| Ever since I wrote my book The Complete Guide to | | | | accordingly. |
| Securing a Job at an International School I’ve been | | | | Also, if your experience is all in mono-lingual and |
| inundated with questions about teaching overseas. | | | | mono-cultural situations, then getting a TEFL |
| I’ve selected the most frequently asked ones to | | | | qualification to add to your current credentials will only |
| answer for you here… | | | | improve your chances. It will show recruiters that you |
| Where can I teach in an international school? How can | | | | are prepared for the issues you’ll encounter in your |
| I find out? | | | | multi-cultural classes abroad. |
| There are over 4000 international schools of varying | | | | Will I make enough money? |
| sizes worldwide and all of them need teachers. So the | | | | Exactly how much is enough? This is a hard one to |
| answer to the first question is… just about anywhere! | | | | answer because we all have different opinions on |
| One way you can find out whether there’s an | | | | how much is enough, don’t we? |
| international school where you’d like to work is to | | | | However, my answer is this… do your homework! It is |
| ‘Google it’. I simply typed in ‘international | | | | possible to make loads and loads and put your |
| school Bangkok” and up popped a whole page of | | | | investment portfolio on the map (or cover the map |
| listings. | | | | with your travels! Or both?), but it really depends |
| Of course this isn’t the way to go about landing | | | | where you go. Western Europe doesn’t have the |
| your new teaching job abroad, but you can certainly | | | | same potential for earning that the Middle East or |
| check out how many schools are available in the | | | | South East Asia has, but you’ll still make enough to |
| destinations you’re interested in. | | | | live reasonably. Even in Western Europe, some |
| I’ve got kids, will an international school employ me? | | | | schools pay better than others, and Eastern Europe is |
| Yes they will! You may have some trouble if | | | | different again because of the low cost of living. |
| you’ve got 7 kids and you’re a single parent, or | | | | Teaching Abroad – the best decision you’ll ever |
| something similar, simply because the recruiters know | | | | make |
| you probably won’t be able to manage on a single | | | | Teaching overseas is an opportunity to put your |
| teacher’s salary and allowances. | | | | qualifications to good use. You’ll be able to support |
| Contracts for overseas hired teachers often include | | | | yourself, and often have more left over at the end of |
| such perks as free tuition for your children (often | | | | the month than you would at home, and travel |
| limited to two, but not always), so you’ll get a | | | | extensively to exotic destinations you’ve only ever |
| private education for your children too. | | | | dreamed about. |
| Do I need a TEFL certificate to get a job teaching | | | | And guess what? Internationals school principals have |
| abroad? | | | | been discussing the looming shortage of international |
| This all depends on what kind of credentials and | | | | teachers! |
| experience you already have. | | | | That’s right, with the sudden explosion in the |
| If you don’t have a teaching qualification, then you | | | | number of schools opening for business in the last |
| probably don’t have any other option. With a TEFL | | | | couple of years there’s been an equal explosion in |
| certificate you can teach the English as a Second | | | | the number of positions recruiters need to fill… but as |
| Language classes that are offered at most | | | | yet there hasn’t been the required increase in |
| international schools. | | | | teachers applying. |
| Based on my experience doing both, teaching EFL or | | | | You do the math on that one and it all comes out to |
| ESL at an international school is preferable to teaching | | | | be a positive move in your favour. |
| at a private language school. So plan your job-hunt | | | | |