Be like Mariam: A New BFITS Teacher’s Tale on Navigating the Whimsical Journey of Relocating Abroad

Ah, the thrill of adventure beckons, and what greater adventure is there than moving to a new country? Yet, amidst the excitement lurks the dreaded hassle of paperwork, accommodation hunts, and the looming uncertainty of job hunting. Fear not, fellow wanderers, for I come bearing tales of a breath of fresh air amid this chaos – the BFITS Thailand process! 

 

 

My Experience with BFITS Thailand Hiring Process

 

As a seasoned traveler, I’ve navigated the hoops of visa applications and accommodation searches more times than I can count. But it was the BFITS process that truly stood out. The journey began with a sigh of relief as I embarked on the first step—finding a job. No longer lost in the abyss of generic job postings, BFITS offered a personalized and thorough job search experience that felt like a warm embrace in the chilly sea of uncertainty. 

Securing a teaching position abroad can often feel like blindly casting your fate to the wind, but not with BFITS. Instead of settling for the first available job, I immersed myself in a world of detailed school descriptions and enticing benefits. The interview process was not an interrogation but a delightful conversation discussing my personality and teaching style. With Angel, the BFITS HR Manager, as my guide, I was being matched with a teaching role that truly fit like a glove.

Before sealing the deal with a contract, BFITS ensured that transparency was the name of the game. A meeting with Lisa, the head teacher, and Giselle, the BFITS Assistant Director and SPIM Program Manager for the school, was like a breath of fresh air. They painted a vivid picture of the school environment, warts and all, ensuring I stepped into my new role with eyes wide open. There was no sugarcoating, no hidden agendas—just honest dialogue that left me feeling prepared for the challenges ahead.

With Panyapiwat Institute of Management Demonstration School (SPIM), the school of my dreams secured, the next hurdle was deciphering the dreaded contract. But fear not, for BFITS had my back. The employment contract was a masterpiece of clarity, with teaching responsibilities laid out like a treasure map and legal jargon kept to a minimum. With each page, I felt more confident in my decision, knowing that no hidden loopholes were waiting to trip me up. As someone who studied law, I saw that many other countries and employers try their best to hide critical information such as holiday and sick pay entitlements. However, as the contract was easy to read, I could sign off on it within 48 hours. 

 

 

An Alternative Online Training as a BFITS New Teacher

Then came the most crucial part of starting a new job: the training! Training is very limited or extensive depending on the company you are joining. BFITS was very much the latter. I was scared because I was leaving Korea to visit my family before arriving in Thailand, so I could not attend the in-person training. BFITS, however, was able to keep this in mind and schedule online training for me that accommodated my travel plans and time differences. 

I had two weeks of in-depth training with James Tovey, BFITS Training Manager, which went through everything you’d ever need to know about teaching, specifically in Thailand. James started by explaining the main tools I would be using, such as Google Classrooms and Google Drive, before we explored critical aspects of teaching in the classroom. We went over topics such as classroom management of 35 children, respecting the Buddhist culture ingrained in the culture, and how to use tools such as ‘Quizizz’ and ‘Slide’ to our advantage. 

Thankfully, before training started, BFITS had our emails set up so we could access all the resources and 2024-2025 teaching material, including what classes we would be teaching. This was very helpful, as a lot of our training involved writing lesson plans and designing learning activities for our students, which we could tailor to the actual lessons we would be teaching. It gave us a great head start on schoolwork. 

Not only was the BFITS Training a valuable experience, but it was also paid for, which is very valuable and rare for a company. Especially when it is all online. James was a fantastic teacher and training manager who was very real when giving us feedback. As someone with proper teaching experience and who has been working with kids for a while, I am thrilled that James told me what attributes would work in Thailand and what wouldn’t. He did not glaze over the reality of teaching in Thailand as he had done it before, so he could keep it as honest as possible, which I appreciate now teaching.

 

 

Finding a Perfect Accommodation in Thailand

Due to moving from South Korea to England and then to Thailand, something slipped my mind, even though it was probably one of the most essential parts of moving countries: finding a flat or condo. 

I felt annoyed with myself as I totally forgot all about this, even though finding a place where you will spend at least a year sets the tone for your experience. Unlike other countries I’ve lived in, such as South Korea, where you have no choice in where you like or what your flat or condo will look like; it is just given to you, the BFITS experience was very personal. 

Two weeks before arriving in Thailand, I emailed Angel, saying, “I don’t know what I am doing; who do I need to contact; please help!” She was great about it. They pointed me to a great agency, who suggested apartments at an ideal location in front of the new MRT Pink line that would only take 10 minutes to commute to and from school. I was given multiple options and could choose the one I wanted.

I wanted something east-facing with kitchen equipment and separate living and bedroom space where I would not run into my students, and they got me precisely that. However, due to my flying in during Songkran Water Festival, the agency told me that I would be unable to move into my flat until afterward. This meant staying in a hotel for a few days, which would have cost me the same amount of money as my monthly rent. 

But then stepped in Angel to save the day. She talked the agency into letting me move in as soon as I arrived, saving me so much money. The agency sent me a video of the apartment to ensure it was exactly what I wanted. Mind you, this was a few days before I was supposed to fly out from England, and they still took time to make sure I was confident in my choice. This told me a lot about my encounters with the Thai people and left a great impression. I signed the apartment contract two days before leaving England. The BFITS Thailand team eased a process that could have broken me due to stress, and I will be forever grateful for that. 

 

 

Arriving in Bangkok, Thailand

Finally, I arrived in Thailand. And what did I have waiting for me? A BFITS arranged-taxi. It got me straight from the airport to my new apartment. I did not stress. I found my name at the airport exit and got into the taxi. Within the blink of an eye, as I fell asleep, I was at my new place. The key was ready when I arrived, and everything I needed was already set up. 

 

 

Concluding the BFITS New Adventure with An Angel Magic

And so, dear readers, our journey through the BFITS arrival process ends. What began as a daunting task of moving to a new country transformed into a delightful adventure filled with transparency, clarity, and a dash of Angel magic.

So, the next time you find yourself on the brink of a new chapter abroad, remember the tale of BFITS – where finding a job is not just a task but a journey of discovery. Something that could have been stressful and draining became an accessible, informative, and easygoing process.

Safe travels, fellow adventurers!