Teaching abroad has become a lucrative profession for employers, job seekers and recruiters alike. “Teaching overseas is where it’s at,” blogs travel junkie-journalist Oneika Raymond. “At one point, I was pulling in an extra U.S. $1,000 a month.” Education Overseas’ list of benefits for those teaching abroad:
Teach in English. No foreign language knowledge is necessary because all classes are taught in English.
Travel. The opportunity to travel is one of the main reasons why teachers take their career overseas.
Low expenses. Many expenses are taken care of by most schools, leaving most teachers with significant income to save or spend. Most schools provide housing or a housing allowance; round-trip transportation to the teacher’s home country or a travel allowance; health, life and accident insurance; pension; and annual home leave. Some top schools also provide free tuition for family members.
Tax-free salary. In most locations a teacher’s salary will be free of local taxes. And for many home countries, including the U.S., the government permits income up to a certain amount to be exempt from home country taxes.
International experience. Living abroad and experiencing another culture provide a more unique outlook on life and a keen appreciation for the world outside one’s home country. Employers recognize and appreciate this.
Career advancement. Many schools give the teachers they hire a stipend to further their skills through continuing education or other career supplements.
Most schools provide housing or a housing allowance; a round-trip transportation/travel allowance; health, life accident insurance; pension funds; annual home leave; and free tuition in excellent schools for family members.
Agencies that recruit teachers for overseas positions offer a wealth of information on their websites about teaching overseas, including upcoming job fairs. Recruiting agencies include: Association of American Schools in South America (AASSA). The AASSA Recruiting Fair is specific to South American, Central American and Caribbean International Schools. Those wishing to attend must complete an online application. Vacancies for more than 350 administrative and teaching positions, representing all K-12 educational fields, typically exist in the 50-plus schools that attend the fair. Approximately 95 percent of candidates hired each year attend the recruiting fair in Atlanta. A face-to-face interview with recruiters is highly recommended, even for seasoned international educators. A $110 one-time registration fee covers the cost of attending the fair. Candidates are responsible for their own travel and hotel costs.
Educators Overseas. Helps qualified, native English-speaking teachers and school administrators from America, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand find outstanding teaching jobs abroad — in both international and ESL schools around the world.
Expat Teaching. Connects American international schools to highly qualified educators.
International Schools Review (ISR). Check out their list of recruiting fairs worldwide for 2018 to 2019.
International Schools Services. You must be an active candidate with ISS to attend its International Recruitment Conferences/Job Fair and online hiring events (iFairs). Its online membership application takes two to ten days to process, depending on receipt of confidential references.
Reach to Teach. Apply to teach English in South Korea.
Search Associates. Assists teachers, administrators, counselors, librarians and interns to find jobs in quality international schools; reputedly Search Associates is the largest and most successful recruitment organization in international education.
The International Educator publishes a list of upcoming recruitment fairs at its website.
Teach Away Inc. Teach Away holds job fairs in locations around the world year-round, searching for the best teachers for its partner schools. Visit its events page online for a complete listing of upcoming job fairs.
(Article written by Salome Kilkenny)
