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Suggestions for Job Seekers on Dave's
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spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Sat May 14, 2016 3:41 pm    Post subject: Suggestions for Job Seekers on Dave's Reply with quote

'Tis the season:-)

There are a great number of us around on Dave's who are in hiring positions and/or who have a tremendous amount of first-hand knowledge about how hiring works in different regions and countries.

In other words - we are 'your' potential employers and/or colleagues!

Keeping this in mind, I have some suggestions for job seekers on Dave's - and I'm sure others will have a great deal to contribute.
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spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Sat May 14, 2016 3:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

1. Keep in mind that 'you' are only as anonymous as you make yourself. If you post your country of origin, your qualifications, your age range, and other information, you are more-or-less identifiable. And, frankly, except for the age info, we can't really give any good advice unless you do post these things.

Therefore, you'll want to come across as a reliable professional on the forums.

For example, it's not a good idea to inquire if it's possible to go 'on the dole' in a foreign country or to tell us in detail about suing a school that terminated your contract for poor performance.

2. We are language teachers. Repeated spelling or word form errors (such as their/there) don't make a positive impression.

3. You can't fight legal requirements.

If you're not from the EU, for example, there are legal limitations to your employment prospects inside the EU (regardless of what you may read on some websites trying to sell certificates).

If the region where you want to work requires a BA, you have to have a BA that is recognized in that region (it's useless to whine that your 'qualification' is 'just as good' if it's not recognized).
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spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Sat May 14, 2016 4:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

4. Narrow your focus to one region or a few countries where you have the right quals and can work legally.

Trying to cast a net over half the world isn't a feasible strategy.
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Sun May 15, 2016 1:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
1. Keep in mind that 'you' are only as anonymous as you make yourself. If you post your country of origin, your qualifications, your age range, and other information, you are more-or-less identifiable. And, frankly, except for the age info, we can't really give any good advice unless you do post these things.

Adding:

- If you have teaching experience, be clear about what you taught, who you taught (adults v. children), and for how long. We often see licensed and experienced subject k-12 teachers posting here because they think they can only work abroad as an EFL teacher.

- If you are a non-native speaker, be specific about where you completed your education; it makes a difference if your degree is from an Anglophone country.

Quote:
3. You can't fight legal requirements.

Adding: As with the above, be realistic and honest when posting your qualifications. Don't puff up or spin your education and other qualifications to "improve" them.

Quote:
4. Narrow your focus to one region or a few countries where you have the right quals and can work legally.

Adding: The Cafe isn't a travel agency. It's not helpful to state, for example, that you're looking to work near a beach in a country where the weather is warm year round, and where there are plenty of available singles to date, lots of techno clubs, windsurfing opportunities, yada yada. Seriously. So before posting on the Cafe, do your homework on what countries/region(s) you're interested in (and can legally work in).
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Sun May 15, 2016 1:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

5. If possible, include your teaching preference --- whether you want to teach children or adults or both.
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suphanburi



Joined: 20 Mar 2014
Posts: 916

PostPosted: Sun May 15, 2016 10:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just to jump onto the bandwagon here....

Documents, documents, documents.....

Make SURE (how can I add even more emphasis than shouting) that you have the correct documentation for your visa and/or other permit applications ready BEFORE you leave your home country on your teaching adventure.

I needed to hire 20 new teachers for a school expansion this year.

The ads were placed.

Just about 500 applications were received.

Over 460 of those applicants were lacking the required documentation to get a visa and in many cases the wait time to get their paperwork would be measured in months (rather than days or weeks).

Odds for those who had their documentation ready were pretty good. 20 positions and less than 40 applicants who were actually ready and able to get a visa.

Of those 40, only 19 actually met the remainder of the required qualifications. 19 applicants for 20 jobs.

OF the other 460+ applicants... many more could have been included except for the problem of their missing documentation.

GET YOUR DOCUMENTS READY then apply for jobs.

If the visa requirement is a bachelor degree then no, there is no "equivalent". Either you have it or you don't. Immigration or consular services are not going to be concerned with trying to determine "equivalency".

If a visa requirement is an English proficiency test (non-native speakers) then get it done. It doesn't matter if you hold a PhD in applied linguistics. Either you meet the documentation requirement or you don't and the visa is issued on that basis.

If one requirement is a TEFL/TESL/TESOL cert or other recognized teaching qualification then you can't get a visa. There is no "work-around". Just get it done.

It is usually NOT an employer issue as much as it is a visa / immigration issue.

Pissing into the wind won't help.
Change the country of choice if you don't meet the requirements of the country you initially chose and make sure your documentation is ready.

Not having a passport or having an old passport is another issue.

Largely, You can't travel and work abroad without a passport.
For the most part, you can't travel abroad with a passport that has less than 6 months validity.

Often you won't get a work visa in a passport with less than 1 year validy OR if you do then your one year visa will expire with your passport and you will need to pay again for another one (or an extension).

Be aware and don't let your passport expire. Early renewal (about 1 year before expiry) is never a bad thing for an expat.

.
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taikibansei



Joined: 14 Sep 2004
Posts: 811
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Mon May 16, 2016 6:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Not sure what number we're on, but I'd like to add, "Don't shoot the messenger." Time and again, I see people post to these boards with questions about a particular situation (e.g., getting work visas without a college degree) or school ("is so and so school still horrible...?"), then get defensive, even angry, when they don't get the responses they want. While job hunting can be stressful (and nobody likes getting bad news), try to remember that most posters here are volunteering their time and expertise in an attempt to help.

Related to this, if there have been numerous, negative threads on a particular situation or school, starting yet another thread on the topic demanding "new" information--and then becoming angry when you're told the situation/school remains unchanged and/or to see the "old" threads (often on the same page just below your thread)--is generally not conducive to getting additional, free assistance from veteran posters.
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Wed Jun 01, 2016 2:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Don't do a "post-n-run." Participate in the discussion rather than passively viewing responses or ignoring the thread altogether.

We also like to see updates --- how you've transitioned from thinking about TEFL to actually taking the steps to get there. Plus, it can be encouraging to other newbies.
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spanglish



Joined: 21 May 2009
Posts: 742
Location: working on that

PostPosted: Mon Aug 15, 2016 3:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

nomad soul wrote:
Don't do a "post-n-run." Participate in the discussion rather than passively viewing responses or ignoring the thread altogether.

We also like to see updates --- how you've transitioned from thinking about TEFL to actually taking the steps to get there. Plus, it can be encouraging to other newbies.


Amen to this one, one of my pet peeves. It's fun to hear how things turned out!
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Jefe



Joined: 09 Jun 2015
Posts: 11

PostPosted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 3:28 am    Post subject: Thank You Reply with quote

I appreciate the advise. Particularly from somebody who hires.

I am recently retired and finishing my BA around December. At which point, I intend to fly to Vietnam and finish my MA online while teaching at a brick and mortar (and I use that term loosely) place part time until I finish school.

Meanwhile, I am interested in some entry level online teaching during my last couple of semesters (10hrs a week).

I appreciate your input. I have taken note of it and hope to learn more in these forums before I start working.

Thanks again.


Jefe
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 4:02 am    Post subject: Re: Thank You Reply with quote

Jefe wrote:
Meanwhile, I am interested in some entry level online teaching during my last couple of semesters (10hrs a week).

We hope to keep this thread solely about posting on the forum as a newbie and not on where to find jobs.

That said, the threads you probably want are:
I suggest posting your online teaching questions on those threads or starting your own discussion. Good luck!
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Jefe



Joined: 09 Jun 2015
Posts: 11

PostPosted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 4:23 am    Post subject: Understand Reply with quote

Will do Nomad. Since the OP was about jobs, I followed.

Now that I know better, I close comments and thank you for the heads up.


Jefe

PS: Thank you for this service. I am on the other parts of the forum that are job specific and appreciate it.
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Tue Oct 11, 2016 4:44 am    Post subject: Suggestions for Job Seekers on Dave's Reply with quote

Back to the subject of this thread...

Please don't ask us how to produce qualifications you don't have just so you can teach in your dream country. If ya don't got, you don't got it. Besides, such discussions are a no-no on these forums.
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Wed Apr 19, 2017 1:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This thread deserves a bump.
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Hod



Joined: 28 Apr 2003
Posts: 1613
Location: Home

PostPosted: Wed Apr 19, 2017 12:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

nomad soul wrote:
The Cafe isn't a travel agency. It's not helpful to state, for example, that you're looking to work near a beach in a country where the weather is warm year round, and where there are plenty of available singles to date.


What's wrong with that? If someone wants a beach and some nightlife, and these don't affect their teaching, fair play to them. You also never seem to get it that not everyone wants to teach until retirement. Many want to teach for just a few years before moving on. For such people, location will be more important.

As we get older, we have to understand there are young people coming along. Like it or not, employers and students often prefer younger teachers. If teachers half your age want to go snorkelling or whatever at the weekend, you'd best start accepting that very soon.
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