For many teachers who move to Thailand to teach English, they need to get a teaching job in Thailand quickly. Plane fares, rental deposits, setting up an apartment, buying teaching clothes, transportation costs, all of these things eat into your savings so getting a teaching job quickly in Thailand is a must.
Take heart though, it is possible to get a teaching job anywhere in Thailand much more quickly than it would ever happen in the west. In fact, you can easily get one in less than a week. Just follow these fast tips and you’ll be working at your first school in no time.
1. Come To Thailand – Some teachers try to get jobs in Thailand before they get here. Hardly any schools in Thailand will hire people sight unseen and, if they will, you can just about guarantee they’re the worst schools and not one you’d enjoy working for.
Get on a plane and come to Thailand because if you expect to get a good teaching job while you’re still sitting on your duff in your home country, honestly, it’s highly unlikely to happen.
2. Write a Resume – This might seem a no-brainer but, for some people, it’s not. Before you even start applying for teaching jobs in Thailand, you need a resume. Spend a couple of hours at home on your laptop or in a Thai internet shop and write a good resume.
You’ll be required to e-mail a resume for all teaching jobs in Thailand so get one written, quickly. With a resume in hand, you should easily be able to get a teaching job in Thailand in less than a week.
3. Apply For Teaching Jobs Listed on Ajarn.com – Ajarn.com is the most popular teaching website in Thailand. It has a huge job list that’s updated daily with many of the available teaching jobs in Thailand listed there. The job listings will tell you where the teaching job is located, what the school/company requires, if the school/company pays for your work permit and how much the teaching job pays.
Many teachers in Thailand report getting a teaching job less than three days after submitting applications to job openings on Ajarn. Make a note of several jobs you’re interested in (try to find at least five jobs) and e-mail a cover letter, your resume and a recent photograph. Make sure your phone number is listed on your resume and in your e-mail as most schools/companies will call you for a job interview within 24-48 hours of receiving your resume.
4. Visit Language Schools in Thailand – Language schools are some of the top places for new teachers in Thailand to apply to. There are many of them, they pay a liveable salary and they usually need teachers. Find 3-5 language schools in your area (easy to do if you live in Bangkok where there are many of them) and pay them a visit.
Most language schools will allow you to drop off your resume, some will interview you on the spot, and a couple may even offer you a job there and then. Language schools are also a great way to get a part-time evening or weekend job if you want to supplement your full-time income.
5. Talk To Other Teachers in Thailand – Getting an English teaching job quickly in Thailand can be as easy as talking to other English teachers and telling them you’re available. Many teaching jobs in Thailand are word-of-mouth and as many teachers will know of the vacancies at the school they work at, you may even hear of the jobs before they hit Ajarn.com job listing.
Plus, if you’re recommended by another teacher, many Thai schools will look at your application even more favorably.
6. Read The Bangkok Post and The Nation Job Ads – The two Thai English language newspapers The Bangkok Post and The Nation always have teaching jobs listed. Spend a few minutes every morning reading the ‘Wanted’ section, taking note of phone numbers and e-mail addresses. E-mail resumes to any school or company that fits your requirements.
If you don’t want to buy the newspapers every morning many Thai coffee shops will have copies for customers to read, particularly as it’s cheaper to buy a cup of coffee than it is to buy the two newspapers.
7. Interview For Teaching Jobs – Once you’ve sent a few resumes out, you’ll find very quickly you’re inundated with offers for interviews. Out of every ten resumes, unless you’re completely unqualified, you should get at least 7-8 interviews.
Dress well, take your resume and photo copies of your college degree and college transcripts with you, and be pleasant and smiling. If you’re qualified, look smart, act positive and are nice to talk to it’s highly unlikely you won’t get a few job offers by the end of your first day interviewing.
8. Accept a Teaching Job – Getting a teaching job quickly in Thailand really is as easy as saying “accept a teaching job”. Every teacher I know who has arrived in Thailand without a job has had several job offers within three days of beginning their search. Just remember, don’t accept the first job offered to you as you will get more.
Spend an evening thinking about your options and call the school or company back you like the most the following day to accept the offer. Chances are, they will want you to start in just a few days. Some in fact will want you to start tomorrow. That’s how easy it is to get a teaching job quickly in Thailand.
With these job search tips, you should find it easy to get a teaching job quickly in Thailand and definitely in less than a week’s time. In fact, in most places in Thailand, you’ve got to be singularly unqualified or have something seriously wrong with you not to get several teaching offers in just a few days.