Diary submitted by Aoife B., Valencia, 2020
Section 5: Looking for a job in TEFL.
What are the steps you should take when looking for a TEFL job?
When looking for a TEFL job, there are some steps teachers should follow and several factors to keep in mind. There are lots of helpful websites and blogs that give advice for teachers looking for EFL jobs; I have included some below.
Firstly, it’s a good idea to decide on the country and/or region where you want to live and work. This might be because you already speak the language and know the area, or maybe because you want to learn the language, get to know more about the local culture, be close to museums and galleries or maybe you want to be close to the beach. You should research the country to find out if you need a visa to be able to work there and also the area to consider the cost of living. For example, you could research the cost of renting a flat and how much you are likely going to need to spend on transport and compare this with what you would earn.
It is also helpful to research the school where you are applying. It’s a good idea to know a bit about the school, its ethos and reputation, and the area it’s in. It is important to know what ages you would be teaching and the working conditions, such as the class size, number of hours and salary. If possible, you could speak to teachers already working at the school to ask questions.
With regards to looking for jobs, there are many online websites that advertise TEFL jobs, for example tefl.org, teflhub.com and theteflacademy.com. Alternatively, you can send your CV directly to any schools you are interested in. This can work particularly well if you are already ‘on the ground’, living abroad in the area where you want to work as you might know of schools that are hiring EFL teachers and not all schools advertise their positions online.
When it comes to applying for a TEFL job, the first thing you should do is research the qualifications required to teach in the country and make sure that you meet the requirements, as this can sometimes differ from country to country. You should also make sure that your CV is up to date with your most recent TEFL experience.
Whilst I don’t have any immediate plans to look for a TEFL job as I am continuing my studies, in the future I would like to work in France or Spain as I speak the languages and I would like to get to know the culture better. I think I would prefer to teach teenagers and adults, as I have found it harder to engage with younger learners.
References:
https://www.eslbase.com/tefl/8-ways-to-find-your-first-tefl-job
https://www.tefl.org/blog/how-do-i-decide-where-to-teach-english-abroad/
https://www.tefl.org/blog/top-10-tips-to-find-your-perfect-tefl-job/
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