^ I lived there for 4 years. It's by far the best place I have lived because of the sheer convenience of everything. There are atms and 7-11s on every street. Changing / sending money is a breeze, as is opening a bank account. It's a very international city, so there are many types of cuisine available. It's also very cheap to live. The people are very friendly and wear smiles on their faces, so it's a very pleasant environment. Budget airlines make domestic and international travel very cheap and easy. The subway/skytrain make traveling within the city easy as well.


You really can't say any other city offers so much (especially in China).

I started when I was 27. I wasted a few years cover teaching in the US and then a few years teaching EFL in Asia before my "real teaching" began a few years ago. Start as soon as possible - I wish I had started earlier.

I didn't think there were any 1st tier schools in Vietnam.

I was hired in May for my current job. A few of my colleagues are still getting interviews now. It's not too late - but look further than Search and Tie. TES, CIS, joyjobs....go to the ibo website and just go down the list of international school websites. I'm sure there are still jobs out there.

-Will schools be turned off by the fact that my licensing courses came from an online program?

Probably not. But are you getting certification w/o student teaching? Schools would definitely look down on that.

-I will have three years of ESL teaching experience under my belt, but no experience teaching back home in the States. Will my experience be considered relevant/sufficient by international schools?

No. ESL teaching experience does not count, unless you are applying for an ESL job. You will be starting out with zero years of experience, so schools will be reluctant to hire you. You will most likely have to go to an undesirable location (Middle East, mainland China, any country with -stan in it) to get started. Just make sure it's an IB school.


-How important is it to have a masters degree in the international school job market? Can I get by without one, or should I definitely plan on getting one if I want to be competitive. I am willing to do what it takes to pursue this career path, but I would like to limit major expenses as much as I can.

I got one and I'm glad I did. I think it does help, but IB experience helps more.


And finally, more generally, is there anything you wish you had known when you were just getting started with the transition to working in international schools?

How competitive it is and how you must have IB experience to get into one of the better schools. Even with an M.A., + teaching certificate and 6 years of xp, schools would not look at me without IB.

Definite red flag. I would contact the school directly - just call up the director and find out what the deal is.

Try asking here:

http://www.livinginindonesiaforum.org

Air China sucks. Definitely the worst airline I've ever taken, and that list even includes the American carriers and the dodgy Indonesian ones. Flight attendants don't speak much English, and the passengers (mostly Chinese) are rude, unruly, and disgusting. Food was inedible; we actually brought a couple of sandwiches with us on the return flight so we didn't have to eat the disgusting food.


Best airline I've flown is Singapore, but Cathay Pacific, Korean, and Asiana are also good.

I'm not sure if I agree with your list. Of those you listed, the tier 1s are:

Shanghai American School
International School Bangkok
Western Academy Beijing
American School in Japan
Singapore American School

not sure about the others you listed. IS Manila and Taipei American are definitely not tier 1s.

A few others:

Yokohama International School
American School of Bombay
Hong Kong Discovery College
Renaissance College, Hong Kong

Best to check with other expats who live there. I think it's better now, but a few years ago they would not issue international debit cards to foreigners. I even had one clerk tell me that it was because Korea wanted "to stop foreigners from stealing money from the Korean economy." I eventually got one from Nonghyup Bank.

I'm wondering this too; not for me (I was hired back in January) but for a colleague of mine. He doesn't know I'm posting this but I do want to help him as I believe he's a very competent teacher and a very nice guy.

He has 2 years of IB experience, teaching Math, Further Math, and Math studies (DP & MYP). He can also teach Business. Before this gig he taught in the US for a few years. He's originally from Hong Kong, so he is not a native English speaker. He also has a wife and a child. He's 48 years old.

He went to the Bangkok fair and had 5-6 interviews but no offers. He would prefer to go to Hong Kong, but mainland China would also be okay as long as it's relatively close to Hong Kong. Southeast Asia would also be fine, I believe, but at this point I think he's a bit more flexible.

He's a member of Search and Tie, both of which he checks regularly, along with TES. Honestly I have no idea why he hasn't been hired yet. Any suggestions that I could pass on would be appreciated.

Sent

I worked in Thailand for a few years - health care was always great and covered by the school, which is one of the main reasons I'm returning.

China sucks - healthcare here (outside of Shanghai and Beijing) ranges from poor to non-existent, but it really depends on where you are and what type of school it is.

[quote="Open Communication"]The unfortunate thing about having to take those IB courses is that they are going to be crap. I've taken a few. They were all crap. All I got out of them that was useful (debatable actually) were the certificates of attendance.[/quote]

Not really true. I've been on two IB courses and both were great. I think it depends on who is running the course.

When I read the OP I immediately thought of Wells. IB workshops are about 350 pounds. Will you have to pay for the hotel/flight as well? I have never heard of a school doing this. Big red flag, but you could do worse in Bangkok.