What do the best employers look for?
On an ever increasing basis language schools that hire ESL EFL teachers insist that an applicant has an accredited qualification gained through a course that has real teaching practice.
Why do the best schools prefer this type of candidate? Simple, they want to hire people that have had quality training, can prepare and execute lesson plans, know how to behave in a classroom and have taught non-English speakers in a real classroom environment. They want to feel secure that a new teacher knows what he/she is doing and won't screw up.
This preference effectively rules out people that have taken non-accredited certificate courses or online, distance learning and short courses that do not include teaching practice. This is not to say that these people are un-employable, they will find work, but unless they are extremely lucky, it will be in low-grade, low-quality, badly-paying language schools.
There are other qualities that an employer looks
for as well such as: life/business experience, having
a degree, dynamism, dependability etc., but all the
good ones will expect a candidate to at least have an
accredited TESOL TEFL certificate.
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What
type of jobs are available?
There are jobs of all shapes and sizes available ranging for working for language schools through to state schools, however the door will always be open to someone with an accredited certificate. An accredited certificate should enable you to work for almost any language school that you choose in almost any country in the world. Accredited certificates are also accepted by the British Council, an organisation that has branches in 110 countries. There is a constant requirement for qualified ESL EFL teachers so finding a job after taking an
accredited course is virtually guaranteed.
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What is teaching like?
This depends a lot on where and who you teach, but you'll be expected to know your subject, plan and deliver coherent classes and behave professionally. If you teach for a language school you may get to teach in their classrooms or you may get sent to a client's site to teach in an office or sometimes in their home. If you teach for a state school then you will teach classes of children during normal school hours.
Teaching can be stressful at times, but as long as you're prepared you should be OK. You will get people in class that are difficult to deal with, but your TESOL TEFL course should teach you some of the basic skills to deal with these situations.
Teaching can be very rewarding and very satisfying, but something never to be forgotten is that you get out of it what you put into it.
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What about pay and working conditions?
The only thing for certain is that you will get paid in the local currency of the country where you are teaching, Euros, Baht, Yen etc. With the exception of some countries in the Far East, you will need to make your own arrangements for finding work, accommodation, work permits etc. Most countries in the Far East require prospective teachers to have a degree.
You'll have to pay tax and social security in the country where you work. You may also need to file an income tax return in your home country so it's best to check with your local tax office before you leave.
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Will I need a travel visa?
ALWAYS check with your own government whether you will need a visa to travel to your chosen country. Most travel agents also have this information so you could ask them as well.
One thing for certain is that you will need a passport with at least 6 months life left on it on the day that you travel.
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What about work permits?
This is always a difficult question to answer as it depends on the country that you want to work in and how seriously that country's government regards people working as English teachers without a work permit.
The short answer is that you should not work without one, but in Latin America, South America, Eastern Europe and certain parts of Western Europe (Italy, Portugal and Spain) the authorities do not enforce the work permit legislation so there are literally thousands of English teachers working without a work permit. From what I read on other web forums, they are treated the same as people with a work permit. You just have to look on Dave's ESL Cafe and there are many posts by Americans, British etc. that are working in countries where they aren't supposed to. If they are doing this, all the best is my only reply. I will not pass judgment as I was young once as well :-)
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Do I have to make
TESOL TEFL a career?
This is a personal choice. Some people start off taking a certificate and then make the progression through to diploma and then masters in order to keep developing their career skills. On the other hand there are those that use TESOL TEFL as a vehicle: to bridge a gap between jobs, to travel extensively, to take a break between university and entering a different career, to take a break between jobs etc. etc.
Whatever your reason is, get an accredited certificate. It will greatly enhance your employability and thoroughly prepare you for teaching. Who knows, if you aren't sure at first and then find out you like teaching, your accredited certificate will enable you to follow the diploma and masters path. If you have a non-accredited certificate and want to follow the same path, you'll have to take your certificate again, but this time with an accredited training organisation.
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