Curt Crossley's blog on Ajarn.com
The winning cover letter
And how to write a losing cover letter of course
The letter itself should be relatively short and to the point. I would suggest no more than 3-5 paragraphs. The first paragraph notes your interest in the specific school and specific job listed, and reinforces that your qualifications meet the qualifications sought by the employer.
Making your mark
How to 'get along' with your school
We have discussed the lead up to the job, so now let’s talk a bit about what a teacher can do at work to merit a passing grade or better with his or her students, colleagues and the administration
Hubris vs humility at the helm
Why I decided that enough was enough
The Thai members of staff to whom I regularly voiced my concerns about the very visible slowing, sometimes even reverse pace, of the program’s progress, always said give it time. So I did. For a year, from the time our four deputies were very ceremoniously replaced, I waited and hoped something good would happen.
The screening process
How I select teachers to work at my school
First, I run a detailed and thorough advertisement on ajarn.com and a few other Thai web sites. I do not advertise outside of Thailand, as I do not accept applications from abroad.
Ethics in interviewing and hiring
An article that will press a few buttons
I will again reiterate that it is not my goal to blacklist all teacher “wanna-bes” in this country who either mistakenly or knowingly make a sad joke of the employment process at schools in this country. In fact, I am not even that concerned about those who knowingly do so, often repeatedly. My comments in this column are directed at those who care about ethics and honesty, not those who don’t.
The all important interview itself
How to perform well on the day
Interviews in Thailand seem to range from a Thai person simply checking to see if you have the right “look,” to more in-depth conversations between the candidate and one or two people responsible for hiring. I personally rarely spend less than an hour with a candidate for a job at my school, and often far longer.
Arranging an interview
Getting your foot in the door
Once an interview is scheduled, KEEP YOUR APPOINTMENT! You put yourself in a bad light by canceling an interview, or even changing the time, unless you give ample notice and have a very good reason for doing so. Changing your appointment time with a prospective employer even once is unadvisable; do it twice and you have effectively killed your candidacy.
Career services corner
Help in finding a job
As the head of a well-regarded English program at a government school in Bangkok, Thailand for the last 1.5 years, I have been largely appalled by the thousands of resumes I have seen, e-mails I have received, and the lack of interviewing skills of most teacher candidates I speak to.
