Jobs for TEFL-ers with no experience

If you're thinking of fundraising you might want to check out the meaningful travel version of Chalkboard, Campfire, as there's quite a lot of help and tips on there: http://www.i-to-i.com/campfire/travel-guides/categories/22-Fundraising-Money

Good luck!

I've never done any fund raising as such myself but i am sure there are websites out there to spark the imagination. Also if you thinking of doing a volunteering project there are site that can assist in helping with fund raising, its just you have to fill in loads of paperwork for it with a detailed plan of what the money is actually for and how it will be spent.

Certain volunteering placements will provide basic free food and accommodation...you just have to pay for the flight and transport. i-to-i offer these types of placements but as you will find with any placement they can be quite short compared to a contracted job... this is the web address for (i think all or at least most) of the volunteering teaching projects around the world: http://www.i-to-i.com/search/?wherefrom=quicksearch&pagefilter=0&fld_diffby=diffby_teaching&fld_duration=any 

Another way to make money is Ebay...have a look around the house and I bet you will have things that you dont use or want... So consider putting stuff on ebay. I made about a grand selling things from a 7year old laptop, dvds, on old dvd player, clothing etc.

For larger items you can either put on the site its for local collection OR you gumtree.com and select your local area. Listings on gumtree are free and usually for large items. When I moved out of my flat I sold most of my funiture on there including bed, triple wardrobe and a 3 piece suit. in total i manage to make £1900 

Good luck and keep us all posted if you do do fund raising because I'm sure your ideas will help others :)

Good idea to make a list of top 5 places I'd like to teach, and what age groups/types of school. I'm going to do that this weekend, as I'm sure it will help me focus.

For me, the travel/destination aspect is as important as the teaching, so I don't want to take a post in a country simply to get experience under my belt (though undoubtedly that's important).

In starting to make my list of preferred places, I realise I am veering towards developing countries, so maybe I do need to bite the bullet and find a way to do some volunteering after all. On that note, I'd be interested to hear from anyone who's managed to fundraise for a volunteer placement and how they did it, as I'd need to raise some money in order to take up a volunteer placement...

More and more people are wanting to teach english abroad which can mean competition is fierce but this all depends where you want to teach and when you are available. You have to look at when the main in takes area and how long the contracts are because some contracts only run for half a year. Also you need to look at whether a country is in high demand of learning English and whether that country can afford to pay for a native english teach. As far as I am aware most places in africa is volunteering teaching due to the poverty and not the demand like other countries for english.

People that i have talked to on other forums have said that for places such as africa, parts of asia, south america they have literally saved up loads of money to work in these places and even then have to return home to top up funds.

My advice is to have a top 5 places you'd like to teach. Put in order of preference of age groups you want to teach and whether you prefer private tuition, work for a company or teach in government schools.

Sometimes even going on a short work placement like the China one i-to-i offer can help or even doing a volunteer placement. You can also join online teaching schools - all you need is a computer, internet and skype and you conduct one-to-one video or phone lessons.

But having said all this...if you see a place/school/company you like and have fully researched them and they get the thumbs up then still apply...the worst they can say is that you need more experience BUT they could need someone desperately as they are short on teacher or even offer a job placement on a 3month trial...

Just go for it and keep us all posted on what happens

Hey, thanks Monique and Jane for your advice - actually, I've heard that it can be a good idea to apply for things even if you're not necessarily as experienced as the advert asks, as you just never know! Also, you're right - I do need to think harder about the "residual" experience I already have from working full-time for the last 15 years (I'm a TV Producer, so have lots of potentially transferable communication skills, I reckon!). Just need to keep an open mind at this stage I think, as I navigate my way around this new world....   :) 

Hi Jeanie, Dont give up and as Monique suggests apply even if they ask for experience and focus on transferrable skills you have.  In the meantime, if you can afford to - maybe you could consider doing some voluntary work teaching english.  There's a discussion going on about this on chalkboard somewhere!  It's all hours to add to your experience.  Good luck.

@Jeannie Don’t give up, continue to apply and ‘ignore’ the experience requirement.  Adapt your CV and keep the information relevant. The skills and knowledge you have are transferrable into teaching e.g. if your responsibilities included "training and monitoring", creating training manuals or monitoring training activities, you might not have taught English, but you have teaching experience!  My initial reason for doing TEFL was to teach English in Italy when we retire one day which is still a long way off.  We bought a small apartment in a small mountain village in Liguria, Italy.  Hardly anyone speaks English there so in exchange for Italian lessons during the times we are there, I teach the locals English.  It’s a very informal arrangement, just an hour a day but it works well.

I live and work in The Netherlands.  English is compulsory for all high school students.  Despite the fact that we receive all the major UK and US TV channels (programmes are subtitled as opposed to Germany who use dub over), many students still struggle with English so there is a market here for private tuition.  I have also been accepted and my name placed on the data base as a Freelance English Teacher at language centres, adult learning centres and colleges offering English based degree courses.  I have been assured that I will get work when the new academic year starts which in Europe is August/September.

Hey Jeanie,

You might want to check out the opportunities available through i-to-i's job placement service: http://www.onlinetefl.com/tefl-jobs-abroad/ - as you've done a 120 hour course with us it's totally free for you to use. I'd also chat directly to people on Chalkboard about where they work and how they found their jobs, as odds on you'll be able to follow a similar route.

I would also speak to employers who are advertising jobs directly. Some will say they're only willing to take on people with teaching experience, but in reality will compromise when faced with an otherwise fantabulous candidate (that'd be you btw!)

Good luck and keep us posted with how you get on!

Hi Monique, thanks for your empathy! I hadn't actually thought about being "too old", but as a potential "career-breaker" (ie not in my twenties any more!), I bet that's something else that becomes a challenge for me as well...

Good idea to tutor some private students meantime, so at least you can legitimately say you've got some experience when applying for future jobs. I'm assuming you're already in your country of choice, so are looking for work on the ground? (as opposed to me still in Australia but looking for a post overseas)

Jeanie

Hi Jeanie

Yeah I feel your frustration.  I too have been applying for positions but I am either rejected because I am considered too ‘’old’’ or ‘’no experience’’.

I advertised privately. I now have three students that I am giving private tuition.  It doesn’t pay well but for me it’s more about getting actual hands on teaching experience and putting into practice what I’ve learnt.