Changing Jobs - Is Now The Time?

[mopenyang]

I was asked the other day by a friend for my opinion as to whether or not he should change his job in the current climate. He is a legal teacher with a work permit for the school he actually works at and his reason for thinking about changing is to get a higher salary.

I told him I wouldn't do it right now because of the increased paperwork requirements and other unknowns that could jeopardize his visa and work permit status. In other words, this is not the time to leave things to chance and hope everything gets done that has to get done so that you can smoothly transition into another position.

So was I right or wrong? I'm not sure.

Are you?

[PeaceBlondie]

Good point, mopenyang. This is a bad time to change (or to get your first) employment, but then again, it's the right time of year! If I were in his shoes, I'd make extra sure the new school already proved to me that their current staff had work permits. I'd ask to see both the permits and to see the teachers to ask them.

I'm not too sa-mart sometimes, not too crever. I negotiated with people whose English lacked precision, professional Thai educators who didn't answer questions they didn't understand or want to answer, Thais who didn't have a clue how to do things correctly. Are there a lot of very competent administrators in schools, who are honest enough not to lie or mislead, who negotiate in clear business English? I missed my chances.

Maybe your friend has a higher salary offer from one of those places that negotiates in clear language; otherwise I wouldn't jump from a place where I was already perfectly legal.

[Dongguan]

My own opinion on this if that if you are somewhat happy with your current job, and are earning a decent wage, then don't leave.

Sometimes, a better salary offer can sound great, but people end up in worse situations job wise than before.

Some salient points about the current job scene and legal status have been made, so I won't go into those, but generally, these days another thing is that it's nigh impossible to find a job you really like (this goes for wages too). If you have a stable job, which pays you reasonably well, and doesn't drive you bonkers daily (lucky you if youdo have such a job!) then I'd advise keeping it ... unless you are 100 percent sure the new job will work out better than the last one.

Also, never quit till you have an offer in hand, or are absolutely sure the school or company will hire you. Many a times (and this is especially true for schools), schools make you VERBAL promises, but retract at the last minute (probably because they got someone to teach for cheaper). This has happened to me before.

All the best,

Dongguan

Edited April 24, 2007 by Dongguan

[mopenyang]

Interesting post on ajarn that speaks directly to the issue:

http://ajarnforum.net/vb/showthread.php?t=20112

[DrFisher]

Depending on your friends credentials and what school he will be going to I don't think it's a big deal. If he is thinking about working for some small independent school I would think twice about it. I work for a university not because the pay is great (because it's not) but the security is the best, no worrying about visas or work permits they take care of everything and they pay all expenses.

[Loaded]

I told him I wouldn't do it right now because of the increased paperwork requirements and other unknowns that could jeopardize his visa and work permit status.

I'm still not convinced much has changed.

Thai Culture Test - disappeared

Police Check - Penang and Laos aren't requesting

Degree to obtain a wp - same as before

There's a lot of doom and gloom on teacher boards at the moment, but I feel most of the negative feeling is unjustified. If people have left because of this, just think of all those vacancies. I'm in Chiang Mai and we're being approached by schools as far away as Phuket and Songla to help them find teachers! The schools when pushed about degree respond 'we would prefer but...'

[aussiestyle1983]

Now is a good a time as any to change jobs. There are deffinently a lot more jobs available than teachers, so it's really a teachers market at the moment. The only problem seems to be the salary ranges have decreased, across the entire board that is. If you're desperate to change jobs ( I mean if your not earning a lot at your current school and you don't like it there anymore ) and you're willing to accept the fact that salaries are a little lower than usual, by all means, change jobs. Just make sure you are aware of what kind of job offers and packages you will be able to get, and, at the interview, go in with the attitude of "you need me a lot more than I need you" and maybe, just maybe, you can squeeze a better deal out of a better school.

[Petch01]

I'm still not convinced much has changed.

Thai Culture Test - disappeared

The foreign teachers at our school are requested to do an "Intensive Course: Thai Culture and Education" on 2, 3 and 4 May at a local Rajabaht University.

Petch01

[Loaded]

I'm still not convinced much has changed.

Thai Culture Test - disappeared

The foreign teachers at our school are requested to do an "Intensive Course: Thai Culture and Education" on 2, 3 and 4 May at a local Rajabaht University.

Petch01

It's not happening in Chiang Mai.

Are the foreign teachers teaching on an EP?

Who made the request? school or MoE? difficult to answer as the school will blame someone if it's by their volition.

Anyone else?

[Ijustwannateach]

I'm of 2 minds about it- if you already have a WP and everything, you'd be a fool to risk losing them in the current atmosphere, but there are a lot of good opportunities floating about. If you could be SURE- that your new school would do all the right things and that the old school would play ball so that you kept the WP and transferred it in time- then it would be a good idea to look around. However, most schools are not going to be happy to see their staff leaving at this point (because of the uncertainties about hiring). In theory, it should be a worker's market- but the paperwork vagaries make it harder to judge things.

"S"