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Make yourself more employable
6th August 2007
Make yourself more employable Getting your first job in TEFL is similar to any other industry,
it’s all about your CV.
The one thing that makes the TEFL industry different from others nowadays, is that the demand for employees far outstrips the supply, which makes getting your first dream job abroad very likely indeed.
Getting more hours
Like in any industry, the more you study, the better your CV looks. However, the demand for teachers being what it is, you’ll be hard pushed not to find a job. When I started teaching I didn’t have any TEFL qualifications, I couldn’t afford a 4 week course and there weren’t any short courses around (ok, it was a while ago now!). So, what I would say to you is do as much as you feel you can afford and need to do. What I mean by how much you need is that if you need a real confidence shift, then do as many hours as you can. Or, if you’re looking to find a job which is in a competitive country, like the UK, or you want to work for a school that is very demanding, do a longer course.
Where the situation is competitive, your CV will look better with more hours of study. The better your CV looks, the better-paid job you should be able to apply for.
Commitment to teaching
I know when I started teaching, I was more interested in living abroad than working abroad. Teaching English was just a means to the end of travelling. When I did start teaching I loved it and was committed to the job, but there were other teachers where I lived who were lazy and thought a lot more about the beach than students.
When employing a teacher from far away and without the opportunity for a face-to-face interview, knowing whether your new teacher will be dedicated to the advancement of the students rather than their suntan, can cause school owners some anxiety.
A good way to get round this is show prospective employers your commitment to the cause, by your undertaking of training. For example, take longer courses and take specific training like how to teach young learners or teaching Business English or how to teach large classes. You can state that you have taken extra training off your own back and this will show you are aiming to be the best teacher you can and makes you eminently more employable.
Getting experience
Experience gives you confidence and looks great on a CV. As a new teacher, how do you get this? Firstly, everyone has got to start somewhere so don’t worry if don’t have any before you start teaching. To be honest, after one day of teaching you have more experience than any course can give you!
If you do want some experience, however, then voluntary teaching abroad or teaching English in your own country can be an excellent way of getting some experience under your belt. A lot of voluntary work in your own country, if it is English-speaking, will be with immigrants. Take a look around for local organisations an colleges and offer your services, they will be more than happy for a teacher offering their services for free.
Fine-tune your CV
This probably sounds like common sense, but make your CV relevant and easy for your prospective employer. Here are some pointers:
- 1. Include any experience that has anything at all to do training, presenting or teaching
- 2. Include what course books you have used, even if these are just from your course
- 3. Include references, not just referees – don’t make it hard for employers!
- 4. Keep the CV traditional, no orange paper and flashing lights. This won’t be appreciated in more traditional countries
- 5. Include travel experience, it shows you are less likely to suffer culture shock and throw in the towel after 2 months.
These are just my thoughts and experience on how to improve your job hunting. At the end of the day, there are lots of jobs out there and as long as you have some training and the willingness to give it your all, you’ll have the time of your life.
Joe Hallwood
