Job Discussion Forums

Hod · Joined: 28 Apr 2003 Posts: 1613 Location: Home

Some sort of business plan would be an idea before you head to Kunikuriya for your hundred Headways. I really doubt the general English market in KL would have too many takers. What sort of KL local would require general English courses? It would be mainly kids, business and exams.

AniMohd · Joined: 13 Apr 2011 Posts: 5

Not too many schools use the Headway series, but the Cutting Edge always seems to be low on quantity, either at Kinokuniya or MPH. My previous students went without books, at times for weeks and we had to get by through other means.

Nemodot · Joined: 12 Mar 2011 Posts: 53

Hi if you pay 4,000rm you won't get work permits as 5k min. Hence you will start another "muppet show" tuition centre with low paid demotivated staff working illegally! Just what KL needs lol

I suggest you start by looking at what is provided and ask yourself. Why would customers choose your centre? No exams so why you? How many competitors?

AniMohd · Joined: 13 Apr 2011 Posts: 5

I didn't realize there was a 5k minimum as some of my former colleagues got their permits with salary less than that, so thanks for the heads up. They are qualified and with experience, but they have the accommodation package which probably takes it to that figure on paper.

Kana65 · Joined: 22 Mar 2008 Posts: 22 Location: Malaysia

A comment on the pre-requisite of a Master's Degree....

I'm an American living in Ipoh teaching at a large university that has 11 other campuses in Malaysia. The requirements for my current job were a master's degree and even PhD preferred. I hold two bachelor's degrees (one in English and one in an unrelated subject) as well as a TESOL cert and eight years of teaching experience in a number of different types of learning institutions in Malaysia but no master's.

However I got the job with no problem and no discussion of me not having a master's. The salary was well above 5k.

Recently, I was offered a postion at another university which I didn't take but the requirements were the same as my current job. The bottom line is in some cases (I teach in a school where English is a mandatory subject but not a degree subject. I basically teach foundation) teaching experience and being a native speaker coupled with a degree and teaching cert may be enough. Already being in Malaysia is a given too.

That's my two cents....I'd also like to say I've used both Cutting Edge and Headway in the classroom and I much much prefer Headway which IMO is pretty effective and well balanced between the four skills....The Cutting Edge has a strange, disorganized layout and is very hard for students to follow especially those with poor fluency.

Nemodot · Joined: 12 Mar 2011 Posts: 53

Hi as you has been in Malaysia for 8 years teaching before I guess you know how it works in Asia. Contacts win every time. You may not even have known it but the grapevine would have said he is known employ him! That's how it works.

For first timers in Malaysia you are an unknown and therefore a risk andtbey will go for qualifications.

5k IMHO is a very low salary for a westerner in kl. You can live on it but no long term savings. So good you get more! I know rates from 7 years ago in Malaysia for local skilled staff. I stress skilled as most comparable to westerners working as expats. 10k is about the lowest salary any expat should consider to have a reasonable living standard in KL. I know the national averages are low but in uk median salary is 26k whereas for a male worker in London it's 45k. An average Malaysian salary - an average over all those kampung workers and sat Malaysia - doesn't go far in KL.