-time nature of the business, only staying for 6 months shouldn't be a problem, though I would be inclined not to mention it at interview.

Finding accommodation is not so difficult in Phnom Penh. The further away from the Riverside you live, the cheaper the rent will be. The bongthom.com website is not a bad place to start. Many people also pay a motodop or tuk-tuk driver to take them around a particular area, looking for places which are available. Asking around among locals and other expats can also produce results.

[ChilTip]

Thanks PattyFlipper. I've seen on some forums like MOD EDIT that people are offering up lodging for about $250 a month. I figure that if I can get employed relatively quickly and make $1,000 a month, I should be able to live quite easily on $750 a month. I wonder if that's an average scenario or a best-case scenario??

You wouldn't happen to have a good recommendation with regard to startup costs would you? Like how much do/did you burn a month living there?

Also, do you know of any websites where I could see the typical Cambodian holidays for which I'll be off work?

Sorry for all the questions. I really do appreciate the help!

[sigmoid]

Actually, I'd say that $1000/month is a bit optimistic. IMO $800 is more realistic.

If you're on an hourly rate, you'd have to have 5 hours a day/4 weeks a month. That might happen once or twice a year.

You can see the extensive list of holidays here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Cambodia

The major holidays last longer than indicated on that chart.

In my experience, using an agent is the best way to find an apartment. They will pick you up and drive you around to available places at no charge. They can also help a bit in negotiations. You can find them on the website mentioned by Patty. "Jacka" is the one I used.


In terms of the teaching market, yeah, I'd say it's pretty saturated but the competition is weak. Of course, many schools prefer those who are desperate. They complain less and don't mind low pay.

[PattyFlipper]

I'm going to disagree with Sigmoid about the property agents. In my experience, and no matter how much you try to impress upon them to the contrary, they see a white face and they automatically assume that you are on an expat / NGO benefits package with a commensurate accommodation allowance. Getting them to 'take you around' will result in them showing you villas with swimming pools in gated communities with $2000 price tags. If you do manage to convince them that your budget is somewhat more limited, they then show you dungeons in locations where the fillings from your teeth will be removed while you sleep.

I realize that everyone has different experiences, but in so far as Khmer property agents go, mine were not good. Try them, by all means, but be prepared for frustrations and disappointments. Better, I think, to respond to individual advertisements on the website mentioned - which admittedly are often posted by agents. Telling every Khmer you meet that you are looking for somewhere can also produce fairly good leads - and may get you something acceptable for a lower rent. Suggest you look around the Russian Market area, as several new apartment buildings have sprung up around there with rents in the $200 to $250 range.

Start up and living costs costs are very difficult to quantify, as they are so dependent on individual lifestyle. I may not be able to keep to a budget which you find perfectly adequate. As a single person who likes his comforts, including living in a decent place with kitchen, lift and 24 hour 'security', eating out regularly, and unfettered use of air conditioning when I feel the need (electricity in Cambodia is the most expensive in Asia), I rarely get away with less than $1200 a month and sometimes a little more. Obviously, people can and do live much more economically than this.