Job Discussion Forums

[mccallum.mitchell]

Hello

Another newbie here looking for ways to progress from a BComm Finance major (Some countries might view this as a BA?) with a 120 hour TEFL certificate from an online course offered by the University of Fort Toronto. My teaching experience isn't much to speak of so I just kind of use it to put a positive spin on my application.

With all that out of the way and after going through several posts on this site I have gleaned that China is my best hope for starting down this career path but what would one want to reinvest in from whatever they might get as a rookie to increase their odds of
1. Getting a job with over 60k USD in total compensation per year
2. Teaching Business English to adult learners
3. Doing this while living in Latin America

The certs I have seen thrown around are DELTA and PGCE but what else should I be doing and ideally how should I be timing it all for a solid progression to the point where I can consider myself an "in demand" teacher rather than a "demanding" teacher.

Last but not least I would like to know what organizations out there actually invest in their teachers in terms of certifications and would allow to acquire qualifications while I work.

In the interest of brevity for you readers obviously I have omitted other factors but any suggestions are appreciated.

[suphanburi]

Let's be honest. You are not going to get 60k USD teaching anything in Latin America regardless of your qualifications.

As a foreign teacher abroad your best bet for remuneration is to get licensed as a teacher, get 2 years of home country experience under your belt then look for internationally accredited international schools abroad.
In many cases the remuneration will be in the $40-50k range (depending on the country).
China or the Middle East are your best bet for money as a US citizen (but if Trump gets into a full fledged trade war China may fall off the map for you).

In most other cases a basic bachelor degree and generic TEFL cert will get you between $1k and 2K per month in Asia and less in Latin America.
Teaching adults is largely not a big thing outside of Europe and Americans won't get a visa to work as an EFL teacher in western Europe.

If you want to get more you will have to put in the time in the classroom as well as professional development.

Investing in a MATESOL or M.Ed at this point are a waste of your time and money. An MA / M.Ed is NOT like your undergrad.
It is not just coursework and accumulating credits.
The thesis or comprehensive exams coupled with your IS and publication are what really makes the difference.
It is not something to be undertaken before you actually spend a year or 5 in a classroom and have a basic understanding of what you are looking / paying for.

A post grad degree in your field may pay better dividends that heading out as a teacher. MBAs with some managerial experience or a CPA /CGA designation will do much better financially than generic TEFL teachers at home and abroad.

With all of that said... I would focus more on the savings potential rather than the gross salary.
$2000 usd in a developing country will leave you with a savings potential of about 50% and still provide a comfortable lifestyle while $5k in a developed country won't go nearly as far.

Get your feet wet then decide the path.
AFTER you pick your path then you can look at what you need to do to get there.

.

[nomad soul]

Ditto that. An annual salary of $60,000 US isn't realistic except in rare circumstances and/or with very specific quals/experience.

[bograt]

[nomad soul]

[bograt]

[mccallum.mitchell]

[quote="nomad soul"]

[spiral78]

BC = British Council (one of the more reliable and higher-paying language school chains).

It's correct that being a native English speaker with an unrelated university degree and an online TEFL cert puts you into the bottom of the pyramid on the job market (there is lots and lots of competition at this level, and pay and benefits are therefore not stellar).