Internship vs Going It Alone

Right, so you’re dead set that you’re going to teach abroad in 2011 – it’s Going. To. Happen. But how? Essentially once you’ve done your TEFL course you’ve got two options – find your own TEFL job, or take part in a supported program like one of i-to-i’s Teaching Internships in China or Thailand.

Both options have their pros and cons. To help you decide which is right for you, we’ve put them head to head on various key factors…

1) Support

So, you’re flying half way around the world to a place you’ve never been before, to do a job you’ve probably never done before. It’d make even the most intrepid of adventurers a little bit nervous. This is where the internship comes into its own – throughout your five month placement you’ll have the help of a reputable in-country organization, who are just at the end of the phone in case you need a bit of help. That could be anything from feeling like your school’s taking advantage of you, to leaky plumbing – they’ve seen it all!

2) Companionship

When culture shock hits, it’s always nice to have a partner in crime to compare notes with. And as you’re guaranteed to be placed with at least one other intern on both the Thailand and China Internships, that’s exactly what you’ll get! Plus, as you get to know loads of other interns during orientation, there are always plenty of people to visit on the weekend. When you find a job independently, you’re likely to have other foreigners about (especially if you’re in a big city), but it’s nothing like the ready made group of friends you get on an internship.

3) Wages

As the internships are training programs first and foremost, you’re not actually paid a wage – you’re given free accommodation (and food in China), plus a generous living allowance for everything else. However, this in total is less than what you would get as a proper TEFL teacher, especially if you choose to work in a country like South Korea, where wages are high compared to the cost of living.

4) Schools

When you find a job online, then fly out to take up your position, how much do you really know about your school, especially if you’re working for a smaller, independent chain? Things can and do go wrong, especially in China where schools sometimes hire two teachers for every position to guarantee that someone turns up at the start of term. Due to high demand it’s straightforward to find another position, but you’ll be out of pocket while you’re looking. If this happens on an internship you’ll be looked after while i-to-i’s partners find you another placement. And if you have any issues with your school while you’re working there, they’ll be on your side to help resolve them.

5) Orientation

When you arrive in-country on a teaching internship you won’t just be thrown in at the deep end. In China you have 14 days to get used to the Chinese way of doing things, learn a bit of the language and see some of the sights, while in Thailand you have a five-day orientation. Plenty of time to enjoy yourself and get used to things before knuckling down to the teaching ahead!

Some of the current China interns enjoying a day out to the Great Wall of China!

6) Choice of destination

When you find your own TEFL job, you’re master of your own destiny – it’s up to you where in a particular country you want to job hunt. However, with an internship you simply pick your country and you can be placed in pretty much any city! While this can be nice for discovering places you wouldn’t have otherwise considered, it means you lose the flexibility which you have if you do things independently.

7) Visa support

The process of getting the correct paperwork and visa for your first TEFL experience can be baffling, frustrating and stressful in equal measure. With an internship you take the pain out of the process by letting someone else hold your hand through it, telling you which forms to send off and when.

8) Cost

The support on the internship is fantastic, but it is undeniably a more expensive option – the fee for internships is currently £895/$1,495/€1,045 if you’re already TEFL qualified. If you find a job independently you’ll have less support, but it will be free.

Want to give an internship a go? Find out more here or click here to discover how to find your own TEFL job abroad.

• TEFL
• TEFL job
• TEFL internship
• i-to-i
• Teach in Thailand
• teach in China