“Be Fearful When Others Are Greedy and Greedy When Others Are Fearful”
– Warren Buffett
The man many financial publications consider to be the wealthiest man in the world suggests that you see opportunity when and where other people are fearful of doing so.
You might want to consider this for the TEFL world also.
Listen carefully – I am not suggesting that you endanger yourself – understand that first.
What I am suggesting is that people who, for example, are interested in teaching in Thailand – go and do it right now.
Many jobs are unfilled, schools are looking for teachers. Looking for LOTS of teachers.
Civil Unrest
Only a few short weeks ago there was shooting in the streets of Bangkok and problems in some of the cities in the north and north-east of Thailand. But to a great extent those problems have ceased. What happened to the teaching situation in Thailand though is that many teachers left, some who were going to go didn’t and Thailand was removed from the list of possibilities by people who were scanning the world market for enjoyable places to work and live.
Not only is the civil unrest over – there are many parts of the country that were untouched by it. Not going to teach say on Samui Island or Phuket Island in the south of the country because of the problems in Bangkok or in the north of the country is a bit like not going to San Francisco after the Watts riots in the USA (which occurred in the Los Angeles area). Or like not going to Atlanta Georgia after 9/11 in New York. Or not going to Phoenix Arizona after the Oklahoma City bombing a few years back. Great distances separate these places.
We perceive such problems in other countries as being FAR worse than similar situations that happened in our own country. It is just human nature to do so.
Look for Opportunity
Look for opportunities in countries that have had some bad press. Do your homework, of course! Don’t walk blindly into a bad situation. Communicate with people on the ground where you are thinking about going and ask them specifically about the situation.
What you will often find is that things are fine. And that there are jobs galore.
Those jobs galore give you an opportunity to perhaps move up to a job you would not have had opportunity to have otherwise and a chance to have more negotiating power when it comes to salary and benefits, an opportunity to try something new and different.
Check it out. A couple good references for Thailand are Teach English in Bangkok and Teach English in Phuket.
TED’s Tips™ #1: Look for opportunity in places others might not consider. You will likely be surprised by what is on offer for you.