How to Boost Your Career with TEFL

Teaching English abroad isn’t just about getting paid to see the world. Oh no, unlike other long-term travel options it can also really give your career a boost. Here’s how:

1) Learn how to lead the pack

If your ambition is to become one of tomorrow’s leaders, teaching could be just the crash course you need in keeping people in check. Your TEFL course will give you an introduction to keeping your classroom under control, but the real training starts when you step into a TEFL classroom for the first time. It’ll probably be one of the scariest things you’ve ever done, but if you can keep a class of rowdy Chinese kids under control, managing employees will seem like a breeze! Plus, you’ll be managing people whose first language isn’t English – definitely an added plus on your CV.

2) Become a task juggler

Most new teachers end up with a mixture of different classes and ability levels, meaning you’ll have lots of practice at juggling and prioritising different workloads – essential to make sure you don’t do Tuesday’s lesson plans before Monday’s and essential for when (and if) you swap your classroom for an office.

3) Develop world-class communication skills

One of the main beefs employers have with today’s young ‘uns is that they lack essential ‘soft skills’. In plain English, rather than recruitment jargon, that’s the ability to communicate your ideas effectively and work with people under difficult circumstances. The good news is that a stint teaching abroad is a master-class in these kinds of communication skills – you’ll be bridging language and cultural barriers to communicate with people on a day-to-day basis and teaching will force you to convey your ideas in the clearest way possible. It’ll make those scary presentations look like a doddle in comparison.

4) Speak a new language

While you don’t need to speak another language in order to teach abroad, living in another country is a fantastic opportunity to pick up another language, which can be a real bonus if you want to get involved in international business later on. If this is your aim, opt for either China or Spanish speaking countries - not only are they great TEFL destinations, you’ll also be massively in demand if you’re fluent in Spanish or Chinese.  There are some great tips here on picking up another language while TEFLing: http://www.onlinetefl.com/tefl-chalkboard/travel-guides/241-3-Ways-to-Learn-the-Local-Language-While-TEFLing

So, are you ready to boost your CV with TEFL? Download your free copy of TEFL Uncovered to discover how you can start teaching abroad and make yourself irresistible to employers! Get your copy here: http://www.onlinetefl.com/contact-tefl-team/tefl-ebook.html

What do you think? Does TEFL really help your long-term career?

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