Granted Jackie does get some flack, but I believe that's because people are jealous. She's a real go-getter and doesn't waste her time. She uses her free time to build websites and write books. By doing this she's been able to create a substantial passive income stream, meaning that she literally makes money while she sleeps. Here are some of the books she's written and I'm sure there will be many more to come:
While some people will end up in the TEFL field forever and will hopefully advance their TEFL career, sooner or later many of us will go home. We'll have to leave our bubble and face the real world.
Years ago I wrote a blog post about life after TEFL with some advice for teachers going home. While I only skimmed the surface, Jackie has a new book out called, Life After ESL: Foreign Teachers Returning Home that is jammed packed full of stories and advice from teachers who have made the transition from TEFLing abroad to getting a job back home.
Her book starts with the results from a survey she did about teachers going back home. Then she goes on to offer 13 pieces of advice, job options that you will have, her own story, and then what jobs will be in high-demand by 2020 for a handful of countries around the world.
If you're thinking about going home soon or even in a few years, I highly recommend you read Life After ESL: Foreign Teachers Returning Home. Start planning now and it will make the transition so much easier.
Many people think that Middle Eastern countries are among the best countries to TEFL in. I've written about what it's like to teach in the Middle East before, but things change often. Like Korea, things certainly aren't the way they used to be. Degrees
Although more and more people are earning their MA online, some countries will not accept an MA that was earned online. To further complicate things, some ministries within the same country will accept them and some won't. Some places will not accept degrees done online unless you can prove that it was the same as a degree done in person. Lots of hoops to jump through.
Supply and Demand
More people are heading to the ME, especially those with families. Thanks to the internet people are starting to realise that TEFLing in the Middle East can lead to a great lifestyle. While there may still be risks to living there, it's not as bad as the news portrays it to be. People can save money and still afford to go on vacation and you usually get a good number of vacation days.
In addition, more people are earning their masters degree. This means that it's becoming an employers' market: more qualified people are trying to work in the ME than before.
Salaries
It seems to be a worldwide trend, but salaries are lag behind inflation. You need to work more hours to buy things than before.
Safety
Let's not kid ourselves, we've all seen the news and hear about how dangerous the ME can be. Whether or not this is true depends on your definition of dangerous. Single people may be willing to take more risks than married people or those with children.
Conclusion
TEFL certainly isn't what it used to, but there is no utopia. Do you research and go with your gut.
This month I'm hosting the Reach To Teach Teach Abroad Blog Carnival, a monthly series that focuses on providing helpful tips and advice to ESL teachers around the globe. This month's topic is: "At what moment did you finally start to feel like you were at "home" during your time living abroad?"
Check out the responses from teachers around the world. If you’d like to contribute to next month’s Blog Carnival, please get in touch with Dean at dean@reachtoteachrecruiting.com, and he'll let you know how you can start participating!
Description: Four main, personal moments of feeling at home when living and teaching English in South Korea and lots of reminiscing about those good time.
Bio: Abigail prefers walking to motorized vehicles and likes the idea of slow travel, getting to know a place by building up a routine that absorbs the new culture. Her interests include illustration, editing (film and writing), reviews, boston terriers, artist books, and iPhonography. You can find her blog at Bodging for Apples II.
Description: I knew from the beginning that it wasn't going to be an easy year living abroad and one of the biggest challenges was going to be homesickness. But it was something that I just knew that I not only wanted, but needed to do for myself.
Bio: My name is Dean, I have been traveling for around 4 years now with a small stint back in my home country. I’m from the UK and I began my teaching career on the island of Bali. I then made the move to Taiwan where I currently reside. Here I have the joy to fulfill my passion for writing by providing ESL/travel related articles to the Reach To Teach website.
Description: One of the biggest challenges long-term travelers might face is the struggle to feel at home in a new city or country. Throw in a new language, alphabet, culture and workplace environment and the move to teach English in Korea can seem rather daunting! Feeling like I'd found 'home' didn't occur in one eureka moment, but rather over a process of several months. Now, I'm happy to call Korea home, and encourage others to come see what makes this country so unique for themselves!
Bio:
Holly was bitten by the travel bug in her early teens and has long since rejected the idea of spending her entire life in Canada! She loves to read good books, flail about on the dance floor, and form new friendships. She documents cityscapes and the natural world around her through the lens of a camera. Having volunteered in Honduras, backpacked around Southeast Asia and studied in Australia in the past, she now calls Seoul home for the next year. Her plans: eat ALL of the kimchi, hike ALL of the mountains, form incredible memories and friendships, and hopefully have a positive impact on her students’ lives!
Description: In India, I explored the art of doing nothing, of sitting in silence and plumbing the space between breaths. And I discovered a new sense of home, stronger than any other, that was curled up within me and accessible any time, anywhere. I started to feel at home in sections of time and shades of emotion.
Bio: A few years ago, I packed up, sold, redistributed all of my non-essential belongings, crammed my life into a backpack and wandered aimlessly into the world. I've backpacked South America, work-holidayed in Australia, travelled South East Asia with my mom, and, most recently, I became a yoga teacher in India. I blog about my (mis)adventures at The Accidental Nomad. I am currently navigating ex-pat life in Oxford, UK.
Description: During my travels, I never really got that homesick feeling, but my most "At-Home" feeling came when I moved to Thailand. Between the welcoming people and the irresistible food, Thailand was home for me since day one. Here's a brief story of what I loved most in Thailand.
Bio: Liane is a Texas high school Geography teacher, travel writer, and former foreign English teacher. She graduated from Texas State University in 2010 with a B.A in International Relations. During college, Liane interned with the U.S. Department of State - Foreign Service Institute, and volunteered as President of the International Studies Club and Sigma Iota Rho Honors Fraternity. Since then, she has been fulfilling her dream of traveling the world by teaching English in Thailand, Georgia, and the Czech Republic. Follow her experiences by visiting her blog at Nichols Away.
Description: Everything just seemed to fall into place that day.
Bio: Neysha is the creator of Travelsuras.com, a travel diary fusing together the most awkward moments of living abroad and literary snapshots of the people and places that influence everyday expat life. In August 2014 she decided to pack her bags and move to Daegu, South Korea where she currently teaches youngster all about Spanish culture and how to dance Flamenco (poorly). As an amateur photographer, or freezer of time, she’s always on the lookout for the next thing to Instagram. When she’s not sipping green tea and writing, you can find her at the local craft beer joint or indulging in Korean BBQ.
Description: Moving, making new friends and creating a niche for yourself is never an easy task to accomplish, but somehow doing so halfway around the world turned out to be easier than I'd have thought. That first 'big move' has led to multiple homes in various countries, each looking vastly different from the next, but all sharing the comfort of home.
Bio: Stephanie gave up the 9-5 job three years ago, set her sights on Asia and hasn't looked back since. After two years teaching English in South Korea she continues to call this side of the world home, but now through a more nomadic approach. She is currently eating, traveling, volunteering and yogaing (new word) her way through SE Asia with plans to eventually explore Europe and beyond.
I only know of 1 job and it was advertised on Dave's ESL Cafe. If you know of any more, please contact me at naturegirl321@yahoo.com
Lalla Khadija College of Health Sciences: They recruit through Chase Resourcing International and require ESL Instructors for a new faculty in Rabat, The Administrative capital of Morocco. They are looking for senior ESL Instructors who will work at the new faculty. You must have a BA in English, TESOL or Education. Or an MA in English, Education or TESOL. You also must have a CELTA or DELTA. Only citizens who have received their degrees from the following countries can apply: the USA, the UK, Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland will only be considered. You must have at least 8 years ESL/EFL experience. You will get free medical insurance, free flights, extensive holidays, and a salary / housing allowance package of $65,500 US Dollars, €51,300 Euro, £41,000 Sterling. Please email your CV, degrees, passport, CELTA/DELTA certificate and photo to aking@chase.ie. Adrien King
Global Education Recruitment Manager
Chase Towers, Daly’s Lane, The Square, Killorglin, Co. Kerry, Ireland. Skype: chase.resourcing. Office: +353 (0) 66 9762 007. Linkedin. Chase is a legit recruiter, you can find more info here.
Time after time again I hear teachers wanting to get a job at XYZ school because it’s well-known and will look good on their CV. While I understand this point of view, there are lots of downsides to working at well-known schools.
They often pay less due to supply and demand
There’s lots of competition
There may be few perks and benefits
You may have to teach a lot of hours
There are often caps on renewal so you’ll have to leave after 2, 4, or 5 years
They require a lot more work (committees, publications, create materials) and you're not compensated for it.
Of course, some prestigious schools pay well, but it’s hard to stand out. More likely than not you’ll be a small fish in a big pond. While that’s still better than being a small fish in a small pond, there are better options out there. It would be great to be a big fish in a big pond, but not many of us will ever achieve that status.
Look for well-kept secrets and undiscovered gems. You don’t have to work at the creme de la cream school to have a good job. In fact, some of the best jobs are at schools that no one has heard of. They have low turnover, happy teachers, hands-off management, and a great salary package.
People are more likely to talk about schools that they are unhappy with and have a bad reputation than good schools. If someone mentions a school you’ve never heard of, don’t automatically presume it’s a not a good place to work at, on the contrary, it’s likely to be a good school.
Many of the small, less-known schools often have less competition and due to that have to offer teachers more to work there. They may do this by offering a higher salary, less teaching hours, and longer vacations.
If you know of any other good ones, please let me
know by
emailing me at naturegirl321@yahoo.com
Being a Direct Hire is the Way to Go!
Try to get a direct hire position rather than one with a recruiter. Some benefits that you can expect to get are:
Free airfare (at least once a year, sometimes more)
Decent accommodation
Health insurance
Transport
allowance
End of contract gratuity (1 month salary for each year
worked)
Paid overtime
Potential to teach evening contract work
Own
private / semi private university office with computer and internet
Decent university facilities: gym, swimming pool, cafeteria, etc.
Decent
working hours (average is 22 contact hours)
Decent classrooms with good technology (computers, overhead projector, internet, smart boards, etc.)
Exchange Rates
Back in the 90s, teachers could save money pretty easily. While they were only getting around 1.5 mil won a month, the exchange rate was pretty good and the cost of living certainly isn't what it is now. Take a look at the chart below to see what 1.5 mil won was. Oanda was used for the exchange rates and I used June 30th of each year. Remember that the IMF crisis happened in July 1997.
1.5 mil won
1997
1999
2007
2014
Canadian dollars
2400
1950
1650
1542
American dollars
1650
1350
1650
1357
British pounds
1050
750
750
864
It's a bit depressing when you look at this chart. 1.5 mil on was worth a lot back in 1997.
Salaries
Exchange rates are one thing, now let's take a look at salaries. In 1999, most hagwons would give you 1.5 mil won. In 2014 it's about 2.3 mil. Salaries have gone up, which is a good thing, but so has the cost of living. Schools are also demanding more than before with many requiring a BA, TEFL cert, and teaching experience. It's good that they're requiring teachers to up their qualifications, but salaries should also increase proportionally. Simply put salaries are not keeping up with the cost of living and the required qualifications that schools are asking for.
Benefits
They've remained about the same, which is one reason why Korea still has a large influx of teachers. You'll usually get . . .
Free furnished housing or a housing allowance
Flights
Pension (worth about one month's salary). There are exceptions, Kiwis won't get anything until they're 65. South Africans don't pay into the pension scheme.
Insurance
Severance (one month's bonus upon completion of your contract
Lunch (if you're at a public school)
Two weeks paid vacation
Decent work schedule
Low taxes (about 5%)
Raising Competition
The bad news is that since Korea's pretty easy to get a job in and seen as the best place for new teachers to save money coupled with the horrible economy which means people can't get jobs back home, more and more teachers are coming to Korea. This means that it's an employers' market and their standards have raised.
At the beginning of this article you saw how teachers now need to jump through hoops to get their degrees legalised at the embassy or apostillised, then get a criminal background check, and finally have that legalised and apostillised. When I first came to Korea in 2007, none of that was required. A couple years later, they started asking for the degree, and then a national criminal background check, legalised / apostillised as well.
Keep in mind that these are the minimum requirements. Since there are so many teachers to choose from, now employers can easily ask for TEFL certs or masters degrees. And even then they'll still have a large pool of applicants they can choose from. They're trying to get the most qualified teacher for as cheaply as they can.
Cost of Living
It's gone up, there's not really much to say about it. People who have been here for ten years say that it's probably doubled for somethings (like gas) but other things (such as foreign products, some like deodorant didn't even exist) have gotten much, much cheaper. Add to that that now you can buy a lot of products online for a decent price, it's probably a wash.
University Positions
Many people hold "uni gigs" in high regard and while they are often still good, there are good and bad things about working at universities.
First the bad, many places won't provide housing or a housing allowance so it's up to you to come up with key money and rent. Second, if you look at Dave's, salaries are often around 2.1 to 2.5 mil a month, which is similar to what hagwons and public schools pay, but again you don't get the housing.Third, many universities, even top ones, aren't offering what they used to; the salary and benefit packages are getting worse or staying the same. Some examples of places which are offering less are Ewha (less vacation), Sungkyunkwan University (overtime was cut in half and they require you to work 5 days a week), and Yonsei University in Wonju (more hours with less pay). Fourth, you're competing with people who are happy to accept what they're
offered due to their current job or the economy back home. Lastly, you might not get severance which hagwons and public schools commonly offer.
The good news is that many universities require you to teach less hours than a hagwon; 15 hours seems to be the norm, though I have seen places require 9-21 hours. Secondly, you often have at least one day off a week. Thirdly, while you might have office hours (2 or 3 a week) you don't have to stay in the office all day like you do in a public school so you have more free time. Fourth, there is often overtime. It can vary, I've seen 23,000 to 60,000 an hour. Now keep in mind that's gross, not net. The problem is that sometimes you can work more and be put into a higher tax bracket, so your take-home pay might not be that much more. Lastly, vacations are pretty good. Some places only offer 5 weeks a year, but there are a few that offer 5 months a year. You might have to teach during one of the breaks, but it's often paid so you can double your income for that month. If you want to teach at a university in Korea, I'd definitely recommend Jackie Bolen's book, “How to Get a University Job in South Korea: The English Teaching Job of Your Dreams.” She wrote a couple of guest posts here at TEFL Tips, How to get the university job in Korea that you want and why I love working at a Korean university. She's been in Korea for over a decade and really knows her stuff.
If you're Canadian, the exchange rate has really taken a hit and you're making less than teachers were years ago. Americans and Brits have gotten a better deal. However, even if you are Canadian, Korea's probably the only country where new TEFL teachers can save as much as they do and have a good lifestyle.
Your Opinion
What do you think about TEFLing in Korea?
If you know of any other good ones, please let me
know by
emailing me at naturegirl321@yahoo.com
Being a Direct Hire is the Way to Go!
Try to get a direct hire position rather than one with a recruiter. Some benefits that you can expect to get are:
Free airfare (at least once a year, sometimes more)
Decent accommodation
Health insurance
Transport
allowance
End of contract gratuity (1 month salary for each year
worked)
Paid overtime
Potential to teach evening contract work
Own
private / semi private university office with computer and internet
Decent university facilities: gym, swimming pool, cafeteria, etc.
Decent
working hours (average is 22 contact hours)
Decent classrooms with good technology (computers, overhead projector, internet, smart boards, etc.)
Salaries are Deceiving
Remember, that often the stated salary doesn't include allowances. Paul in Saudi states that you'll get about an addition two thirds (65%) in allowances, such as housing and transport. If the job only advertises a salary of $4,000 a month, you'll probably earn about $7,000 total per month. Salaries are dependent upon education and legitimate (meaning that you can prove it) work experience. There are no taxes in Saudi, but you will be living in the Magic Kingdom. Here's a sample contract from Vinnell Arabia.
Finding a Good Employer
Do your research to make sure you find a reliable, reasonable, responsible employer that will pay on time, give you an igama (work visa), allow you to bring your spouse and kids, and pay for their education, as well as get you the proper exit and re-entry visas. Check out employers with the best reputations and positions that pay $100K and up.
Where to Find Jobs
Spring is the higher season, so plan accordingly. Go directly to university websites to find their job offers and application. Applications can be a pain to fill out and it's not uncommon for employers to take a long, long time to get back to you. I had a friend get a job offer a year after she applied. TESOL Arabia is one of the best conferences to attend. TESOL in the US and IATEFL in the UK are also good. There's also TESOL.org, the Chronicle, HigherEd Jobs, Jobs.ac.uk, and IATEFL. Advice for Women
Check out Comparing uni job offers - advice for the ladies! If you want to bring your family, be aware that it's not common for women to sponsor their husbands. You can bring your children, however, you will need permission from their father. Usually you need to have a document that is less than 3 months old that gives you permission to travel with your children. Remember that unmarried girls are their father's property.
The Best Jobs in Saudi Arabia
Al Hoty Co. Ltd: $6,000-$9,000 a month with 3 vacations per year. You'll need to be a male with at least a BA. Here's an example of their adverts.
Aramco: Ah, the famous Aramco. It's hard to get a direct hire position with them, but they seem to be one of the best employers to work for. However, they usually hire males with bachelor status, meaning that you can't bring your family with you. Here's info about teaching at their schools.
B3H (men only): Expect a salary package around $90,000, which would include base pay, bonus, 401K matching contributions, airfare, cell phone allowance, insurance, paid vacation, training and certification by the US Department of Defense, Defense Language Institute. This is a US government contract teaching Royal Saudi Air Force personnel. You must be an American and have a US bank account. Part of Booz Allen.
Dar Al Uloom University: The University Preparatory Program (UPP) needs teachers to teach up to 20 hours per week (18 is the norm). You'll get $2,600 - $5,300 inclusive of housing and transport allowance. 45 paid vacation with airfare. Masters or PhD required. TEFL cert or diploma preferred. 8am-4pm, with 2 office hours per day. May have to work 6 days per week.
Institute of Public Administration (IPA): (Men and Women) Here's a past advert. You'll get about $3,000-$4,000 a month, free housing, paid summer vacation (60 days) with flights, holidays, subsidy for children's education at international schools, private office with computer and internet. You'll teach 22 hours and need at least an MA.
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM): (Men only) Decent pay with great overtime opportunities. On-campus housing is provided and all utilities are covered. Students are good and there's a sane work schedule. Great vacations 917-18 weeks per year). No visa issues and most of the time you get what you're promised, which is rare is Saudi.
Northrop Grumman (Men only): Must be an American. Follows Vinnell ELTB admin regulations.Expect a salary package around $90,000, which would
include base pay, bonus, 401K matching contributions, airfare, cell
phone allowance, insurance, paid vacation, training and certification.
Saudi companies which are subcontractors to Aramco
Raytheon: Pay very well, around $80,000, but the students are difficult.
Saudi British Centre (SBC): MA preferred but BA and experience also accepted. Minimum of 2 years teaching experience. $2,300-$4,800 plus furnished accommodations or allowance, transport or allowance, igama, visa expenses reimbursed, exit and re-entry visas, scheduled trips, cash advance upon arrival, year-end bonus, 30 days paid vacation and airfare.
Teach Away: They sometimes have good jobs. They were recently advertising for an academic director for a women's uni in Riyadh. Salary was $10,000 plus airfare, and 30 days vacation. You needed at least an MA, plus a TEFL cert or diploma, and at least 5 years teaching experience. You also needed experience in strategic planning, development, evaluation, and delivery of programs. Management experience, data analysis skills, and project management abilities.
College of the North Atlantic (CNAQ): They only hire Canadiansas EFL instructors, but they will hire people from other countries to teach technical subjects. In addition to advertising on their website, they also advertise on career beacon. Used to be good, but budget cuts have changed a lot of things. Hopefully they'll get back on track. Check Dave's for more info.
If you know of any other good ones, please let me know by
emailing me at naturegirl321@yahoo.com
Recruiters are commonly used in Oman, but it's best to be a direct hire. Many employers in the gulf will provide furnished housing, flights, gratuity, medical care (major teaching hospital on campus), and various allowances.
Sultan Qaboos University (SQU): Supposed to be one of the best jobs in Oman and very competitive. Pay is about 1400 rials ($3,636) a month. Try doing a search for the "Guide for New Teachers Sultan Qaboos University"
If you've seen it once you've seen in a million times: TEFL certification courses that "guarantee" you a job upon successful completion of the course. If you stop and think about it it's just absurd.
How can they guarantee you a job unless it's with their company? Or if they pull strings to get you a job somewhere else? What happens if you do your TEFL cert in Europe, but want to work in Asia, can they guarantee that you'll get a job there? Probably not.
You've got to read between the lines. Most often than not, guaranteed job placement doesn't mean what you think. It usually means the following:
That's usually the extent of guaranteed job placement unless they place you at their own school or at another school they have an agreement with. To be honest, it's really only fair that they do this. After all, they can't guarantee that you'll do well at the interview or have a great demo lesson. Nor can they guarantee that the person interviewing you will like you and want to hire you.
So the next time you see a TEFL course announcing that they have guaranteed job placement, take it with a grain of salt. No one can guarantee that you'll get the job: it's up to you to wow the interviewer with your personality, skills, qualifications, and experience.
If you know of any other good ones, please let me know by emailing me at naturegirl321@yahoo.com
A bachelor's degree and three years of classroom experience is enough
for a work permit. Egypt doesn't license any teachers, so foreign
teachers aren't required to be licensed. Nor do they do background
checks.
I came across this website the other day. It's got some pretty interesting articles and statistics worth checking out. It's called America Wave and explains about the American exodus.
I only know of one so if you know of any other good ones, please let me know by emailing me at naturegirl321@yahoo.com
US Department of State has English Language Programme Managers. They recruit through usajobs. Pay is $75,000-$115,000 for a year and you get 35% danger pay and 35% hardship pay. You'll need to be an American or have a green card.
If you know of any other good ones, please let me know by emailing me at naturegirl321@yahoo.com
Maximo Nivel (MN): They have institutes in Costa Rica and Guatemala as well. Their trainer positions pay between $1000 and $1800 a month.
Universidad de Piura (UDEP): They give you a special OIM visa which is a type of diplomatic-volunteer visa that allows you to stay in Peru for a year. It's not a resident visa. Pay is about $700 a month and has been that way for the past ten years. They may help with housing for the first month and flights. It's a really good place to work. Here's the language center and info on how to apply.
I only know of one, so if you know of any other good ones, please let me know by emailing me at naturegirl321@yahoo.com
Tecnologico de Monterrey (ITESM):Good pay, pay on time, do the paperwork for your visa (although you have to pay for it), and enroll you in health insurance.
Jackie Bolen has written a few guest posts for me including how to choose an ESL job wisely, how to advance your TEFL career, and why I love teaching at a Korean university. She's been teaching in Korea for 10 years and has decided to make the move back home to Canada. She's active in a number of Facebook groups and has a few websites including Wealthy English Teacher and Teaching in a Korean University.
Years ago I wrote a blog post about life after TEFL with some advice for teachers going home. While I only skimmed the surface, Jackie has a new book out called, Life After ESL: Foreign Teachers Returning Home that is jammed packed full of stories and advice from teachers who have made the transition from TEFLing abroad to getting a job back home.
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