To scam or not to scam: that is the question

Two different tales of job advertisers asking teachers for money in advance

One of the golden rules of applying for TEFL jobs is never to pay any kind of fee up front before you've even attended an interview or been offered the job. Let's look at two recent cases where one job ad turned out to be an elaborate scam and a second job ad, where the request for money was annoying but perfectly legal under Thai law!

People without formal teaching qualifications

I'm talking about those without as much as a TEFL or CELTA certificate

Some would say controversial words from Steve. But what is it about untrained teachers that really gets his goat?

Teacher agencies

Do they deserve such a bad press?

I first wrote about the topic of teacher placement agencies (TPAs) back in 2006. Back then, there were relatively few TPAs recruiting foreign teachers in Thailand compared with the number who operate today - but even in those early days, there were certainly a good few complaints about them.

New teacher scam alert

Be on your guard for anyone asking for an interview fee

We removed a bogus job ad from the ajarn.com job listings today for an international school in Bangkok. The job ad had unfortunately been on-line for several days and was offering attractive salaries of 50k plus. The scammer had gone to considerable trouble and even included the name of the actual person responsible for hiring teachers at the school.

Look before you leap

Postbox letter from Darren

I have learned this lesson the hard way and walk out scarred, bitter and slightly twisted. Please take heed - even before you send your CV or resume, check your employer out. You might find this a revelation.

An outsider getting my information through Ajarn

Postbox letter from Anna

For years, I have literally trusted this site when it comes to"teaching jobs". When I arrived in Thailand in 2005, this was the very first thing my friends recommended to me in order to find a teaching job.

Scammers looking for teachers

You develop a sixth sense for these online teacher scams

You need to develop a sixth sense when you run an online business that takes credit card payments. It can often be hours before a bank flags up a credit card as stolen and in those few hours, the scammer can use their credits to view teacher resumes and dupe unsuspecting victims.

The infamous teacher fire drill

Postbox letter from Happy Jack

Foreign teachers need to be careful about choosing to work at a private school anywhere in Asia, because private schools are businesses first and educational institutions second. Many are unscrupulous and some are actually criminal.