Thread: Should I take this job? Advice ASAP please?

So I've been looking for an Art & Design Teaching job in Thailand for a while and have been offered this:

Can anyone give me any advice if I should definitly go for it because it would mean moving in two weeks!?

''I can offer you a job to teach and give a real knowledge in Art & Design and Design & Technology at the rate of Baht 30,000 per month with free insurance of accident and the tax payment will be my offer to pay for you.
We can provide our school documents to ask for Non-B Immigrant Visa for working and a Work Permit to work at our school. The Full-time Employment Contract will be one academic year contract which will be effective from the 15th August 2012 to 30th June 2013. The school will be re-opened on Monday 20th August 2012.''


The school is the International School of Hatyai.

Cheers, Felicity

yes, sign. if you don't like it keep it for a contract year and look for another meanwhile. HY is not expensive. any medical coverage is good cause it's sort of a dangerous country, especially in traffic situations.

NO
sounds suss an international school offering less money that a government school for teaching a subject other than ESL

True international schools would pay no less than 80,000 with acommodation benefits thrown in

I've seen international schools advertise 60,000 baht, but I contacted a couple international schools that were offering over 80k plus very nice benefits each when I was considering teaching in Thailand. Those positions were not for teaching TEFL. You should not teach art for less than $1000/mo. Pass.

I can't believe what I'm reading. When you saw the words International school and then Hat Yai did you kinda get the idea it wasn't a top tier Bkk school? Do any of you know there are scores of schools calling themselves international in Thailand? Damn, Rajabhat has no right calling themselves a university. Did anyone notice her subject choice for a teaching job was a fairly rare one? And best of all, if you were looking for a job, needed a job and offered one from a school that had the nerve to call themselves international, would you decline for no other reason they are on par with Rajabhat in over-estimating themselves with an exaggerated title? You know nothing about her, her age, experience, race .. nothing! Fools!

I should add that one of the schools I contacted was not in Bangkok, but it was in a pretty wealthy area, particularly compared to Hat Yai.

I didn't actually apply for the job--life kept me away from Thailand--but the people I did speak to seemed incredibly professional and the school seemed to be world class. I wish I had gone for it; I think it would've been a great experience.

I'm with Jonny, I reckon this is an opportunity. What you've been looking for isn't going to come along every day and this seems to fit the bill. Who cares what you could or should be earning based on a name or expression, what's important is getting your foot in the door towards the direction you're looking for and take it from there. If the place turns out not to be all that great it doesn't matter: you'll still be able to utilise the experience for your resume.

Or you can hold out for Art & Design for 80k at a 'proper' international school

And if you have any tats cover them up real good.

Another point to consider: you can always take the job, arrive, then start hunting for better positions and jump ship. The only problem is there might not be good positions in Hat Yai, and you shouldn't break a contract for obvious ethical reasons. Still, if there's an exit clause and you are willing to travel the country to interview for other, better jobs, this might be a chance to just get in-country so you can start looking for greener pastures.

I did this once and it was, very, very profitable.

Felicity,

A friend in HY was offered that job months ago for a 40k salary. Her qualifications were nothing extraordinary, TEFL and a degree. 1 year experience teaching ESL at YorWor. If your situation is similar I would push for more money, and see if they can extend to a 12 month contract or at least a bonus that could keep you paying rent/food/travelling in the summer holidays, though they wouldn't offer this to her and is why she turned down the contract and moved to BKK. Depends on your long term plans, desire to teach art and design, and ability to save if they don't offer anything extra I guess.

HY salaries are fairly limited, there's not the plethora of agencies and schools with EP like in BKK so most are basic ESL positions. If you did get there and decide you didn't love it, alternative starting salary is generally around 30-35, 40 for SIS and the Muslim school where Andrew Biggs Academy recruit the teachers and maybe more if you can get in directly with the Technical and Commercial colleges (though as far as I know, the 3 I'm thinking of all have contracts with outside companies for their teachers.)

Obviously working at PSU could make you double that, but the fact you're considering a 30k job in HY makes me think it would be a bit above your experience level (as it is mine!)

Living off 30k there is happily done. I had a fantastic year living down there, never left wanting for anything, and still managed to travel a fair bit and save 10-15k a month, though I did get a pretty significant salary bump my second semester.

If you have any questions about the city itself, I'd be happy to answer, just give me a message.

Originally Posted by GreggsH

Living off 30k there is happily done. I had a fantastic year living down there, never left wanting for anything, and still managed to travel a fair bit and save 10-15k a month, though I did get a pretty significant salary bump my second semester.

Hi- How did you get a salary bump mid-contract?

All you male teachers always wanting to wear your salary like a phallic at a cocktail party should quit teaching, put on a leather mini and work nights in a public bathhouse. Hey, there's good money in that!

I'm confused; are you suggesting we don't discuss salaries openly, so that employers can pay unequal wages and teachers can't work together for better working conditions?