Teach English in Thailand in 10 Days (Part 2)

This is the second part of a two part post on how to get a job teaching English in Thailand in just 10 days. If you haven’t read the first part yet you can find it here: Teach English in Thailand

Day 5: Hit the Pavement

Time to actually get yourself out there in front of some employers, so put on your business clothes, grab your resumes, diploma and transcript copies and copies of your reference letters and get moving. The first place you want to go is a photo shop to get some passport type photos. Most of the schools in Bangkok will ask for a photo as part of your application package so be prepared. You can find numerous photo shops around the Khao San Road area where you can get passport sized photos taken for around 100 baht for four. Get 12 or more.

Next go to check your email since you might have responses from yesterdays inquiries. Immediately call and/or email any schools that have shown an interest to schedule an interview. Make sure to get directions to the school as well.

The rest of your day is going to be spent visiting schools. It is not the most efficient way of conducting a job search due to the traffic in Bangkok, but it is good to get some face to face exposure and practice interviewing. The top thing to keep in mind when interviewing is to smile and show enthusiasm.

When you visit the schools greet the receptionist and ask to talk to someone about a teaching job and make sure to hand them your resume. Make sure to smile and be polite at all times. It is possible at some schools you will get an interview on the spot and may even get a job offer.

When looking for walk-in interviews the best place to start is Siam Square because of the large number of English schools. Get a taxi and tell the driver “Siam Square”. He’ll get you there and once you arrive take some time to walk around. You’ll find that there are branches for Siam Computer, ECC, The British Council, English First and Go Chula in or around the Siam Square area. You’ll also find some smaller English schools as well. Siam Discovery shopping mall across the street also has a branch of Inlingua. Visit them all and drop off a resume and get an appointment if possible.

After you’re done at Siam Square get on the BTS and take it to the Ratchidamri station. Once you arrive at Ratchidamri station walk south towards Lumpini Park about 5 minutes to get to AUA, which is one of the larger and most well known English schools in Bangkok. Drop off a resume and try to schedule an interview.

Don’t be discouraged if nothing happens. Remember, the purpose of walk-ins is to grow more comfortable talking to employers.

You’ve very likely had a long, hot and tiring day. Head back to your hotel and take a long relaxing shower and go get some dinner. Head back to bed early because your next day should be just as busy.

Day 6: Searching The Bangkok Post and The Nation

After you have breakfast head straight to a coffee shop or bookstore and pick up copies of The Bangkok Post and The Nation. These are the top two English language newspapers in Bangkok and are a decent source of job ads, although not as good as they have been in the past. Scan through the classifieds circling any promising looking advertisements. Immediately call those with a phone number to schedule an interview. Make sure to mention that you meet their qualifications and are looking for work immediately.

Now go to the internet café to check for any email responses to the inquires you’ve been sending out. Respond to them immediately by phone if possible and schedule an interview. Also, send emails to contacts from The Bangkok Post and The Nation that did not have phone numbers listed or couldn’t be reached by phone.

By now you should have a good sized list of interviews scheduled so you’ll spend the rest of the day heading off to interviews. Dress you absolute best. The job itself may be casual, but for the interview you want to look conservative and as good as possible. You’ve heard the phrase “You never have a second chance to make a first impression” before? Well it is more true in Thailand than most places where employers are very likely to judge you by your appearance, dress, smile and enthusiasm rather than your actual qualifications to do the job. In Thailand looks count for very much.

Day 7: More Interviews

After a good breakfast check you email again and call to schedule more interviews with any schools that have responded. You should still have a decent list of interviews and the rest of today will be another interview day. Remember to dress your best, smile, be enthusiastic and polite.

Day 8: Relax

You’ve had three very busy days so unless you have a very promising interview scheduled take the day off and relax. Sleep late, get a massage, do some sightseeing, but relax. Do check your email and follow up with inquiries, but try to take it easy today.

Day 9 & 10: Interviews and Contracts

Both days start by checking your email and responding to any inquires. You should also check again at http://www.teflasia.com/ajarn/browse_jobs/index.html and http://www.daveseslcafe.com and respond to any new job listings at either site. By this time you should have at least one job offer, but do not accept the first offer. Make sure you examine the contract first carefully.

And thanks to Louis for this…Check your prospective school at TEFLWatch before you accept a position. TEFLWatch has a pretty good list of Bangkok schools with comments from current and past teachers about the working conditions. Definitely worth a look before you accept any contract.

Ask questions about the contract and the job. How many hours a week are you required to teach (anything over 25 is too much)? Will the school sponsor a work visa (they should)? Will the school help you to find an apartment (they should)? What is the pay (anything less than 35,000 baht a month is too low. Overtime should be 400 baht an hour minimum)? If you can talk to other teachers at the school and see if they are satisfied with the job. Are they treated well? Are they paid on time? Once you are satisfied go ahead and sign the contract.

By following the steps above anyone with a college degree can easily find a job teaching English in Thailand in 10 days or less. Keep in mind that TESL/ESL jobs in Thailand do not pay very well by western standards, but the cost of living in Thailand is quite low. If you are able to live simply you will be able to cover your expenses and save a few hundred dollars a month. And there are a huge number of jobs available for English teachers. With a nice appearance and some organizations finding a job and becoming a teacher in Thailand in 10 days is virtually assured.

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Check out these similar posts:
What Work Can We Do Other Than Teach English in Thailand?

Teach English in Thailand in 10 Days (Part 1)

How Well Can Thai’s Speak English?