Career Hack: Teach to Travel

 

Photo Credit: Nattu

Sign up to save the world and left feeling like a chump after seeing your first paycheck from the local school district? Here’s an alternative way to maximize the perks of your career choice. It only requires a sense of adventure.

 

If you haven’t considered overseas teaching and the bargain travel opportunities it offers, perhaps it’s time you started looking into it. Here are just a few of the benefits you can generally expect from a quality international posting:

·         Round trip air fare once a year

·         Paid, furnished housing and utilities

·         Small to moderate shipping allowance

·         Affordable regional travel from your posted location

·         Tax free salary

·         Opportunities for highly paid on-the-side tutoring

How much can you expect to make? It varies by school and by region. Certain parts of the world are known for lower salaries it’s true, but it isn’t unheard of to snag a reasonable salary at a particular school. On the other hand, certain areas are reputed to pay much higher, with the odd school paying less than you might expect. Some strategies to start searching for an overseas post?

·         Job fairs. Several take place each year in various parts of the world. A popular one here in the states is the annual event at the University of Northern Iowa. 

·         Classified ads. There are many places to find current opportunities with this approach as well. TIE-online, Serious Teachers, and the ESL Café are a few places to start.

·         Service organizations. The Peace Corps is likely the most well known one, but there are others out there to explore.  

·         Placement   services. Head hunters are hardly unique to education, but a fair sized niche industry has evolved here as well, particularly for East Asia and parts of the Middle East. Posting a “position wanted” ad on serious teachers will likely net you several calls, and of course International School Services has been around forever.

Are there details to consider before hopping on a plane to the other side of the world? Absolutely . And you will definitely want to ask around for references and other information any school offering you a position. The important thing to remember is, if you are truly interested, you can do it. Others have managed successfully and so will you if you decide to take the plunge. Who says you can’t see the world on a teacher’s salary?

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