Job Discussion Forums

[sydneygal]

Hello

I'm a teacher trainer based in Australia after many years teaching abroad and would love some feedback on an idea I'm working on. As part of the training, we help trainees with finding work etc in ESL but I'm finding more and more of my past students are getting in touch with me and asking for help with post-ESL career advice.

This led me to do quite a lot of research around the options for career options after ESL that still utilise our experience. At the moment, it's all specific for teachers returning to Australia but I've been asked to see if there's any demand for this kind of 'coaching' (don't like that word but it kinda fits) for other teachers who hail from the US, UK, Canada etc.

My questions:
Where do you go now for this kind of advice?
Is this type of' service something you would pay for?

Any thoughts on this would be very helpful!

[suphanburi]

I don't know about the other countries but Canada offers the service for free at Canada employment centers (government service) across the country.
All anyone needs to do is be unemployed or under employed, walk in off the street and ask for it.
Career counseling, transitioning between jobs, transitioning into new careers, resume writing, and other assorted workshops are all available.

Most universities have a similar (but not as extensive) service for their alumni - usually in the student resources or student counseling offices (also for free).

.

[sydneygal]

That's true - we have that in Australia too but I've been finding that many teachers want to start the process before returning home. I meet up with them via Skype and look at ways they can transition into other jobs - sometimes they'll need to do some study for this. Depending on what the study includes, they can begin that study before getting home.

It may depend on personal circumstances - a number of teachers I've helped are happy to use the resources on the ground once they get home but others need something they can step into straight away (due to having a family etc) and want to start planning things early as possible.

[nomad soul]

Employment services in the US are similar to those in Canada.

Are these returnees looking to stay in ESL, or are they expecting to transition to a different career that would utilize their teaching skills?

[sydneygal]

Both - Many want to move sideways - get out of the classroom but doing something that uses similar skills such as vocational training or start their own businesses.

[nomad soul]

I always suggest looking at about a dozen job ads for the type of position one is interested in. The preferable/desirable qualifications indicated in the postings are invaluable as a guide in determining the skills, knowledge, credentials, etc., one should obtain in order to appeal to the most employers. This strategy should be applied in advance of leaving one's current job.

Anyway, if you scroll through this forum, you'll see threads related to what to do after TEFLing abroad. (Apparently, your former trainees never discovered the ESL Cafe.)

[rtm]

[sydneygal]

Interesting. My trainees do spend time on forums, I used to refer them to this forum actually, before deciding I wanted to help more practically but there is lots of info - almost too much and I think a personal discussion about your particular situation goes a long way.

As RTM said, many of my ex-trainees don't even know what's possible. I didn't either until I started to look into this.

Thanks for the feedback!

[nomad soul]

I completely agree with the all points made. To be clear, for those who have a general idea of what they want to do, mine was only one suggestion. By the way, a simple Internet search using life after tefl transfer skills is a good start.

Sydneygal, if you're considering career coaching (that's what it's called), I suggest conducting a couple of informational interviews to get a better handle on the industry. It's also a great way to network.

[Xie Lin]

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

I think it entirely depends on the qualifications and experience of the person coming from being overseas and where it is they are going ("Home country" covers a massive area).

What do you mean by experience teaching EFL? (conversation school, k-12 sector, university, business classes, one on one tutoring. Did it require lots of material development and formal assessment? Did they use a textbook? Did they make all their stuff? Did they even have a curriculum / syllabus? Or was it paint-by-the-numbers? How LONG did they do this? Did they do a variety of types of teaching to different groups or the same type of teaching in many different countries, or maybe the same type of teaching all in one country)

Do they have undergraduate degrees? Graduate degrees in TESOL? Graduate degrees in something else (in addition to, or instead of, TESOL training)?

What kind of training is available in the area (Ontario, Canada, for example, has a tonne of one-year (full-time) "post-graduate certificates" from colleges and universities. Assuming the person has an undergraduate degree, then they can apply and probably get into one. OTOH, a one-year full-time university graduate program may be a masters degree in Australia or a diploma. Again- do they have a degree (and is it a three year or a four year degree))?

What kind of training is REQUIRED in the area?

Obvious areas related to TESOL:
k-12 teaching (assuming they do the required course for a credential in their state or province)
ESL teaching in English speaking area (assuming a graduate degree in TESOL)
Communications (especially Public Relations types of things- will likely require training)
Cross cultural communications training (probably need at least a masters possibly a PhD for this, in all likelihood).
Travel / Tourism area


Less directly related:
Anything customer service related (read "retail management"- and this includes restaurant).

Far too many people stay in ESOL teaching because they are worried about what else they can do. They can do anything else they could do BEFORE teaching EFL plus ***maybe*** some other things (many of which will likely require going back to school). Somehow the common thought that people are supposed to have several career areas throughout their life seems to bypass a large segment of the EFL crowd. What is really sad is when it's someone who went directly into EFL after their undergraduate and after five years feel like it's too late for them to do anything else. Because that's ridiculous. But I meet people all the time who have been teaching for the vast majority of their adult life and haven't ever really liked it, and often haven't upgraded their (usually minimal- undergrad, maybe some sort of quick tesol certificate) qualifications.

[sydneygal]

[nomad soul]

Good points. Additionally, there are teachers who head abroad with the best intentions and passion for teaching but end up in mediocre or substandard teaching environments or situations. It might even be that their expectations about the job or about teaching, in general, were unrealistic to begin with. Or they never fully adjusted to living in a new culture. Or, as mentioned, there was an absence of growth, development, support, or mentoring. Or whatever. Understandably, some return home rather disillusioned about teaching, or worse, burned out. For others, it's a matter of rediscovering that passion because the interest in teaching is still there. But for some, it's time to move on to something else. Either way, it's not unusual to feel self doubt.

[scot47]

Old age, illness, poverty and death !

[fat_chris]