Hey Sandy :)

So pleased for you that you got the job!

Was the interview scary at all? You said the lady was nice, but what sort of questions did she ask you?

Thailand was one of my top places to go, but turns out i can't as you need a degree for the work visa. So i'm hopefully off to China. i've been doing lots of applying and hope to hear back soon!

Good luck in your new job! xx

I'm working for i-to-i as a TEFL tutor - it's great but I miss the sunshine!  (haven't actually seen the sun since I've been back!). I'm sure May will be here before you know it.  Plus it's great to have time to prepare, learn some of the language before you go..and save of course!  I'm sure Thailand will be dirt cheap - but think of all the amazing countries you'll be able to visit in that area!  I'd spend the next few months planning my trips!!!

Hey Emma! So how come are you stuck in the UK? I am feeling like that at the mo as the job I've got from Thailand doesn't start till May and I don't really want to wait till then!!!

No problem Sandy!  Let us know how u get on!  I'm stuck in the UK and love to hear about everyone's TEFL stories!!

Thanks Emma! That is very useful. Hope all is well with you.

I've had many telephone interviews which vary in professionalism.  In general I'd say don't worry or expect much!  Usually once they have seen your CV they have decided you fit the bill - and want to ring you up to see how friendly you are.  They may ask a few questions regarding teaching (if they are a good school they should!)  asking about how you would teach 'going to', or what you would do before playing a listening tape (pre-teach vocab).  But honestly?  They usually try to sell you the job - so think about your questions and what you want from them also.  Think about pay, hours of work (very important), how many different classes you will have and different levels, what extra duties you will be expected to partake in (meetings? placement testing? making exams?) and also will they help you with accommodation?  How much is it likely to be? etc....

Good luck - remember they need you more than you need them!  There are so many jobs out there!!!

Hi Ness,

Thanks for sharing your experience. It is definitely comforting as I was so nervous about the interview before I read your post.

I literally just got off the phone from my interview with Thailand and it was nothing scary or technical at all. The lady I spoke with was lovely.

Fingers and toes crossed and hope all is well in China.

S

Hi sandy,

I have been living and working in China for the past 7 months at a private english school and was really nervous about my phone interview. I practised my interview technique with a friend untill it was perfect, sadly this went down the drain when my prospective boss called me at 7 in the morning on a sunday after a late boozy sat night. Needless to say my perfect interview went out the window even more so when the phone went dead after 2 minutes. I tried to call back but there was no answer.

 After half an hour i went online and he had left me a message saying he was sorry but he was having problems with a phone card and could i call him on a different number. I called back and after all the worry it turned out that he only wanted to hear what my speaking voice was like.No scary interview or anything.

When it comes down to picking a place to work everyone is different but a friend of a friend of mine was working in Bangkok in Thailand and hated it. Personally I don't think much of Bangkok either but the rest of Thailand is great and well worth it. I have never been to Korea but it was my second choice of places to work and I would love to go there sometime.

 Keep me posted on how you get on.

Ness

Congratulations!

You might want to check out this article about TEFL job interviews - there are a few useful tips on there, although a lot of them are only relevant to face-to-face interviews:

http://ezinearticles.com/?7-Tips-For-Successful-TEFL-Interviews&id=3506275

Good luck!