Job Discussion Forums

[DaDragon]

Does being TEFL certified give you an advantage when searching for an English teaching job in Japan? If so, how big of an advantage? Did you see more success after earning your certification than you did before?

I'm considering taking a 190 hour TEFL course, which includes 20 hours practicum.

[thomthom]

I think it gives you a big boost if you have no prior experience at all. It would prove more educational if that's the case, also. Personally I had 12 months experience before I obtained a TEFL, so it felt like a just a slight improvement to my CV, and 80% of the information contained on the course was stating the obvious. The salient thing I learned was all the verb tenses.

Where would you do it? The main allure is that they can be done cheaply in places like Thailand and Vietnam. However, anybody with a CELTA is probably going to get picked over someone with a TEFL (if the CVs are otherwise level). You should look into that, but it's more costly and much more difficult as far as I've been told.

[Glenski]

Obviously, it gives you an advantage over most newbies in the sense that you have some theory and practice in doing what you hope to get paid for here. Not much, but most people just starting out have zero education or experience in TEFL.

As far as helping to land a job, I don't have high hopes for most jobs in that regard. Most employers don't know what a certification is/means. One might think that it would help separate the dregs from the cream, but in the end, some employers might choose on the basis of personality, charm, eye color, gender, age, or nationality over certs.

[DaDragon]

[spiral78]

Lots of misleading info on their website, as regards country-specific info.

I know nothing about Japan, but have checked this site before for the countries I do know well, and I think the website is so misleading as to be really nearly criminal. It's NOT as easy as 1-2-3 !!

[steki47]

[Glenski]

[Glenski]

From that link:

"International TEFL Academy can train you in 1 or 2 months to be a professional English teacher..."
Do they offer shares in the Brooklyn Bridge with that? Or a potion that cures warts and removes stains? Gimme a break.

[OneJoelFifty]

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

How helpful a TEFL certificate is (in terms of getting hired) may depend on the area of the country you are in. In areas where it seems most of the jobs in the k12 sector are through dispatch companies (For example, anywhere around Tokyo), then a TEFL certificate isn't always a requirement, but it usually is. You wouldn't even get an interview at a company the requires one without it. And that means not just one job, but all of the schools that are clients of that dispatch.

I know at least one major dispatch company that does not require it (though having one will help you get into their better client schools). But I know a bunch of smaller dispatch companies that do require one (and the salary tends to be much better at these smaller dispatch companies as well).

For areas where the schools tend to hire directly as opposed to through a dispatch (Osaka), then it's hit or miss. And in areas like that, it seems that personal recommendations can trump some sort of certificate- but probably not a masters degree.

Your question as to how easy it is with one compared to without one only applies to people who do their certificate in Japan- or at least teach in Japan without one, and then come back after doing one. But a lot of people already have a certificate when they arrive in Japan. And then they go on to do a masters while in Japan.

Generally speaking, there is a lot of competition for jobs in Japan, and not having some sort of qualification as a language instructor (even if it's more than a bit on the crappy side) would put you at a significant disadvantage in finding a job. If you add to that, "Not really able to communicate in Japanese", then I won't say it's impossible to find a job (I know a few people with full-time jobs in private schools- not eikaiwas- who don't have any qualifications and don't speak Japanese really at all), but it would be extremely difficult without contacts to help you get in, though eikaiwa work would probably still be a possible (and full-time eikaiwa jobs sometimes pay more than full-time or "semi-part-time" jobs at jr/sr high schools or boards of education. And it's not like the salary at eikaiwas has moved upwards recently).

[currentaffairs]

I don't think having a TEFL cert will make a big difference at the lower end of the job market (i.e. eikaiwa and dispatch company ALT work). Most people start with part-time gigs and you can get these fairly easily.

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

[currentaffairs]