Expatriate Forums in Brunei

gajackson1 · Joined: 29 May 2008 Posts: 3 Home Country: usa

Hi, all - I know the forums don't seem to be used so much, but hoping someone here can offer up some advice for me.

I'm a public speaking & social studies teacher by education/training (Texas state certified, lifetime), and have just come from living and working in various school settings in South Korea these past 10 years.

After careful research, I decided to apply for a position with a large teaching-related organization here in Brunei. Unfortunately, despite great references, credentials, etc., I was informed that the MoE currently isn't approving positions for USA-credentialed teachers.

I have spent 6 months doing research on Brunei (as well as a number of other possibilities), and am really, really set on securing a job here. So, I looked into other private international schools, as well as put in an application with UBD, but no luck so far.

Having just finished up my last 2 projects in South Korea (one of PhD academic advising/editing, and one with a G4 OECD presentation project)I have taken the assertive approach. I am currently on a 3-month tourist visa, while I do my Divemaster, Assistant Instructor, EFR Instructor, and OWD Instructor courses (diving is one of my hobbies, and i find it rewarding on several different levels). I have a place to live for July in BSB, and am looking to buy a cellphone and either a car or motorcycle this next week, so I am not dependent on the buses or hired cars for interviewing purposes. I am NOT going to be working while on my tourist visa, but I do want to job hunt and interview while here.

Besides all the public and private teaching experience I have racked up, I also have experience in editing, retail, marketing, restaurants & hotels. I know there must be a good fit here somewhere for me. But the purpose off all this is NOT to try to fish up a job or job lead. Laughing

The real purpose is to ask this: how does someone who wants to legally live and work here go about doing so? Are jobs normally procurred here through the internet? Employment agencies/recruiters? Social networking, out at high teas, coffee shops and restaurants? Besides the MoE, do any other Ministries hire foreign professional workers?

I think I have the right attitude, sensitivity, and skillsets to live here productively and happily (I'm a huge hobby/outdoors person); I just don't know what the employment hiring etiquette here is! (at the time I did all the paperwork for the initial teaching position, the MoE *was* accepting USA teacher applications, but that has changed again of recent. I may disagree with their decision, but I do respect it.)

Any thoughts, insigts, or advice would be greatly appreciated, either here or via pm. If you are in BSB, and want to talk it over a meal or a teh-C ping, I'll buy! Wink

Cheers (& wish me luck),

Glen