Teaching, Cr-suite101

Join the International Teaching Circuit and Travel the World:

Qualified teachers in their own country, as well as native or fluent English speakers, may not realise that there is a huge number of international schools scattered around the world advertising for staff for usually a minimum of a two year contract. So why move to teach internationally? Here are some reasons why.

Travel Abroad and Enhance the Resume

Teaching is a career that lends itself to traveling. Anywhere in the world, people will need teachers. This means that almost any country is an option when deciding where to move to teach in an International School.

Having dependents does not have to be an obstacle to finding the right position; this purely depends on the schools themselves and whether they prefer to employ single teachers, teaching couples or families. Teaching couples and singles can work out cheaper for a school to hire, as they do not have to offer free flights, medical and school places for any children, but some schools view families as a more stable option who are more likely to commit for a longer period of time.

Some international experience can be very well regarded on resumes rather than as a negative, especially if it means learning a new curriculum or style of teaching. Whether changing jobs or taking a sabbatical from an existing job, employers will often welcome the chance for some new knowledge in terms of professional development being brought into their school.

Save Some Money Teaching Abroad

Living in most countries in South East Asia, for example, will allow for a reasonable proportion of a teacher’s salary to be saved, often a lot more than is possible to save at home. This can be the case even if the salary looks like it is less than in the home country, as factors such as accommodation, flights and medical expenses are generally provided by the school as part of the package, and salaries are often tax free.
It depends how much money it is possible to save, of course, on the type of lifestyle that each individual chooses to lead. Eat like the locals most of the time and take shorter trips close to “home,” and it is possible to save a large proportion of one’s salary. Live like a king – eating out several nights a week and taking far flung, exotic holidays – and of course, it will not be possible to save so much.

Experience Another Culture

The chance to experience another culture as a resident of that country, rather than during a brief visit as a tourist, is a unique experience. It allows the traveller to get to know how a country works and feels from day to day, and gain a little insight into what the locals are really like.

This may involve some changes to everyday routines, such as what to wear, (in a Muslim country, for example, shorts and a singlet would not be acceptable daywear, however hot the weather is,) what to eat, (not all foods from home are likely to be available,) and socialising, (in a dry country, alcohol will not be on the menu, for example.) But this is all an integral part of the experience, and entering into any new experience with an open mind is essential in order to enjoy the new culture.