Job Discussion Forums

[jhanley2]

Hi all,

I am looking for some advice on my situation. I currently work full-time in the States, but am planning to relocate to Europe this summer in hopes of getting started with TEFL. I have a degree, some teaching experience at the university level (literature, not EFL, although not a lot), and a pretty strong background in German.

Thus, my original hope was to find work in Germany, but eventually signed up for a TEFL course for this August in Prague, as the market seemed a lot more fruitful there for newbies than in Germany. However, the recent changes in visa laws in the CR seem to have made it close to impossible to get started -- and this has me quite antsy, admittedly. I'm thinking now that I may want to try and make it work via freelance work in Germany instead. I've been keeping up on visa requirements for both countries, so I know that for example, you'd need letters from 2 German companies, etc., and am prepared to hit the ground running looking for work as soon as I arrive -- wherever that is.

My question, then, is this: am I better off sticking with the TEFL course in Prague and planning to move after the course and look for work in Germany? Or, should I consider scrapping the course in Prague and enrolling in a CELTA in/around an area I'd hope to work in Germany? Is it at all common to take a course in one country with the intent of immediately relocating to another? Am I over-thinking this far too much? I just want to be realistic/set myself up for success as much as possible.

Any opinions, input, etc. would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[spiral78]

The plan is probably feasible. The only real drawback is that you'll be probably too far from German employers to get to any of them in person during the course.

Keep in mind your limited time window. You've only got 90 days from landing in the zone to get paperwork filed for work permits. You will probably want to try to make contacts with schools during your course - though that's tough given the demands of the courses.

You'll need to be sure you are ready and have interviews lined up immediately afterwards.

What is the timing of your course? Most hiring is done at the very end of August/first half of September, so to finish up your course then helps to maximise your chances of finding something solid before your 90 days end.

[AGoodStory]

If you definitely plan to look for work in Germany, (and scrapping the course in CR will not cause you to lose an unaffordable amount of money,) I would choose a course in Germany. It's not so much that your current plan is unworkable, just that you lose the home court advantage of taking the course in the country where you plan to live. This means you forfeit your trainers' and school's knowledge of the local market and potential employers, along with any professional and possibly personal local contacts that could help you. You would also lose four weeks of learning your way around, familiarizing yourself with your new home environment, and just generally getting to know the lay of the land. Conceivably you would be able to begin making some contacts of your own during this time. And of course you would not have the disruption of a move to another country at the end of the month. I would prefer to take the course in Germany if I could get my deposit refunded, or if it were small enough that I could afford to forfeit it.

[johncoan]

Which course are you planning to take in Prague, J?

[jhanley2]

[johncoan]

[cajun902]

I know this is probably too late, but I would recommend taking the course in Germany. I just got back to the US from an exploratory trip to Germany and found it to be all about networking. Go to Germany, meet with the schools and network. It will help I think, at least thats my plan. Let me know how it worked out for you. I'll be curious.