TEFL Opportunities you won’t Believe

World events conspire to help you move up the TEFL job ladder . . .

Here is a bit of guidance on how to land jobs – right now – that you never would have been considered for, even just a few months ago.  Really!

First a bit of a short story to illustrate for you how it works.

During my 20+ years abroad I’ve lived in numerous countries where “interesting” things have happened.  This is not unusual and almost everyone who has lived overseas for an extended period of time will have experienced everything from riots in the streets, to wars to tsunamis to anything else that hits the headlines big.

Let talk a bit about these things and what it means to you.

When I was living in South Korea in 1992-94 there were tense times between the South and North and EFL schools had a terrible time recruiting.  No one wanted to come.  Even where I was – Pusan (these days known as Busan) – at the extreme far south of the country about as far away as you could get from N. Korea – no one would go there and many teachers there bailed out and left.  There were worrying significant incidents, perhaps roughly similar to the North shelling the island north of Incheon recently.

I was living in Taipei when mainland China was conducting “live fire” exercises shooting missiles directly over Taiwan back about ’94-95.  That incident only lasted perhaps a week or two – but no teachers wanted to go there for almost a year afterward.

In Thailand in 2004 when the Boxing Day tsunami struck, no one wanted to teach there for almost a year, even in Bangkok almost 700 miles away!

In Saudi Arabia, just shortly after the Al Khobar bombing, no one would go there to teach for almost a year.

In Thailand again, during relatively recent civil unrest in Banggok, no one wanted to go and teach in Phuket Island – again about 700 miles away, far away from the problems.

In Japan right now, teachers are bailing out and no one wants to go there.  And that situation will likely persist for at least a year.

Now . . . many other similar incidents have happened around the world, these are only a few examples.  Others would be earthquakes in Chile, drug wars in Mexico, street protests in Iran and on and on.  What they have in common is that teachers bail out in droves and new teachers won’t go there.  Even if the “incident” is over.  Even if the incident was hundreds, possibly even a thousand miles away – teachers bail, no one comes.  Even if the “incident” was three or four months ago.

I am sure that right now, even on Kyushu island in the far south of Japan, schools are having difficulty recruiting the teachers they need to fill their positions.  Even though Nagasaki or even Fukuoka are both well over 600+ miles away from the problems in the north, teachers are bailing out, recently contracted teachers will not arrive and there is difficulty hiring new teachers to fill their vacant positions.

This situation repeats itself probably at least several times a year around the world.  Saudi Arabia – right now – is probably having real difficulty finding the people they need for teaching positions as the world anticipates potential civil unrest.

What all this means to you . . .

LOTS of jobs are open and you can usually land jobs that are much higher up the food chain than you might otherwise have had the opportunity to grab.  This would be the time to apply for that supervisory position or university professor position that wasn’t really open to you a few months ago.

Now – I am NOT suggesting that you go to Libya and throw yourself in the line of fire in order to land a job with better wages.  Do your research as to what the situation on the ground is – no matter where you are looking for work.  But I would bet that there are good jobs going wanting in Alexandria, Egypt.  In Nagasaki and Fukuoka.  Probably even excellent university positions in Saudi Arabia.

Get the idea?  If you don’t want to be in or too near the trouble spot, look in the same country on the far other side.  If Saudi might have trouble in Damman where there is a majority Shia population – work on the other side of the country in Jeddah.   Because, generally speaking, people don’t think these things through – they just avoid the whole country rather than the specific area where problems are occurring.

If there was a riot in Los Angeles, would you refuse a great job in Las Vegas?  Phoenix?  San Francisco?  That is exactly what most teachers do

TED’s Tips™ #1: View times of trouble as having the potential for great opportunity.   I personally would not want to work in Sendai right now, but I would be very happy to work in Osaka or Kobe or Nagasaki.  And there are a load of good jobs waiting for you.

TED’s Tips™ #2: After you have lived abroad for a few years, you will come to realize how much the international press over plays many situations.   It’s good for viewership.  But it is usually bad for the country.  I still remember when I was in university and a river on the edge of town flooded.  The press played it up like the whole town had washed away.  Great shots of cars floating down the river, a few people sobbing and crying – great drama for the ratings.  But far less than one percent of the city was affected.  That was never mentioned.  Friends and family were calling to see if I was still alive!

TED’s Tips™ #3: I am not trying to minimize difficult situations.  What I am suggesting is that you think for yourself, do a bit of research and if the situation seems right for you to seek great opportunity that might otherwise not have been available to you – go for it!

The BEST EFL Teaching Jobs in China: Government Colleges, Universities and Secondary Schools offer the most reliable and worry-free jobs in China. Click on the Link if you would like to Teach English in China

Little Things Help you Land the Big TEFL Job

How to land the best job you can teaching English overseas.

Five easy Do’s and Don’ts that will increase your odds of getting that job.

DO have an attractive passport type photo made of yourself
This should be a photo with you in professional dress, groomed immaculately and with a nice smile.  If you are old and look a bit too old, just a touch of Photoshop is okay, but don’t overdo it to the point where the school won’t recognize you when you arrive.

Many cultures put great stock in appearances and in how you present yourself.  Take it seriously, it does make a difference – a big difference – and that is why it is FIRST on this list.

Do have all your documents scanned and ready even before you apply
You never really know for sure for what documents a potential employer might ask.  Have copies and scans of everything they might possibly ask for.  Have it ready so that you can provide it immediately and the hiring authority does not have to wait for it.  During that wait someone else may slip right in and fill that job.

Don’t argue/niggle with an employer or recruiter about what they are requesting
Don’t send a transcript when a degree was asked for.   If you lost your degree, get a replacement before you start applying for jobs.   Don’t send a photo of you out hiking when a passport type photo was asked for.  Not following through makes a potential employer wonder if you will do the things required on the job or if there will always be a problem or excuse at hand.

Do make yourself available for an interview
Set time aside to be available for an interview.  Don’t make an employer wait.  Interview as soon as you can to lock in that job.  Don’t tell a potential employer that you are too busy on a certain day or time.  It makes it sound like the interview is not important to you. If you really can’t interview at a certain time or day, give a solid reason.

Do be polite and professional in all your communications
Write and speak using formal English.  Writing to an employer using email shorthand or Twitter type shorthand just turns people off.  If you are applying for a position teaching English, demonstrate your ability to use it correctly.

TED’s Tips™ #1: You might be surprised how many people do NOT follow these simple guidelines.  And how many good qualified people don’t get the jobs they think they should get, because they didn’t follow them.   As Nike says, “Just do it”.

The BEST EFL Teaching Jobs in China: Government Colleges, Universities and Secondary Schools offer the most reliable and worry-free jobs in China. Click on the Link if you would like to Teach English in China

TEFL Jobs and Contracts

Contrary to Popular Belief,
Contracts are not as Important as you Might Think

I read some promotional material today from a TEFL course provider and it was about checking on the details of your contract before being hired. I agree that you certainly need to check on the basic details of your contract before signing a deal and heading across the world to take up a position.

But, be aware that there is a bit of a problem in the thinking of legalistic and litigation minded Westerners when they start talking about contracts.

Away from the Western world, much more is done with a handshake and a smile. And if the agreement doesn’t work out, you vote with your feet, not your lawyer. In most countries including Western countries, only the lawyer wins. I’ve seen people spend thousands of dollars chasing hundreds of dollars. It just doesn’t make sense.

And, in fact, in most countries the best way to have your contract honored is to be willing yourself to go outside the contract and make yourself valuable to your employer. The benefits can be great. I was once given an end-of-employment bonus much larger than what the contract required. I’ve been given much paid time off that was not required in my contract.

But then I have never niggled over little things in my contract and I have, in fact, never had a serious problem with a contract. Sure, I was cheated by a school once, but that is only once in about 15 years of teaching abroad. And I harbor no anger or animosity toward that school, that culture or that country. Other than that one occasion, I’ve always been treated very fairly.

That doesn’t mean that there haven’t been cultural misunderstandings, miscommunications and other problems. Of course there have been. Life is life no matter where you are living. Some people expect that because they go abroad all the world’s problems will just slip away . . . . la la la la la . . .

Approach your contract as your employer sees it, as a working document. That’s all. Most non-Western employers do not see contracts as being written in stone. You give a little, you take a little. You give a lot, you will probably get to take a lot.

TED’s Tips™ #1: Go along to get along. Avoid the negative ninnies out there as their goal is usually to drag you down into their negative world.

TED’s Tips™ #2: Other than the basics of an agreement, don’t niggle too much on the details. That way your employer is much more likely to give you some slack when you want or need it.

For people looking for an inexpensive Online TEFL Course, TEFL Boot Camp has a lowest-price guarantee. There is no need to spend a huge amount of money on a fairly simple learning process. A good part of the website is FREE for self study.

What’s up in China? Learn what kind of jobs are on offer if would like to Teach English in China. I help place people in China – it is great fun – and you can start your career often at a higher level in China than you would in Korea, Japan, Taiwan or even Thailand.

Teaching English Abroad: Short- and Long-term Jobs

Is it possible to find jobs teaching English
for only a few months?

For a few years? For the rest of my life?

Yes!

Short-Term EFL Teaching Jobs

In many countries there are considerable costs for schools, in terms of money as well as in time and headaches, to get their EFL teachers legal residence visas and work permits. Therefore, you will find a smaller pool of TEFL employers who wish to employ you for short-term employment.

In the last few years though more and more short-term positions are becoming available. Some even include airfare. Head over to TEFL Temp to scout short-term jobs. If you have trouble finding short-term work (less than one year) in countries where you would like to be located, consider volunteer work in those same countries. TEFL Temp has a page on volunteer programs as well.

One Year – or a Life Time Teaching English Abroad

One-year TEFL jobs are very easy to find and if you wish to spend the rest of your life teaching EFL around the world you will find it quite easy to do so.

One caveat is that age discrimination is much more open in most of the world, but as I write this page, at 58 years of age, with white hair and a wrinkled face, I would not have trouble finding good jobs in several countries. I started in EFL at the age of forty and had no problem at that time either. But, know that the older you get, you may need to use more direct tactics, such as showing up on the scene and interviewing personally rather than applying from abroad.

What about Older EFL Teachers?

Many EFL teachers start teaching English at an older age. I did. In Korea a few years ago I saw many teachers in their 40s, 50s and even a few in their 60s. The same is true in Thailand, Taiwan, and China. If you are concerned, go on the discussion boards and ask about the countries in which you are interested.

Typically, the people who ask get positive responses from older people already teaching there or who have taught there before.

Younger EFL Teachers?

Even more demand for them! Though, you may sometimes find yourself stereotypically slotted for teaching younger students. They will think that you have the energy that kids require and schools often worry that younger teachers will not command respect from their adult students. As the great majority of students at languages in most countries are children, you are all set.

TED’s Tips™ #1: Short-term or long-term, it’s up to you. Go get it!

TED’s Tips™ #2: Older teachers, let’s say 50s and up, might need to show up on the scene to interview to avoid blatant age discrimination. Interviewing in person gives you the opportunity to demonstrate that you are energetic and positive and it will not be unusual to be offered a job on the spot.

What’s up in China? Learn what kind of jobs are on offer if would like to Teach English in China

How to Teach English Overseas and Secrets to Success Abroad
TEFL eBooks is offering a free download of their new publication Seven Secrets of Success Abroad - and along with it comes a bi-weekly installment and revision of their eBook called How to Teach English Overseas.

Great reviews for the Secrets of Success eBook – in spite of the hokey name – and the How to Teach English eBook is being updated and rewritten and sent out in installments as it is ready.

Here they are – click on the eBooks to get your FREE copies! Great information and the price is right, from our friends at TEFLeBooks.

Please let me know what you think of the ebooks – use the comments section below.

I confess both eBooks are written by yours truly – hoping to inspire others to head overseas and live life BIG out in the real world. I would value your feedback!

Types of TEFL Jobs

What kinds of TEFL jobs are out there?

What TEFL jobs exist? What might I look for?

More types of jobs exist than you or I can imagine.

Almost every area of international business and industry, when operating overseas, needs some level of EFL instruction. Most non-English speaking countries have large EFL industries teaching English to children and/or adults. Universities in non-English speaking countries around the world have EFL programs for their students. Major international hospitals need EFL training for their doctors, nurses, receptionists, call centers.

International airlines often need EFL training for their staff, as do travel agencies, resorts and hotels, tour guides, scuba instructors, as just about everything that has to do with the hospitality, travel, and tour industries.

Even the armies, navies, and air forces of the world need EFL instruction, as do police forces in countries and cities where English speaking tourists and/or residents are common.

What this means

This is all good for the “newbies” in the TEFL world – as it means that there may well be a teaching job out there that is related to your previous employment and for which you would be a “natural” and the preferred hire – having knowledge of the special vocabulary and needs of that type of job.

Keep your mind open

So many possibilities exist that you need to be creative in looking for them. Not all of them will be traditionally advertised and many are not regularly advertised as they have difficulty finding the specialists they need. Not all of them will be familiar to the typical poster on the Internet’s TEFL discussion boards, so be careful when you ask there. All these options exist in addition to all the traditional school-based TEFL jobs – that are, in fact, very easy to find and land.

TED’s Tips™ #1: Search for and find the job that best fits your skills and experiences.
Almost everyone has a unique set of skills and experiences. Exploit them for all they are worth, and they are often worth a lot. If you have special skills and talent, why not use them?

TED’s Tips™ #2: Don’t expect the BEST job for you to be traditionally advertised.
And certainly don’t expect the right job for you to be consistently advertised. One of the best examples is the resort and hospitality industry.

Many major five and six star resorts do not bother to advertise their openings as when they do they are usually swamped with applicants wanting to work in such an idealized setting. If you have resort/hospitality experience (waiter/waitress, hostess and many other roles) don’t hesitate to personally call on (even cold call) major resorts.

An example: LeMeridien Resort on Phuket Island a several years ago advertised for an English teacher. Sixty people applied, but only twenty were willing to go to Phuket to interview. Only THREE showed up! Can you get the job if you have experience and know what to teach? You bet!

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I want you to succeed.

EnjoY!

Ted