What kind of
plane tickets should I buy when heading to my first
TEFL job?
What about Moving
Expenses?
Decisions, decisions . . . I advocate a conservative
choice of an open one-year return ticket. Just in case
things fall apart and you hate your job. You'll have
this ticket in your back pocket and you won't have to
worry about it.
One
Way
That said, I think most people head overseas on a
one-way ticket. Partly because they think they will
want to go traveling and not head right home - after
their first year overseas. And, also, secretly - I
think they KNOW they will want to continue working
overseas.
Employer's Tickets
Some employers will provide your ticket or reimburse you
for your tickets either on arrival or after a certain
period of time (they don't want to pay for your ticket
just to have you bolt after a week on the job). Wait to
buy it - until you know what they will do. Sometimes,
this is all a very last minute nail-biting situation.
That's just how it is. Get used to it.
Easy enough, eh?
Moving Expenses
Be
realistic about what you need to take with you and your
actual moving expenses should not be much more than just
your plane ticket. We discuss elsewhere on this website
the costs of setting up your new home.
Know that overweight baggage fees are very expensive and
can easily exceed hundreds of dollars - even for
just one bag! Double check your weight allowance and
invest in a small scale and weigh your bags before
heading to the airport. Be particularly careful of
things like books as they are very heavy.
