Trouble finding teaching jobs

I am having a lot of trouble finding a teaching job here. I posted my resume on 104 to countless companies and I dont get so much as one phone call from a school. What gives? who are they exactly looking for??

Hit the pavement and start going from school to school. This is the most effective way to find a teaching job these days.

Are you here? Have you done up your resume and walked into the office with it? I found that email applications don’t always get the same attention and or even response. Then again, maybe you just need to rewrite your resume. :idunno:

I agree that hitting the pavement is your best bet.

The China Post used to advertise 1.5 pages of jobs 5 years ago, now there about 10 (jobs, not pages). When you put your name on any of the expat boards, two days later your name will be all the way down and over onto page 2. It gets said all the time, but I’m convinced that the jobs aren’t around like they were anymore. People are staying longer, parents are having less kids and Elementary Schools are going bilingual and cutting out cram school business.

Good luck.

Also, we had all those raids last year before the elections. Since then schools haven’t been advertising in the papers. Forget about boards and e-mails. Walk into an office or call and make an appointment. Works best!

Good luck! :slight_smile:

All I got hitting the pavement was either 1. Fill out a resume and take a test, then they say they will call back but never do, or 2. Leave your name and number and we’ll call back (which they never do), or 3. Sorry we’re not looking for a teacher now…

i was looking on tealit.com this afternoon and there are a TON of jobs available… esp. in the taipei area.

follow up calls are always good. remind them that you are the teacher they need and are looking for.

keep your resume short and sweet. a long-winded resume about what you did back home isn’t going to have the same effect here… emphasize skills that are applicable to teaching.

In the last week three different schools with a total of ten teaching venues (plus ‘outside’ classes) have asked me if I know any good teachers. There’s jobs out there.

In my past experience, an ad at tealit typically attracts 60+ resondents. I used to throw most of them in the bin because the applicant

  • asked questions that had been answered in the ad
  • didn’t follow the simple instructions given in the ad
  • couldn’t be bothered to write a covering letter
  • claimed to be a great teacher
  • COULDN’T FUCKING SPELL OR PUNCTUATE WORTH SHIT!

Of the ones that remained, an awful lot were effectively identical. First I would call the ones that stood out from the crowd, then whichever of the others happened to be closest to hand.

Assuming you get through the first filter, and are apparently competent and hireable, you still need to catch the attention of the people doing the hiring. Otherwise you’re just applicant number 47 and the job is already filled.

I’ve never found hitting the pavement to be a particularly efficient way to use your time. You’ll fill in 10-20 applications a day at places that may or may not need you. How many emails can you send in the same amount of time?

I would put my time into getting my presentation up to the highest standard I can, and then into getting my particulars in front of as many people as possible. I think I’d agree about the one-page format being best.

The one benefit of walking the streets is that you get the chance to get a feel for schools, talk to teachers, and interact with students. It’s all useful experience if you’re a newbie. (Sorry if I’m incorrect in that assumption.)

You might try hooking up with an agent or two for a while. At least they’ll get you into interviews and demos, which is good practise although it’s better not to actually have to work for them.

Alternatively, some of the chain schools are not bad to work for. Hess seem to be generally OK, and I know quite a few people who are at Shane (Brit, but does occasionally hire ‘foreigners’) and very happy.

And there’s always myu.com.tw too.

Try some of the tips listed here:

http://www.geocities.com/allhou/teachtips.htm

I just got a student job at my university in the states and from what I’ve seen e-mails can get you the job if they are done properly.

Your Resume has no business being over 1 page unless you have had tons of experience in very good and relavent jobs.

Also I’ve heard that chain schools are best for newbs because they are less picky and are good at dealing with paperwork.

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I have 2 jobs I need to find people for right now. One has been in my sig for about a week, the other I’ll be posting soon. I had a job for another position in my sig a while ago and I was surprised that out of all (almost) 20 people that contacted me only one called (they sent and email with resume as well, they also ended up being one of the people that got the job).

I always call when I see a number to call and have never had much trouble finding work (I’ve only looked 4 times though). Each of the 4 times it took me less than 2 weeks to find work.

Honestly, I’d only send a resume with a photo if I thought it was to my advantage (aka if I was White). Two of my jobs were at places I know I would have been skipped over if they saw me first. My demo made the difference.

I’m working at the job in my sig and they keep trying to get me to stay, and I “found” this job on accident.

Roll in to a few places looking half decent (no sandals and ripped pants), do a song and dance (literally) and you should be good to go.