Do I Need Teaching Experience to Get a TEFL Job Abroad?

The short answer is no - all you really need is a little wanderlust, a plane ticket, a passport and a TEFL certificate. So there’s really no excuse for not getting out there and doing it!

A slightly longer answer

The slightly longer and more accurate answer is that, as with all careers, if you have experience and qualifications you’ll be able to get a better job and better pay. But everyone has to start somewhere, don’t they? In fact, you could probably jump on a plane tomorrow and find yourself a TEFL job somewhere without even having a TEFL certificate. But you probably wouldn’t be working for a very good school and you wouldn’t get paid much.

Better opportunities with a TEFL certificate

If you’ve got a TEFL certificate you’ll be able to find better paid work and work in better schools with better facilities. As a rule of thumb, the more hours you’ve studied the more your TEFL qualification is worth. So our 120 hour TEFL course will open up more job opportunities than our 20 hour weekend course, but our 20 hour course will certainly stand you in better stead than if you step off the plane with no training at all.

Gain experience with volunteer teaching

Another way to increase your TEFL employability is to get involved with volunteer teaching. It’s a great way to gain experience and get a feel for teaching English as a foreign language. Whether you have a basic 20 hour weekend course or a more comprehensive 120 hour TEFL qualification, you should be able to find work in the voluntary sector. Most opportunities for volunteering as a TEFL teacher are overseas, but if you contact charities and local government organisations, you may be able to get involved with language and literacy projects here in the UK. If the idea of volunteering overseas appeals to you, you should check out volunteer teaching projects over at i-to-i.com – you’ll get TEFL training and the support of our in-country teams.

No experience? No worries. We can help you find a job

If you fancy getting full TEFL training, invaluable experience and a proper teaching job overseas all in one go, take a look at our TEFL jobs abroad. As long as you've done the 120 hour TEFL course, we'll be able to help you find a job abroad. We'll sort out all the fiddly details for you too! We’re currently looking for people to teach in:

China

Indonesia

South Korea

Spain

Ecuador

Japan

The Czech Republic

Or you might want to take a look at our China Teaching Internships – you get 120 hours of TEFL training, full support, 4.5 months living and teaching in China, FREE accommodation and a monthly living expenses allowance.

So what are you waiting for? Visit our website to get started on your TEFL adventure today.

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