Job Discussion Forums

[camdearlove]

I'm soon to be graduating university, and hoping very much to teach in Europe (both because I want to teach and because my girlfriend lives in Denmark - and anywhere in Europe is closer to Denmark than Canada). I've been looking around a jobs, and I noticed International House. Are they reputable? Do they treat their teachers well? Do they pay well? Is it worth applying there as a Canadian, or do they only take UK citizens? Any other suggestions on where to look for a teaching position in Europe? Any help would be great.

[Moore]

They are a very well-thought of company, but they will definitely demand a European passport. As a Canadian it will be tricky for you to get legal work in Europe. Where I am in Spain there are quite a few Americans and Canadians working, but the money isn�t all that good here and it�s hard to be picky when you are illegal. I�d recommend you look for private students - you�ll find a bit of work up there in Scandinavia, despite all the pessimistic things you may read about the region on this forum. If you just want to be your girlfriend, can�t you get a one year woking visa for the UK and do a "normal" job?

[junkmail]

[ReneeClaire]

there is no need for a eu passport with international house. i know several people working for IH all over europe with american passports.

[naturegirl321]

Is it difficult to get a job with IH?

[leby26]

Cameron! Yaaaayy, someone I know - I just PM'd you, so read away - good to see you on here!

[camdearlove]

Hey thanks for all the help everyone. A few more to bounce off of you:
What are the chances of lining up a job and a work visa before heading off? I'm not too interested in showing up in Europe and trying to find illegal work.

Germany definitely has North American instructors

about this, are there many jobs in Germany, and is there much chance of finding one without experience? I've looked at a few ads for jobs in Germany, but a lot mention IB experience (this was mostly for international schools). I can't seem to find a definition for IB, which leads me to believe that I don't have IB experience!
Now about Eastern Europe, what countries would have the best schools and the best chances of me lining up a job? What about Latvia or Lithuania?
My biggest problem with this is also how confusing and overwhelming everything is. I simply don't know what to do next. Do I start emailing individual schools to test for their need? Or do I just wait and look around for advertisements? Any suggestions in the job hunt? Also, any suggestions on where to look for job postings other than Dave's and TEFL.com?
Thanks a lot everyone, you're wonderful people!

[spiral78]

I think you might have some opps in Poland; you might try contacting schools in Gdansk. Their standards in terms of training won't be really low, though, they are going to require a 30-day in house course certification, at minimum, I think. There are some schools in Tallin as well, but I'm not sure how open the job market is there- it's a cool location and they may be able to be a bit pickier about qualifications.
Germany does hire North Americans in some circumstances, but there are a lot of hoops that have to be leapt before work permits are actually issued: that probably means you have to be there before you're going to get more than a loose offer from a school.

In terms of lining up something for certain before leaving, well, it's not impossible, but it's difficult. The thing is that many schools have been burned over the years with people who either didn't actually show up, or, when they did, had falsified their credentials to the extent that they weren't really suitable candidates. The schools really basically want to see you standing there in front of them, CV in hand, business clothes on, on time, and speaking in a proper register for a professional. Reliability is always a big issue, and,sadly, EFL teaching has been a target for 'unprofessionals' for a long time.