TEFL Jobs in Indonesia
Indonesia has the fifth largest population in the world, and at times, it seems as if everyone is learning English. This is great news for anyone wanting to work as an English teacher, because TEFL jobs in Indonesia are plentiful.
There are TEFL jobs available in both private and state sectors. Most of the positions available are on the main island of Java and especially in the capitol of Jakarta, but there are many job openings on one of the many other Indonesian islands as well - Bali, for instance.
TEFL Job Requirements
Although requirements to teach English here are very flexible, you will be required to hold a TEFL certificate from a recognized course in order to get a work visa. Some jobs will require you to have a university degree, while others will not. A sense of humor and a positive attitude are highly valued traits for an English teacher in this culture.
Indonesia is a good place to begin your TEFL experience, but be prepared for the fact that salaries are very low compared to other Asian countries. Although the cost of living is very low in Indonesia, and you can make it go a long way and live comfortably, it will be difficult to save much if anything at all.
Finding a TEFL Job in Indonesia
It is often possible to secure a TEFL job in Indonesia before coming here. Many positions are posted on the internet on TEFL related sites.
Before accepting a position, make sure that you ask questions regarding salary or hourly pay rate, whether you’ll have to travel to your lessons and if you get compensated for this time and reimbursed for expenses, what kind of material resources the school has for lesson planning and teaching materials, what kind of administrative and collegial support you will have, whether a visa will be needed and if the school assists with that, etc.
This will help to avoid any nasty surprises after you’ve already agreed to take the job. Also be certain that the actual contract you sign accurately reflects all these details. It’s a good idea to keep your housing options open, so look for schools offering a housing allowance instead of providing housing for you.
It’s very risky to accept housing without first seeing it. You are required to have a return air ticket to enter the country. It’s common practice for a school to reimburse half of the air fare after being employed for three months and the balance after completion of your contract. Make sure you are signing a contract that contains a schedule that will agree with you. It’s important to feel that you’re getting the time off you need, so don’t agree to a contract that has you working every other Saturday, if you don’t want to be working on the weekend.
