Thoughts On Looking For Teaching Jobs

[Oliver Larson]

Hello again everybody.

The last thread I started being long since closed (and by now superflous - I'm convinced even a Swede can land a job in Thailand), I present to you the recent developments on my inner journey towards

self-knowledge and 25,000 Bt/month.

I've been thinking a lot about what age-group I would like to teach, and have come to realise

that I definitely want to aim for the older groups, ie NOT kids or young teens.

The reason being simply that I want to be able to concentrate on teaching,

not on what sort of mischief is going on while I'm trying to do so.

And there is where I believe the problems are bound to start surfacing.

I mean, what are my options? I'd really like teaching outside of Bangkok, but wouldn't that basically leave me with teaching kids or teens?

And what about university jobs? I will have a Master's and a TEFL when applying for jobs, but universities do require a certain amount of teaching experience don't they?

Also, I don't think it would be very easy to obtain a position teaching political science which is my major.

That subject tends to be country-specific, especially at introductory levels.

So that leaves me with English as my only option after all, and at university level I'm sure one would need to have a Master's in English to teach it.

Taking on privates then, could that be an avenue for me?

Any input on these thoughts would be most appreciated.

[PeaceBlondie]

Bangkok is not one of those countries where all the civilized people live in Stockholm and everybody else is an illiterate Lapp (joke). Khon Kaen, Pattaya, and Chiang Mai all might be metro areas of a million residents each. Many provincial capitals are fully modernized, but small.

Not all universities have high levels of expectation for farang teachers of English. The fact that you have a real master's degree (in anything), a White face, and speak English well, may be enough to teach first year university students, especially in the lesser 'rajabat' universities.

You might find a language school with mostly adult (or more serious, older teenagers) as their primary clientele.

Those are just my guesses; I'm often wrong.

[Oliver Larson]

That part about places outside Bangkok may have come out wrong, I didn't intend to make it sound as if Bangkok is the only civilized part of the country. I was merely under the impression that most schools teaching adults are to be found there.

But if universities would indeed consider hiring me as an English teacher, then it's another story altogether as it certainly increases my possibilities of finding employment.

And by the way, we who reside in the Swedish archipelago are much more civilized than the city-folks...

Thanks for the input. Hope you're closer to truth than I was.

[prighas]

That part about places outside Bangkok may have come out wrong, I didn't intend to make it sound as if Bangkok is the only civilized part of the country. I was merely under the impression that most schools teaching adults are to be found there.

But if universities would indeed consider hiring me as an English teacher, then it's another story altogether as it certainly increases my possibilities of finding employment.

And by the way, we who reside in the Swedish archipelago are much more civilized than the city-folks...

Thanks for the input. Hope you're closer to truth than I was.

Before I moved to Bangkok, I have been the chair of department of Computer Information Systems and a Computer Science Professor in Saraburi province. If you are well qualified, English should not be the only subject you can teach. I have colleagues who are specialized in different areas including: Nursing, Education and Psychology, Botany, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, Religious Studies, Business including: Accounting, Management, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship. Also, you'll get paid well.

As a startup and without any teaching experience, but with a Masters Degree, you could start anywhere between 20-30k per month.

[Oliver Larson]

Thanks for the info prighas, that makes it seem doable after all.

But would I not be expected to have studied one of those subjects as an

integral part of my degree in order to teach the subject?

[Hadrian1]

Remember that the kids will probably be better behaved than those where you come from....although I don't know what discipline is like in Sweden. I taught at all levels and I think that my favourite class was one at an University on Saturday mornings where I taught adults who weren't university students. They were really keen to learn. I got that job through a friend. I was offered a job at the Uni but I already had a well paid and rewarding job so I declined. I had several friends who worked at Universities and I don't think that any of them except for one had a Masters let alone a TEFL Masters. I did enjoy other kinds of work too except for some slightly older than toddler group I taught on Sundays which was a case of learning through play.

I am sure you will find an Uni position sooner or later especially with your qualifications but put yourself about and make friends with other TEFL teachers which is one of the best ways of hearing about jobs and later being employed. Certain areas will have more University TEFL teachers than others. If you don't start off at an Uni, ask your colleagues if they know of any Uni teachers. A lot of them will know of some who have moved on to teach at such places. Make an effort to meet them I would say. Good luck but I am sure you will be OK especially if you speak as well as you write.

[prighas]

Thanks for the info prighas, that makes it seem doable after all.

But would I not be expected to have studied one of those subjects as an

integral part of my degree in order to teach the subject?

If you major in Business Administration, you could be qualified to teach in any one of the following areas (depending on your concentration): Accounting, Finance, Management and Marketing, Information Systems, Hotel Management, Ethics, and any other matter related to business such as: business law, business ethics, business research methods, business mathematics, etc.

You could also teach Business English.

[Oliver Larson]

Thanks for the info prighas, that makes it seem doable after all.

But would I not be expected to have studied one of those subjects as an

integral part of my degree in order to teach the subject?

If you major in Business Administration, you could be qualified to teach in any one of the following areas (depending on your concentration): Accounting, Finance, Management and Marketing, Information Systems, Hotel Management, Ethics, and any other matter related to business such as: business law, business ethics, business research methods, business mathematics, etc.

You could also teach Business English.

Well there's where my problem sets in; I major in political science, which, at least at introductory levels, is very country-specific and thus probably not something I can hope to be teaching in Thailand.

Also, choosing it as a major was probably a mistake as I'm more into language, so I'm not sure I'd teach p.s. even if I could. I'd be a lousy teacher.

That's what I mean by stating that my options are limited; it's down to English after all, so I'd better hope I have enough qual's to get to teach it at some first or second year uni level.

[prighas]

Thanks for the info prighas, that makes it seem doable after all.

But would I not be expected to have studied one of those subjects as an

integral part of my degree in order to teach the subject?

If you major in Business Administration, you could be qualified to teach in any one of the following areas (depending on your concentration): Accounting, Finance, Management and Marketing, Information Systems, Hotel Management, Ethics, and any other matter related to business such as: business law, business ethics, business research methods, business mathematics, etc.

You could also teach Business English.

Well there's where my problem sets in; I major in political science, which, at least at introductory levels, is very country-specific and thus probably not something I can hope to be teaching in Thailand.

Also, choosing it as a major was probably a mistake as I'm more into language, so I'm not sure I'd teach p.s. even if I could. I'd be a lousy teacher.

That's what I mean by stating that my options are limited; it's down to English after all, so I'd better hope I have enough qual's to get to teach it at some first or second year uni level.

One possible alternative could be: you can transfer your political science degree into a university which will give you credit for it. You could either choose to start with a Masters degree or a bachelors , depending on what your interests are. If you choose Masters, then Education or ESL (English as a Secondary Language) could be your first choice. The university will require you to take some prerequisite courses before the commencement of the program. After that, you will be qualified to teach at a tertiary educational institution.

Again, this is in case you are considering teaching as a profession.

[Oliver Larson]

Thanks for the info prighas, that makes it seem doable after all.

But would I not be expected to have studied one of those subjects as an

integral part of my degree in order to teach the subject?

If you major in Business Administration, you could be qualified to teach in any one of the following areas (depending on your concentration): Accounting, Finance, Management and Marketing, Information Systems, Hotel Management, Ethics, and any other matter related to business such as: business law, business ethics, business research methods, business mathematics, etc.

You could also teach Business English.

Well there's where my problem sets in; I major in political science, which, at least at introductory levels, is very country-specific and thus probably not something I can hope to be teaching in Thailand.

Also, choosing it as a major was probably a mistake as I'm more into language, so I'm not sure I'd teach p.s. even if I could. I'd be a lousy teacher.

That's what I mean by stating that my options are limited; it's down to English after all, so I'd better hope I have enough qual's to get to teach it at some first or second year uni level.

One possible alternative could be: you can transfer your political science degree into a university which will give you credit for it. You could either choose to start with a Masters degree or a bachelors , depending on what your interests are. If you choose Masters, then Education or ESL (English as a Secondary Language) could be your first choice. The university will require you to take some prerequisite courses before the commencement of the program. After that, you will be qualified to teach at a tertiary educational institution.

Again, this is in case you are considering teaching as a profession.

Being a bit stupid, I'm not sure exactly what it is you're saying here.

If I understand you correctly, you are suggesting that I sort of "change directions" with regards to my masters in p.s. by adding ESL studies.

Either that, or I made a mistake in using the term "major", making it come out as if I don't yet have a masters.

In any case, if the message is more studying, I guess it could be done but I'd have to work meanwhile

as I won't get any more student loans.

Or, I could have misenterpreted your message completely.

[prighas]

Thanks for the info prighas, that makes it seem doable after all.

But would I not be expected to have studied one of those subjects as an

integral part of my degree in order to teach the subject?

If you major in Business Administration, you could be qualified to teach in any one of the following areas (depending on your concentration): Accounting, Finance, Management and Marketing, Information Systems, Hotel Management, Ethics, and any other matter related to business such as: business law, business ethics, business research methods, business mathematics, etc.

You could also teach Business English.

Well there's where my problem sets in; I major in political science, which, at least at introductory levels, is very country-specific and thus probably not something I can hope to be teaching in Thailand.

Also, choosing it as a major was probably a mistake as I'm more into language, so I'm not sure I'd teach p.s. even if I could. I'd be a lousy teacher.

That's what I mean by stating that my options are limited; it's down to English after all, so I'd better hope I have enough qual's to get to teach it at some first or second year uni level.

One possible alternative could be: you can transfer your political science degree into a university which will give you credit for it. You could either choose to start with a Masters degree or a bachelors , depending on what your interests are. If you choose Masters, then Education or ESL (English as a Secondary Language) could be your first choice. The university will require you to take some prerequisite courses before the commencement of the program. After that, you will be qualified to teach at a tertiary educational institution.

Again, this is in case you are considering teaching as a profession.

Being a bit stupid, I'm not sure exactly what it is you're saying here.

If I understand you correctly, you are suggesting that I sort of "change directions" with regards to my masters in p.s. by adding ESL studies.

Either that, or I made a mistake in using the term "major", making it come out as if I don't yet have a masters.

In any case, if the message is more studying, I guess it could be done but I'd have to work meanwhile

as I won't get any more student loans.

Or, I could have misenterpreted your message completely.

My comments were based on you majoring in political science. I missed the fact you will have a Masters degree soon.

You could work part-time as an English instructor while at the same time take a Professional Teaching Certificate. This should help you teach in highshools. Now if you don't want to work with children or teens, you could further your studies by enrolling for a Masters in ESL.

[Oliver Larson]

My plan is to take a TEFL course as soon as I'm finished with my Masters, and perhaps also some sort of specialised TEFL diploma if I can work while taking it.

What's your thoughts on PeaceBlondie's input, that some uni's would actually consider hiring me as an

English teacher for first-year students?

D-mn I wish I'd taken lingustics or similar instead of p.s., which doesn't even stand strong in the regular

jobmarket. What was I thinking? Well anyway, guess I could always be on the lookout for subjects close to but not exactly p.s., especially at those "rajabat" uni's. But I'm not hoping for much in that area, so I probably do best in looking for English work at som high-school and then mingling with a lot of teachers and hopefully get a foot in at some uni some day.

That's probably the most realistic thing for me to to if aiming to teach mainly adults, init?

[Ijustwannateach]

You have a remarkable command of the idiom- the English idiom, as opposed to the American one- for a non-native speaker.

[prighas]

My plan is to take a TEFL course as soon as I'm finished with my Masters, and perhaps also some sort of specialised TEFL diploma if I can work while taking it.

What's your thoughts on PeaceBlondie's input, that some uni's would actually consider hiring me as an

English teacher for first-year students?

D-mn I wish I'd taken lingustics or similar instead of p.s., which doesn't even stand strong in the regular

jobmarket. What was I thinking? Well anyway, guess I could always be on the lookout for subjects close to but not exactly p.s., especially at those "rajabat" uni's. But I'm not hoping for much in that area, so I probably do best in looking for English work at som high-school and then mingling with a lot of teachers and hopefully get a foot in at some uni some day.

That's probably the most realistic thing for me to to if aiming to teach mainly adults, init?

I think your plan sounds ok to me. Also I back PeaceBlondie's remarks. I used to have an African student who always managed to get a part-time job teaching English in different schools. At one stage, he was earning 35,000 baht per month.

[Oliver Larson]

By the way, do you have any experience in taking private students?

Could that be something for me?

But then again I suppose there are school admins who don't want their teachers doing that, right?

[Moonfruit]

That part about places outside Bangkok may have come out wrong, I didn't intend to make it sound as if Bangkok is the only civilized part of the country. I was merely under the impression that most schools teaching adults are to be found there.

But if universities would indeed consider hiring me as an English teacher, then it's another story altogether as it certainly increases my possibilities of finding employment.

And by the way, we who reside in the Swedish archipelago are much more civilized than the city-folks...

Thanks for the input. Hope you're closer to truth than I was.

Before I moved to Bangkok, I have been the chair of department of Computer Information Systems and a Computer Science Professor in Saraburi province. If you are well qualified, English should not be the only subject you can teach. I have colleagues who are specialized in different areas including: Nursing, Education and Psychology, Botany, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, Religious Studies, Business including: Accounting, Management, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship. Also, you'll get paid well.

As a startup and without any teaching experience, but with a Masters Degree, you could start anywhere between 20-30k per month.

Wow, im astounded, simply at the thought of those with masters degrees agreeing to work for 20-30K per month.

That would give you a return on your educational investment of about 20 years in most cases! Is Thailand really worth that much to you?

Im not a teacher, but i would love the insight of those who would work for such a pittance, after having worked so hard for their qualifications.

[otherstuff1957]

The standard University rate is quite low! However, there are reasons why they can be more attractive than some other teaching jobs: 1 A light work load, usually about 12 classes per week plus office hours. 2 Paid vacations during the semester breaks. 3 Extra classes are paid overtime at a very generous rate, so actual take home pay can go as high as 60K for someone who works hard.

I don't have a Masters degree myself and so cannot get a Uni job, but one of my neighbors worked at one and expained the above.

[prighas]

That part about places outside Bangkok may have come out wrong, I didn't intend to make it sound as if Bangkok is the only civilized part of the country. I was merely under the impression that most schools teaching adults are to be found there.

But if universities would indeed consider hiring me as an English teacher, then it's another story altogether as it certainly increases my possibilities of finding employment.

And by the way, we who reside in the Swedish archipelago are much more civilized than the city-folks...

Thanks for the input. Hope you're closer to truth than I was.

Before I moved to Bangkok, I have been the chair of department of Computer Information Systems and a Computer Science Professor in Saraburi province. If you are well qualified, English should not be the only subject you can teach. I have colleagues who are specialized in different areas including: Nursing, Education and Psychology, Botany, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, Religious Studies, Business including: Accounting, Management, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship. Also, you'll get paid well.

As a startup and without any teaching experience, but with a Masters Degree, you could start anywhere between 20-30k per month.

Wow, im astounded, simply at the thought of those with masters degrees agreeing to work for 20-30K per month.

That would give you a return on your educational investment of about 20 years in most cases! Is Thailand really worth that much to you?

Im not a teacher, but i would love the insight of those who would work for such a pittance, after having worked so hard for their qualifications.

You should see those who have earned a PhD. I recently completed my PhD in Information Technology. Full-time teaching in a private university (with a PhD degree) and no experience could perhaps take you to 30-40 K range. I might have invested more than 40K USD in getting my degrees. In Thailand, however, I was not able to get a good offer. Currently, I decided to move back to industry.

Again, as someone mentioned earlier, while teaching you get a lot of other benefits. For example, they offered a house, benefits for school education (if you have kids), 90% insurance (in and outpatient), travel tickets back home (2 per year), etc. depending your offer. But if you intend to save cash, you may consider working part-time.

[PeaceBlondie]

I've heard the same as otherstuff. However, a master's or even a bachelor's degree in a certain field really only pays off if the graduate works hard in that certain field, has a few lucky breaks, etc. A master's in economics doesn't mean much if you teach EFL, and there aren't many econ professorships for foreigners who only speak English.

Moonfruit, it is mind-blowing what kind of salaries farang will work for as teachers in Thailand. What good is a BA with majors in Christian religion and tax accounting? About 22K/month in northern Thailand, before deducting for visa runs.

To answer Oliver's last question, most full time contracts to teach might not mention private tutoring, or 'moonlighting.' Depends on the employer. As stated, many university lecturers tutor privately at 500 baht/hour or better, outside the classroom. Longterm, a salary of 60K/month should be enough to live comfortably and set aside for a pension.

[Oliver Larson]

I believe you're quite correct there PeaceBlondie; holding a master's in political science probably won't help me at all while teaching EFL,

other than possiby giving me easier access to some of those jobs.

So I suppose that for me there are two options:

1. Finding a university that will hire me as an English teacher and let me work extra hours.

2. Forgetting about university work altogether.

I just hope that option 2 doesn't involve teaching kids.

[Tarragona]

Have a look at universities running international programs. There might be possibilities even for someone with a Master's in Political Science, perhaps in combination with some English courses to make up a full load.

[mbkudu]

If you're looking to teach and have a master's degree, don't bother with Thailand. Go to the Middle East

and teach for a few years, and then come back to Thailand and retire if you really must have Thailand. In

other words: Earn the money somewhere else first. Even Vietnam is paying better at the moment.

[Oliver Larson]

Hi again everybody.

I have been looking through the posts and it seems as though few non-native speakers are entrusted with teaching adults, even if those adults are beginners.

Is that an accurate assumption?

Is there any non-native speaker out there who can bring me hope of the opposite happening as well?

[garro]

That part about places outside Bangkok may have come out wrong, I didn't intend to make it sound as if Bangkok is the only civilized part of the country. I was merely under the impression that most schools teaching adults are to be found there.

But if universities would indeed consider hiring me as an English teacher, then it's another story altogether as it certainly increases my possibilities of finding employment.

And by the way, we who reside in the Swedish archipelago are much more civilized than the city-folks...

Thanks for the input. Hope you're closer to truth than I was.

Before I moved to Bangkok, I have been the chair of department of Computer Information Systems and a Computer Science Professor in Saraburi province. If you are well qualified, English should not be the only subject you can teach. I have colleagues who are specialized in different areas including: Nursing, Education and Psychology, Botany, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, Religious Studies, Business including: Accounting, Management, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship. Also, you'll get paid well.

As a startup and without any teaching experience, but with a Masters Degree, you could start anywhere between 20-30k per month.

Sorry, I couldn't help noticing that you mentioned that one of your colleagues teaches Nursing. I have experience of teaching English here in Thailand but my degree is in Nursing Studies as I am a Qualified Nurse also. Any idea how your colleague was able to to get into this particular area?

[Ijustwannateach]

On reflection, I feel this thread is misnamed and will be correcting this shortly.