Job Discussion Forums

[kimandrhys]

My partner and I will be arriving in Phuket in mid April this year to complete a 4 week intensive TEFL course. Accommodation is included in the course price so that's taken care of. After the course we will be looking for work, probably not in Bangkok or Phuket but in smaller parts of Thailand. Has anyone done this before, or do most people arrange jobs prior to leaving their home country? We live in Australia and thought doing the TEFL course in Thailand would be more interesting than completing it here in Aussie.

We only stay in the hotel for the 4 week duration of our course, after which we will need to find somewhere cheap to stay. Do you know of the likely hood that we will find work prior to actually completing the course or even a couple of weeks after? Do you think having at least a few thousand each will be sufficient until we start earning money? We don't plan to be out drinking every night and living it up. We simply want to live simply but comfortably whilst looking for work.

Also, does anyone have any tips/advice for us?

Thanks very much.

[David Campbell]

You will be more than fine. The new school year starts in May so that will be in your favor. Get your resume together by the end of your first week at the TEFL school. Look on ajarn.com or the internation job section at this website and you should have no problem finding a job in Thailand outside of bangkok or phuket. If you plan to live as you say you do then 17,000 baht {500$ US} will be more than enough to cover all expenses for the both of you for a month. Motorbike, rent, food. Have fun on your TEFL course!

[MaiPenRai]

HI Kim and Rhys,

Good luck with your TEFL course. Some decent advice from David Campbell, but you say you are arriving in mid-April which means you will finish your course in mid-May. Most of the better jobs will be gone by then. Sure there are always schools that wait till the last moment and always a few where the teachers will leave and thus there will be an opening, but there will be many more opportunities in March and April when most schools will start hiring usually for late April or early May starts. As you will be in Phuket, busy taking a course, it will be hard to get out for interviews. Not to keep raining on your parade, but most jobs will go to the best candidate that is able to be there. You might be better on paper, but most schools will take the sure bet that is standing right in front of them especially as you start getting into May when school has already started.

I think you should also keep in mind that (I assume) you are going to want to find work together at the same school or at least same city. As you will be job hunting late in the game, it will also be harder to find 2 spots together. Also expect not to be able to be too choosy about where in Thailand you teach.

17,000 baht a month to live in Phuket regardless of lifestyle seems low in my opinion. Dont think it would be very enjoyable anyways. For areas outside of Bangkok and tourist spots, 17,000 is much more doable but still not going to allow for too much fun. Also you have to plan for not getting a paycheck for at least a month after you start working.

There are agencies out there as well that will probably guarantee you a job before you finish the course. They can be helpful for people looking for 2 jobs together. I've worked with MediaKids off and on for 5 years (see my posts) and I beleive they are one of the better teaching recruiting agencies in Thailand, although their jobs are at government schools which means larger class sizes. AYC also does recruiting (Ive only done some camps with them). I dont think AYC provides accommodations while Mediakids does. There are others like JP, TLS and BFITS, but I dont know much about them.

I am sure you will find something regardless, but check out the agencies to see what they have available and you may be able to take the course and relax knowing that you have jobs secured together for when you finish.

Language schools are almost always hiring but most are in Bangkok and other big cities.

Good luck whatever you do.

[roguegrafix]

All the advice above is true. However, if you want to work outside of Bangkok and the big cities, even mid-May wouldn't be too much of a problem. Many rural schools are so desperate that they'll basically take anyone who can stay (it takes a certain mentality to work in the sticks, away from creature comforts -- some teachers turn up, decide that rural Thailand is not for them and then leave after a week, leaving the school in the lurch). Some rural schools pay quite well and remember that some are not that efficient to advertise early. So good jobs are probably still there.

Having said that, there are some real shockers too. But hey, that's Thailand. Worst case scenerio is that you get a shitty job (but a job) for 4 months and then you can move on to greener pastures.

Good luck and enjoy.

[jkeith133]

I completed the TEFL course in Phuket in August of 2008, and found it to be an amazing place. Thailand is an amazing country, and is a place that I will never forget. As far as work goes following the course, it's not very hard to come by. I left Thailand following my TEFL course because I had other commitments elsewhere, but of the dozen or so others that stayed I know they haven't had any trouble at all.

The best bet you have is to keep an ear for job postings while you're taking your TEFL class, and certainly use your training school as a great place for resources for finding a job. The school that I trained at was very helpful, and they will help with things such accommodations and everything else.

Best of luck with the course, and let me know if you have any other questions seeing as how I lived in Phuket for almost 6 weeks.

[3585kate]

Hi jkeith133

Read your post about Thailand TEFL course, im going out there this yr in Oct to do the TEFL course and then they place us in a school for 4 months this is with Amerian TESOL Institute

Do you have any advice on this and think will be ok?

Be great to hear back from you

Kate