Okay, so color is okay; include references; photo is basically up to me. Right?

So, how long does my philosophy/qualifications statement have to be? That basically replaces an objective, right?

I'm polishing up my resume and want to know, is it appropriate and/or advantageous to include my photo (headshot) in the top corner? Or should I leave it out, as a teacher resume-writing book I'm reading advises? (The book I'm reading is aimed at US schools, not international schools.)

Also, is it okay to include a splash of color in the bullet points or headings, or should it always be totally black and white? I'm currently using Novoresume, and most of their resume templates use some degree of color, which to me, looks classy and helps me stand out, but maybe others have different opinions...?

One more thing - should I include contact information for my current and previous principals on the resume, or omit them to save space and know that the school will ask for that info if they want it?

Thanks!

Thanks for the info so far! Seoul is more expensive than I thought. I'm quite interested in Incheon (Chadwick Intl School) and Busan, though, too.

sciteach wrote:
> As mentioned above - it's hard to tell. I can tell you that an EAL teacher
> with 3 dependants living comfortably in the countries you have mentioned
> will find it extremely difficult to find a position. All the countries you
> have mentioned are highly sought after countries and it will take some time
> for expat families to slowly make their way to asia after the hollowing out
> after COVID-19. I can tell you that Taipei, KL, Seoul and Tokyo are
> expensive. Secondary cities not so much - but the pay normally follows the
> level of cities. In general - these countries normally make you pay for and
> find your own apartments (but with help - depending on the school)
>
> Finding a job in China or the ME with good pay and apartments might be a
> better bet

China is out, partly for pollution reasons and partly because when I visited China for 3 weeks in 2017, I had severe stomach/digestive issues every single day. I don't think I can live a healthy life there. The ME is out because we're atheists and wouldn't feel safe there. (I realized Malaysia is also Muslim, but it's more diverse and liberal, and we've been to Malaysia, so we kind of know what we're getting into.)

I know it won't be easy getting a position in those countries, but I'm hoping my experience/qualifications and the fact that I speak advanced Japanese and have lived overseas (in Japan) before will help me out. My husband is quitting his job this month, and my kids are raring to go, too, so we're really counting on me getting a position *somewhere* in Asia! (There MUST be quality healthcare wherever we go; that's my #1 requirement.)

I'm wondering what kind of housing is generally available for families in any of the following countries:

Taiwan
South Korea
Thailand
Malaysia

(I'm already familiar with housing in Japan.) My family is planning to move overseas in July 2021 to one of those countries (or Japan) and we're trying to plan for what housing might be like. As in, what is the typical monthly rent for a 2- or 3- bedroom apartment? Is rent usually covered, or partly covered, by schools in those countries? What is a typical apartment size/type - 2 bedrooms? 3? More or less than 800 sq feet (75 sq meters)? Are there any schools I should be aware of that absolutely do not allow pets? We'll be bringing our two cats, and that is non-negotiable.

Thanks for any insight!
(For what it's worth, I'm a licensed ESL teacher with a Master's degree and 13 years experience; my husband will get his TEFL certificate and teach online or at a conversation school, at least at first; and our two sons will be 11 and 9 at the time of moving.)

My data and my three references are finally complete on ISS Schrole, and my profile is now active. (Likely too late for this year, I know.) Now I'm wondering about the "positions sought" tab. Do I even need to fill this out, and should I? It makes you choose some pretty specific positions, such as what curriculum you're looking for. I'm pretty flexible about both the curriculum and grade level (though I only have experience with an American curriculum). So I'm wondering if it's best to leave this area blank, or if it's best to list several positions sought (such as American curriculum, primary level, and IB curriculum, primary level).

I don't think this info influences which jobs I'm shown, does it?

Thanks!

That makes me feel much better about the tax situation in Japan, if true.

I think we'd only consider sending our boys to a local school in Japan, not Taiwan, since I've been teaching them Japanese since they were babies and they both have a basic understanding of the language.

I know about TAS and TES in Taipei (and KAS) and of course would love to work there. It looks like TES has quite a few ESL teachers, so fingers crossed one of them decides to leave next year. :-)

We'd slightly prefer to be in Japan because I've lived there before, my family has all been there before, and we all speak varying degrees of the language (I've passed JLPT N2). But we fell in love with Taiwan, too, when we visited in 2018. So wherever I can get a job, we'll go, and we'll be happy. I think. :)

My family and I would like to move to either Japan or Taiwan. I'm a US-certified ESL teacher with a Master's degree and 13 years experience. It is my understanding that "free" tuition for teachers' kids at international schools in Japan is a taxable benefit, which would cost us thousands of dollars a year. So I have three related questions:

1. If we decide to send our two boys (currently ages 9 and 8) to a local school instead, would that increase my chances of getting hired because they wouldn't have to deal with tuition/taxes for my dependents? Or would most international schools prefer my kids to go to their school?

2. Is there anyone here that has sent their kids to local schools in Japan or Taiwan and can tell me about their experiences?

3. Is "free" tuition also a taxable benefit in Taiwan, or is it truly (mostly) free there?

Thanks for any input!

Thanks, everyone, for the input. I've decided not to apply, because it just isn't in the cards to move this year, and I don't think it's fair to the school's admin to apply when I'm not 100% serious about it (yet).

I need to finalize my resume and cover letter(s) this summer, do some more research on schools and the IB program, and do some repairs/updates to my house in the coming year so that I'm completely ready to apply for a 20-21 position. I'll be ready to make a last-minute move next year, but not this year.

And since it is a new school, they'll be growing in the coming years and who knows, maybe they'll need another ESL teacher next year. :-)

Has anyone else seen a job posting that sounds amazing, but it's just bad timing?

My family and I would ultimately like to live in Japan, although we'd consider some other parts of Asia first, as a stepping stone. I'm fully aware I'm a long-shot, because I have a non-teaching spouse (who plans to work in some way, shape, or form wherever we move) and two kids. I'm a licensed K-12 ESL teacher with a Master's degree, and I've lived in Japan before.

I just saw a job posting for an ESL teacher in Japan at a newly-opened Japanese public Jr/Sr high school. The salary and benefits look very good, and they will pay for my spouse's flights (and mine, of course) not only initially but annually. And the icing on the cake is that they'll pay 100% of the tuition for both of my kids to attend a nearby international school (which is affiliated with the public school).

The trouble is, they've just posted this position (as far as I know), and they want the candidate to start August 1! I don't think I can get my life and my house in order in just seven weeks...the timing is terrible! I can't believe they're posting an overseas position so late in the game. I'm so disappointed it probably won't work out for us. I'm completely qualified for the job, and it sounds like they're willing to accept a non-teaching spouse and kids, but I haven't applied...should I?! We weren't planning on moving until next year.

Has anyone else been disappointed to have to let an opportunity go?

Thank you! Good to know.

Quick question - as an American, would I still be considered to work at a British or Australian international school? I will be targeting just three (I think) countries in my job search next year, and if the only opening that comes up in a certain area happens to be at one of those schools, I'd still consider applying...

(FWIW, thought, I have two elementary-age children who'd be enrolled at the same school - is the British curriculum that much different than an American curriculum or the IB program? Should I stick to an American or IB school for my kids' sake?)

I spent 19 days in mainland China and did not eat pizza. Seems like a good time to throw that out there. LOL

@Heliotrope
Thank you! I know with a non-teaching spouse and two kids, it's going to be hard, but we love Asia, so we're crossing our fingers! Next year will be the first year I actually apply for jobs after just dreaming about it for a decade!

Thanks, Eion, for the info!

Just to clarify, I am a licensed K-12 ESL teacher with a Master's degree. And yes, my husband would be willing to work for a school, but I'm doubtful anyone would hire him without experience in a school setting. Although I did recently see a school post openings for both an ESL teacher and an IT program manager, so maybe in a case like that, they would consider him....?

Thanks for the replies! Lots to think about. Now that you mention it, yes, I agree that traffic in China is a nightmare. I'll have to do more research on which Chinese cities have subway systems. The subway system in Shanghai was amazing - safe, clean, and easy to use.

I'm not familiar with Dalian or Zhuhai, but I'll look into them. Yes, Shenzen would probably be good for my husband, although he's not an engineer or coder - he's more in the business and tech support side of things. But he loves his Tesla and I think he'd like a job having something to do with clean energy or electric vehicles.

Mostly, we'd just like to give our children the experience of another culture and language for 3-5 years. I don't think we're looking for a permanent move, unless we really like the location. I speak Japanese, I'm teaching my kids Japanese, and I'm also teaching myself some Mandarin Chinese, so I still think Japan or Taiwan would be most ideal for us, but we'll see!

I will possibly be looking for an overseas teaching position in 2020. My family and I love Asia and would prioritize Japan or Taiwan, but the idea of moving to China keeps creeping back into my mind because of the sheer availability of jobs and the fact that earthquakes wouldn't be much of a concern. :)

Are there any cities in China that are particularly good for Western expat families with kids? I'm thinking about local attitude toward foreigners, parks and playgrounds, kids' activities, and even availability of Western food like macaroni and cheese (my older son's favorite). My boys would be 10 and 8 when we move and they have been to many countries in Asia already, including Taiwan but not including mainland China.

I'm not very interested in Beijing or other northern cities. I've been to Shanghai and enjoyed it, but I'm wondering about other Chinese cities.

Also, is it true that most international schools in China have VPNs to access Google and Facebook?

For what it's worth, I'm an ESL teacher with a Master's degree and 12 years experience. My husband is in the IT world and would possibly work from home for his current company, but he also wouldn't mind changing careers and looking for something different in Asia once we got there.

Thanks!