Job Discussion Forums

[hobo6]

If you were contemplating going overseas to a particular country to live and teach English (private one-on-one classes), what would you want to know before making your decision? Would you prefer to search for the info hopping website to website (which only have a little bit of insight here and there) or download an ebook which contains everything you want to know? How much would you pay for said ebook if it was comprehensive and contained all the need-to-know facts?

Thanks for any feedback.

[nomad soul]

[roadwalker]

My first thought would be that the e-book was out of date and that I would need to at least supplement it with looking on the net. Perhaps if you publish such a book, you could have it time-stamped: 'Up to Date as of January 2, 2015' or whenever, and add updates for free for a time period. On the other hand, I'm not interested in privates, and probably wouldn't find such a book useful. Good luck.

[hobo6]

Nomad - I haven't authored any book. As for your question about 2 points, it sounds like you're not the audience I'm looking for. But thanks.

Roadwalker... I'm sorry you didn't read the title of my post.

[suphanburi]

[nomad soul]

[rtm]

I'm not interested in going overseas and teaching one-on-one lessons, but I'll reply anyway.

1. what would you want to know before making your decision?

I'm not sure if you are talking about a book targeted at one specific country, or one-on-one teaching around the world. If you are talking about teaching around the world, I'd first want to know where in the world I can do one-on-one teaching with a proper work visa.

I'd also want to know:
- what qualifications are necessary to get such a job.
- what kind of preparation/training I'd need to actually do the job and do it well.
- how jobs are found, and advice for looking for job openings.
- what documentation I would need for finding a job and for the visa process
- a detailed description and timeline of the hiring process (from applying through to arrival and starting the job).
- what I should bring with me from my home country (both personal items and supplies for teaching).
- what the classes and students are typically like (length of classes, topics, how classes are conducted, students' ages, students' goals).
- what typical salaries are (in each country), and what the savings potential is (in each country).
- what benefits are typically included (airfare, housing, insurance, etc.)
- if housing is not typically provided, I'd want advice for finding housing (is it common for teachers to share an apartment? can teachers rent an apartment themselves, or does it need to be done through the employer? where does one go to find an apartment? do many landlords not rent to or take advantage of foreigners?)
- will I need a car? If so, how do I get one?
- what red flags or scams to look out for.
- what might be different from what I expect in terms of business or other cultural customs (e.g., if a 'contract' is thought of more as guidelines that are flexible).

2. Would you prefer to search for the info hopping website to website (which only have a little bit of insight here and there) or download an ebook which contains everything you want to know?

An e-book might be helpful because it would have lots of info in one place, but I definitely would not rely only on an e-book. As others have said, an e-book will most likely be outdated. Also, an e-book likely reports one person's experience or perspective, rather than allowing me to read multiple people's perspectives, and then form my own opinion. A book also doesn't allow me to ask the things I want to know, like web sites (e.g., blogs, forums) do.

3. How much would you pay for said ebook if it was comprehensive and contained all the need-to-know facts?

If I didn't have evidence that it contained useful information (e.g., an excerpt of the book, or a substantial number of reviews from people who have read it), then I wouldn't pay anything. If the book was up-to-date, offered multiple perspectives, and I had strong evidence that it would provide information that I can't get elsewhere (i.e., not just a bunch of information that I can get elsewhere, put into 1 book), then I might pay up to about US$5-$7.

[nomad soul]

What's also unclear is whether the OP is referring to self-employment (i.e., hanging out your shingle and working as a one man/woman show), or teaching privates as a contracted employee of a company or language school. The requirements and logistics are then apples-n-oranges.

[roadwalker]

[Jultime]

I agree with the others.

I'm a newbie, I found all the info I needed through various websites and Daves to be the most helpful. (thanks everyone) I haven't paid anything for my research.