Applying for a job? Then do it right!

I don’t want to come off as all-knowing when it comes to Filipino Teachers trying to land a job in Thailand. But going into the forums and seeing how Filipinos are being misunderstood in more ways than one is a little bit disheartening [for a lack of a better term]. I guess I am one of the fortunate Pinoys who have landed on a great job and I have been trying to give back by helping other Filipinos by letting them know of jobs that they can apply at. Still, the numbers are overwhelming. When I post adverts at the ajarn website, my inbox literally get hundreds and hundreds of emails from Filipinos. Then I have once heard of 12 Filipinos sharing a tiny studio apartment in Bangkok with only one or two earning a meager salary of 15,000 baht per month. And from personal experience, I crossed paths with over 10 Filipinos who were scammed by a language centre, were promised non-existent jobs then were dumped in Udon Thani to look for their own employment.

So I am writing this article [thanks to Phil] for those who are still out there looking for a job.

First off, remember that one should never have to pay any fee to land a job here. Save for the visa and work permit fees which you only have to pay after you have been employed [but in some cases the school pays for these as well]. Two Decembers ago, there were about 18 people who were scammed into paying 5,000 baht to get a 30,000 baht job in Bangkok. Most of these people left their jobs while others borrowed money to pay the 5,000 fee. And for what? They were asked to go to government schools for some demo teaching and were left with almost no money and no employment.

Go for quality and not quantity when it comes to sending resumes. Sending out massive emails at a time sends a wrong signal. Put a little effort in you cover letter and resume without sounding too formal. We could all do without the overly religious statements that most put in the application letters. And forget about copying cover letters and passing them as your own. That’s just plain plagiarism and that doesn’t give you extra points either.

When you finally get the chance for an interview, give it all you’ve got. You have to give them a reason to hire you because you are not the only one eyeing that job.

And when you have finally been accepted: don’t just settle and play underdog. As a Filipino, I know that there are a lot of people who look down on us and think that they are better off just because they come from an English speaking country. I don’t want to cause a ruckus and I sure pray that I don’t get hateful emails after this, but it is true, we won’t be liked all the time, just for the mere fact that we are Filipinos. We can’t do anything about that, ‘cause as the saying goes: “You can’t please everybody.” But you sure could try pleasing the people who matter. Others won’t bother you if you are doing a great job and not stepping on their toes and if they do then that’s just plain jealousy


Do your best. It’s already cost you so much effort and time to land on a job so don’t treat it as something you cannot lose. Showing them what you are capable of and what you could do to help the school and the students are vital.


Sometimes it still feels unreal to me that I have been teaching here for over seven years now. There are still a lot of things I need to learn about or get used to and I accept that. But I did not just get to where I am by sending out emails and waiting for something great to happen. I was out there, I never stopped until I found a place that accepts me and appreciates what I could give to the school. There is no use staying in a place that treats you as second rate.

I guess there is nothing left to say but good luck and I hope to have given some useful pointers to the Filipino job hunters out there.


Written by: Kate Vergara