Employment

Employment

TEACH ENGLISH ABROAD

EMPLOYMENT

Are you ready to change your life? Want to find that perfect English teaching job and travel abroad? We´ve done all the groundwork for you, so you don´t have to. We´ve answered all those niggling questions about employment such as: “Can I teach English abroad?”, “Where can I teach”, “What are the requirements”, “Do I need a degree?”, “What about housing” and so much more.

What´s great is that we also have our own dedicated job website and Facebook group where you can search for jobs all over the world. You can interact with other globe-trotting teachers, employment agents and schools. So, we invite you to take a look at our many resources and to empower yourself to find employment as an English teacher abroad. Many of our graduates have successfully found teaching positions in Asia, Eastern Europe, Europe, the Middle East and South America.

Not sure where to start? Check out our suggestions below!

WHAT TO CONSIDER

Nationality

You´ll find that your nationality (passport) will influence your job opportunities as well as the issuance of work visas and permits. Many employers will only hire native English speakers from the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. There are of course exceptions and there are countries that´ll provide the relevant work visa or permit to non-native English speakers.

Visa Stipulations

Employers are often restricted in their hiring practices by immigration laws and requirements. Some countries will only issue legal work visas and permits to native English speakers from the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa - so keep this in mind!

Qualifications

In many cases, you´ll find that employers will want you to have a Bachelor´s degree and a TEFL certificate. Again, there are exceptions and you´ll find teachers working abroad without a degree.

Other Considerations

Some employers will need you to have a health or criminal check or both. Additionally, some employers may require previous teaching experience or for you to be in a particular age bracket.

HOW WE HELP?

Click on the images below

Resume & CV Assistance

We´ll help you to create an industry-specific and eye-catching CV or resume. On top of that, you´ll get access to a handy online resume making tool!

Country Requirements List

We´ll provide you with a country list with hiring periods, salaries, working hours, set-up costs, information regarding airfares, requirements, housing and so much more. How cool is that?

Job Website

We have our very own job website (TEFL Solutions) where you can apply for jobs directly, set-up job alerts and post your resume or CV for employers and agents to view. We bring jobs to you!

Country Profiles

There are so many countries around the world where English language teachers are in great demand. So, how do you choose? We provide you with a cross-section of countries where you can find work as an English teacher.

STEPS TO TAKE

We do not guarantee job placement, but will most certainly assist you in finding an English teaching job. Remember that it is important that you are aware that some countries require teachers to have both a Bachelors degree (in any discipline) and a TEFL certificate, whilst others only require a TEFL certificate. Why not download our Country Requirements Guideline, where you´ll find out about salaries, requirements, working hours, set-up costs, hiring periods and so much more.

Furthermore, some countries may require that you be a native English speaker in order to be issued with the relevant working visa or permit. Applicants with a pasport from the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are considered as being native English speakers. But don´t fret, there are countries that continue to hire non-native English speakers.

So, once you have done your research and discovered where you can legally teach – the next step is to create a cover letter and C.V. Need some help? Why not refer to our industry specific examples which can be downloaded from your student access area.

Done all the research and resume is fine-tuned? Time to visit our job board/website, Facebook job group, Facebook page and our blog.

GET THAT JOB

Employment

Visit our job website

Jobs from around the world. Upload your resume to the website and be contacted by interested employers. Sign-up for job alerts and these will be sent to your email.

Employment

Employment Articles & Information

We have put together several interesting and informative short articles which will provide you with further insight into the job and employment landscape.

Employment

Country Profiles

Take a look at our cross-section of different country profiles where you can teach English. Find out more about the different opportunities available to you.

TEACHING ONLINE

Teaching English online is a fast-growing trend and has taken the industry by storm. Teaching English is the way forward in these unprecedented times – offering the teacher an opportunity to work from anywhere and to choose their own schedule. Teaching English online is a great way to supplement your existing income or earn a living remotely. It is recommended that you start your online teaching career by working for an established company. This could be a good start if you are an inexperienced teacher or are not an internet whiz. You will also receive invaluable experience and on-the-job training and support.

  • You´ll have to go directly to the website of the online teaching company you wish to teach for and complete an online application. Remember to check what the company´s requirements are first and ensure that you meet these.
  • If your online application is successful, then you´ll be invited to an interview (Skype/Zoom/phone).
  • If you impress the interviewer, then you may be required to give a short demo/mock lesson. Usually, you are given the subject and details.
  • Once you have successfully completed the previous steps, you´ll be notified whether your application has been successful and when you´ll be able to start teaching.

As online teaching is available worldwide, the hours available are different with each company. Some operate 24 hours, some offer sets of peak and off-peak hours, others require you to work weekends or a minimum number of hours, others don’t. So, the first thing to do is decide what hours and days you are available to work and find a company that works operates under those hours.

Each school will have its own set of requirements for their teachers, such as nationality, experience, education, etc. However, most, if not all, will require you to hold a teaching certificate such as a TESOL/TEFL or CELTA.

The most popular length for classes at the moment is 25/30 or 45/50 minutes. However, this is not always the case. It is important to find out how long each class is to work out your income per class. If the company offers both 25/30 and 45/50-minute classes, be sure to ask what the base pay is for each class.

All companies will advertise their highest possible pay per hour. In reality, it may not be that much, not at the beginning at least. A lot of companies advertise a wage of 25+ per hour, some companies do pay this, but what a few do not tell you is that a large portion of this is made up of your bonuses – which could be taken away from you at any moment or is the resulting pay if you have worked for the company for a while and earned a pay rise. Always ask your recruiter and interviewer what the base rate per class is, your base rate is your guaranteed pay and this gives you a much better idea of what your total (minimum) income will be. You can then ask them how much the bonuses are and how you achieve them.

As mentioned before, a large portion of your wages is tied to your bonuses and is not a guaranteed part of your income per month. These bonuses can disappear so easily should you come across any issues, such as a power outage, internet issues, etc. This could be your fault or it could be a platform or system glitch that is not your fault but that you pay the price for, yes this does happen! You need to find out what each bonus is, how much it is and how it can be lost and take measures to stop that from happening. Talk to teachers who already work for the company about this. Ask about how different things like, how emergency leave has been handled by the company or what penalties apply if you are late for class. Companies can be very unforgiving should you affect the class as, at the end of the day, it costs them money and makes them look bad.

One thing companies do not like is having to cancel classes or affect their students so have quite strict policies for taking things like emergency or sick leave. There have been reports of teachers losing their job for having time off to see a dying relative, or because they had to rush to the hospital. It’s important to find out these policies for any company you are interested in. Some are more forgiving than others and ask that you provide evidence, such as a doctor’s note or screenshots. Others are not and it can cost you your job.

Companies hiring non-native English speakers:

Companies hiring non-degree holders:

Companies hiring South Africans:

Companies using smartphone platforms:

Click here to view our list of online teaching companies.

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