Does experience in international schools make other international schools more open to hiring you?

[AnonymousBosch]

I am currently teaching my degree subject in a Bangkok international school.

Will a few years of this mean I can then start looking for jobs in other (read: better) international schools, or should I concentrate on qualifying as a teacher at home?

[millwall_fan]

I would have thought so. I'm banking on that scenario.

[DogNo1]

All depends on how you like the pay here compared to the pay at home. There are lots of posts from teachers who have stayed here until they are above 50, have no savings or pension and are in a panic about how they will survive in retirement. Suggest you avoid that scenario. Make sure that your job will pay you enough so that you can save. It's not too early to do retirement planning. Make an honest estimate of what it would cost you to live where you plan to retire, then calculate how you can save what you will need for 20-30 years of retirement. Of course, the later you retire the more money you can save and the fewer years you will spend in retirement. There are scads of retirement planners on the web which allow you to calculate the figures.

I hired teachers for many years (along with a committe) and counted good experience as a plus, especially with a good letter of recommendation from the previous school. Good luck!

[Scott]

Experience is usually a good thing and will help in future employment. How much, I am not sure, but hopefully some of our more experienced members can give you a better understanding.

[zeichen]

If you are going to stay into teaching make sure that you get your teacher's license in your home country and keep it current. But in short yes. International schools love to hire people who have experience in other International schools especially if it is in the same circle. I taught in IB schools and it makes it easier to transition from school to school. There are quite a few programs that are 1 year to get a master's in education if you have the pre-reqs for the subject. In the US passing the praxis 1 and 2 are relatively easy.

Trust me don't worry about money if you are in good International schools. You can teach anywhere in the world and make better salary than in your home country as a public school teacher. I save an average of 25k USD a year teaching in International Schools. I often work a few years and then take a few years off, but that is me.

good luck.

[Eliot Rosewater]

The better international schools here would never hire someone who isn't qualified to teach in their home country.

Even with the proper qualifications it is very, very difficult to get a job at the top schools.

You need at least a few years of proper experience (teaching while not qualified is NOT considered experience)

[GoonDizzy]

All depends on how you like the pay here compared to the pay at home. There are lots of posts from teachers who have stayed here until they are above 50, have no savings or pension and are in a panic about how they will survive in retirement. Suggest you avoid that scenario. Make sure that your job will pay you enough so that you can save. It's not too early to do retirement planning. Make an honest estimate of what it would cost you to live where you plan to retire, then calculate how you can save what you will need for 20-30 years of retirement. Of course, the later you retire the more money you can save and the fewer years you will spend in retirement. There are scads of retirement planners on the web which allow you to calculate the figures.

I hired teachers for many years (along with a committe) and counted good experience as a plus, especially with a good letter of recommendation from the previous school. Good luck!

Agree with this. Once I've finished my B.Ed in England my plan is to work in Thailand for a few years and do an M.Ed via an American Uni in BKK (evenings and weekends) or via the Open University in the UK. As long as I can handle it, Saudi pays crazy money for those with B.Ed/M.Eds and experience (jobs teaching English to Saudi oil executives pay the best, but an M.Ed or MA Tesol and four or five years experience is essential). 150,000-200,000 baht tax free is not unusual with free housing, travel and bills all paid. If you can handle it and are frugal, it's possible to save close to half a millon pounds in fifteen years. Not many can, but those that do have a nice retirement fund. You can get jobs teaching in Saudi without an M.Ed (but you need a B.ed/MA Tesol, BA English or similar), but the pay is usually 80,000 baht-130,000 baht generally with perks (still not bad).

Unless you get hired by the very top tier International schools in Thailand (Harrow etc), you can't really save for retirement. Even if you're qualified for those jobs, those working at those schools rarely leave (who can blame them)? Thailand is a great place to live and work, but for the majority of teachers it's not a place to save. Sad, but true.

There is money to be made in teaching, but sacrifices must be made (no beer, partying, speaking to females, going to shopping malls, being very careful not to upset sensitivities etc).

My advice to the younger ones is to enjoy Thailand for a while if you're teaching here. Unless you get in at the very top end of the school system, look elsewhere when you hit your forties.

Mind you, you could get hit by a bus tomorrow...

Edited August 27, 2014 by GoonDizzy

[zeichen]

goondizzy is a perfect example of know it all know nothing. You haven't even finished your degree, you don't teach at international schools and you are giving advice. That is awesome. I hope the OP an every other new teacher listens to all of your misinformation.

I love the bit about Saudi and your educational plans. Hate to break it to you but Middle East jobs don't recognize Open Universities or distance masters. Also your degree path is confusing since Master's in Education isn't desired in the Middle East for EFL positions for oil companies. Those jobs want MATESOL. The Education degrees are for International or private school positions.

There are plenty of teaching jobs at international schools in Asia Thailand specifically that pay 80-120,000 baht a month for subject teachers especially math and science. Most living a normal life can save a minimum of 15-20,000 USD a year in Asia at International schools. When I worked at public schools in the US I was earning 35,000 USD a year and was lucky to save about 5,000 dollars at the end of the year after taxes, insurance, rent, car payments etc.

Teaching EFL in some countries pays as well as International school jobs but overall working in Asia I have save more in the past 10 years than almost everyone I graduated University with. I have also had the pleasure of living and traveling the world.

[GoonDizzy]

goondizzy is a perfect example of know it all know nothing. You haven't even finished your degree, you don't teach at international schools and you are giving advice. That is awesome. I hope the OP an every other new teacher listens to all of your misinformation.

I love the bit about Saudi and your educational plans. Hate to break it to you but Middle East jobs don't recognize Open Universities or distance masters. Also your degree path is confusing since Master's in Education isn't desired in the Middle East for EFL positions for oil companies. Those jobs want MATESOL. The Education degrees are for International or private school positions.

There are plenty of teaching jobs at international schools in Asia Thailand specifically that pay 80-120,000 baht a month for subject teachers especially math and science. Most living a normal life can save a minimum of 15-20,000 USD a year in Asia at International schools. When I worked at public schools in the US I was earning 35,000 USD a year and was lucky to save about 5,000 dollars at the end of the year after taxes, insurance, rent, car payments etc.

Teaching EFL in some countries pays as well as International school jobs but overall working in Asia I have save more in the past 10 years than almost everyone I graduated University with. I have also had the pleasure of living and traveling the world.

How obnoxious of you! Hate to break it to you, but you're wrong. UEC. I've even been it touch with someone over in Saudi about this. Someone in charge and I know a guy that's done it, Mr Know it all.

Posts like yours remind me why I don't post very often on here. I'm glad you don't teach my kids with an attitude like that.

[Scott]

Please be civil. If you disagree or feel someone is wrong, point it out. Do not be derogatory.

[Phatcharanan]

Hate to break it to you but Middle East jobs don't recognize Open Universities or distance masters.

Not quite correct.

The Supreme Educational Council in Qatar most definitely recognises those degrees.

[zeichen]

"The Supreme Educational Council in Qatar most definitely recognises those degrees."

Could be. I only have taught in UAE and Saudi and they didn't accept online degrees.

[squarethecircle]

"Teaching EFL in some countries pays as well as International school jobs but overall working in Asia I have save more in the past 10 years than almost everyone I graduated University with."

Saved as much teaching as almost anyone else you schooled with? Most of my college mates are working back rooms in banks or major MNCs and making the annual salary you mentioned over a couple of months. Teaching should be a gig of love but that's not a reason not to make decent money doing it.

Edited September 1, 2014 by squarethecircle