Job Discussion Forums

[White ice]

Hello all,

In Mid-November I will hopefully be finishing my CELTA course here in the UK and then starting to search for a job abroad.

Am I correct in thinking that November/December is an awkward time for searching for a job overseas and that I will have better luck in January?

I will be BA (unrelated) + CELTA + no experience.

Countries Im currently considering are Russia, Japan and Eastern Europe but I am very open to suggestions.

Any views are appreciated!

[Denim-Maniac]

It may depend on the nature of the job. Training centres and the private sector employ all year round. November / December might be a great time to look at many teachers will leave at new year / xmas. Student intake may be down, but Ive always seen vacancies arise around that time. As January progresses Id guess the jobs have been filled.

This is based on experience in China BTW. You can start to apply from the UK during the CELTA course, allowing a month for visa etc to be sorted (assume you hold an undergradute degree?) and the timing looks good.

My only other experience is in the UK, with seasonal work, and of course its the wrong time of the year for that.

[Glenski]

For Japan, I'd say it's a very, very poor time of year to be looking. Even January is bleak.

[White ice]

Thank you for the replies.

I greatly appreciate the information.

So do you recommend applying for jobs before i complete the CELTA?

[Glenski]

Most employers in Japan don't care about certifications. It's very competitive here now, so it's anyone's guess how much weight they will put on such things. Won't hurt, of course, but many/most employers hire on personality and perceived chemistry with staff and students.

When do you actually want to start work? Visa processing here can take 2-8 weeks. You need the job before you can apply for the visa, so figure another 1-3 months there.

[smithrn1983]

Russian schools hire pretty much year-round. It takes between one and two months to get a visa. One month for the employer to get an invitation for you from the interior ministry, then another week to a month for you to get a visa from the embassy. If you find something in November, then you should be in a good position to start working in January (note that winter holidays here run from 30 Dec to 8 Jan, and many students don't return until later, so normal working hours don't usually start until 15-20 January.) Schools regularly hire from abroad.

Eastern Europe has a hiring peak in January. Things work a little bit differently there, though, as most schools will expect to interview you in person. There's simply too many teachers running around the area to take a chance on someone sight-unseen.

[coledavis]

Agreed about Russia. I think you may also find that Kiev in Ukraine is another high demand location.