If you’re a teacher feeling stuck — restless, dissatisfied, or quietly wondering “Is this really it?” — then this article is for you.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a young teacher at the start of your career, a mid‑career teacher looking for a reset, or someone in their 50s wondering if you’ve missed the window. What matters is that feeling of discontent. That sense that there must be something different out there.
I know that feeling well. And what I want to show you in this article is that you don’t need a perfect plan, a perfect CV, or a dream destination to change your life.
You just need to take the first step.
Discontent Is Often the Starting Point
Discontent doesn’t mean failure. It doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong. It simply means you’re unhappy or restless with the current shape of your life.
For many teachers, that feeling creeps in quietly. You’re doing a good job. You’re competent. You’re experienced. But something feels flat. Predictable. Too small.
That feeling was the real beginning of my international teaching journey — long before I ever set foot in an international school.
An Average Teacher, Not a Master Plan
I’ve been living and working overseas — mainly in Asia — for the past 24 years.
But here’s the important part: there was nothing special or strategic about me when I started.
I wasn’t an adventurous backpacker. I was a very late traveller. I didn’t even get my first passport until my mid‑20s. I didn’t have a long‑term plan to build an international career. I certainly didn’t sit down and map out six countries, multiple leadership roles, and decades overseas.
I was just a young Australian teacher who was a bit bored and looking for something different.
That’s it.
So as you read this, don’t focus on my story. Imagine it as your story. Change the countries. Change the timeline. Change the details. What matters is the process.
The Most Important Lesson: Get Your Foot in the Door
If you take nothing else from this article, take this:
There is no single right way to get your first international teaching job.
But there is one thing that matters more than anything else — getting your foot in the door.
Your first international job does not define your career.
It does not need to be a top school.
It does not need to be a dream location.
It just needs to exist.
Once you have international experience, everything changes.
Step One: The Drop‑In (My First International Teaching Job)
My first international teaching job came about almost by accident.
I was on holiday in the Philippines, visiting Baguio — a mountain city in the north of the country. I happened to know there was an international school there, so I did something very simple.
I dropped in.
No email. No application. No job advertised.
I introduced myself and met the principal, who happened to be Australian. We got on well. There was no job available at the time, but I made an impression.
A few months later, while I was applying for jobs around the world and starting to doubt myself, I got a phone call. Someone had left. A Business and Economics position had opened up.
That visit — that one small, proactive step — got me my first international teaching job.
Was it a dream role? Not at all.
Did I imagine myself working in the Philippines? Probably not.
But it got me started.
Two years in the Philippines turned out to be an incredible experience. I made lifelong friends, taught brilliant students, and learned how international schools actually work.
Step Two: The Visit (Thinking Outside the Box)
After two years, I knew I wanted to move on. Singapore was my goal.
I contacted a school that showed interest and was invited to attend a recruitment fair — in London. From the Philippines.
That made no sense to me.
So instead, I paid my own way to Singapore and asked to meet the principal before the fair.
I flew down, interviewed face‑to‑face, and was offered the job the next day — ahead of everyone who would later attend the fair.
Lesson learned: sometimes initiative beats process.
Step Three: The Friend (Networking Really Matters)
International teaching is a small world.
A friend I’d worked with in the Philippines later moved to a school in Nanjing, China. When his school planned to introduce IB Business Management, he reached out.
I was flown to China, shown the school and accommodation, interviewed, and offered the job on the spot — purely through recommendation.
That move also changed my personal life. My future wife and her daughter moved with me. I never imagined living in China, but it became one of the most memorable chapters of my life.
Step Four: Recruitment Fairs
Recruitment fairs are another pathway — not the only one, but a powerful one.
At a fair in Bangkok, I interviewed with multiple schools in a short period of time and received several offers across Asia.
That process led me to Hong Kong, where I took on my first leadership role as a Diploma Coordinator.
Fairs aren’t magic. But they compress opportunity.
Coming Home… And Leaving Again
After many years overseas, my family returned to Australia so my daughters could attend university. I worked in Brisbane and commuted from the Gold Coast.
But after 18 months, it was clear — Asia still felt like home.
So we moved back.
This time, the job came through an online interview. No fair. No visit. Just experience and timing.
Holiday Interviews, Covid, and Starting Again
Some of my later moves came through old connections, informal conversations, and even Zoom interviews conducted from budget hotels while travelling.
Then came Covid. Borders closed. Visas expired. Plans fell apart.
Eventually, I left Hong Kong and started again — this time in Bangkok, through a different recruitment agency.
Four years later, I’m moving once again — this time back to China, to Shenzhen — through pure networking.
What This Means for You
You don’t need to copy my path.
But you can copy the mindset.
Take the first step
Be proactive
Use people, not just platforms
Don’t wait for perfect conditions
Age doesn’t disqualify you.
Your first job doesn’t trap you.
And there is no deadline you’ve missed.
Everything I’ve done started with one imperfect, slightly uncomfortable step.
If you’re discontented, maybe that’s not a problem to fix — maybe it’s a signal to listen to.
And maybe, just maybe, it’s time to take your first step.
If you want more honest insights about international teaching, working overseas, and designing a better life as a teacher, you’ll find more articles like this here on The Footloose Teacher.
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And if you’re really serious about teaching overseas:
Free guides: Download my International Teacher Starter Kit — it shows you how to start teaching abroad the smart way. https://the-footloose-teacher.kit.com/59140e429e
Age Restrictions List For Teaching Abroad https://the-footlooseteacher.kit.com/ddf93205a3
Teacher Readiness Checklist https://the-footloose-teacher.kit.com/23daee43a4
Job Application Tips https://the-footloose-teacher.kit.com/2455814f37
International Teacher Recruitment Timeline https://the-footloose-teacher.kit.com/3c9b7af8a7