How to find a Tefl job
How do you convince an employer you’re right for their school? Picture: RICHARD A. BROOKS/AFP/Getty Images
Convincing any employer to give you a job when you’re new to a sector can be tough work. But if you’re keen to teach English as a foreign language there are extra barriers in place.
How, for example, do you prove to a potential employer – perhaps sat thousands of miles away – that you’ll take to the role, your new class and the culture, like a duck to water?
Well, according to our Tefl expert Joe Hallwood, when applying for jobs abroad, personality can be even more important for some recruiters than your Tefl qualifications.
You’ll need to convince schools you can work without constant support and crucially, for them, that you won’t be utilising the return portion of your airfare within weeks of arriving.
Making the most of your relevant and transferable experience in your application can shout out to recruiters “I can do it”. Joe suggests highlighting any and all travel experience, as this can show you are less likely to suffer culture shock. It’s especially relevant if you have stayed in the country before, by the way. Also, make the most of relevant work experience and interesting extra-curricular activities, he says. Recruiters will be impressed to hear you’ve been an assistant scout leader or football coach, for example.
So, there’s a few tips for your applications. But what else is involved in finding your first Tefl job? Where do you look, what qualifications will you need and how do schools vary depending on the country you’re interested in? We’re holding a live Q&A to answer these questions and more, so if you’re qualified and looking for work, or perhaps thinking about becoming a teacher, join our experts for advice and tips on Tuesday 12 July from 1pm.
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