Job Discussion Forums

[kelly marie]

hallo everyone,

i am flying to munich, germany in september in the hopes to land some jobs teaching english. i have no teaching certifications but i do have a bachelor�s degree in geography with a minor in international studies. i am a native speaker of english (american citizen). ive done a lot of "research" online about teaching abroad specifically in europe, and have mixed emotions about the possibilities of finding work.

housing won't be an initial worry, i have a friend living in munich who i will stay with until i find employment. though i've been told that it can be difficult finding housing because of the cost and regulations. i've been teaching myself german daily through workbooks/berlitz software and i've been reading as much possible on german culture/history/etc in efforts to prepare for the trip.

i realize that the EU is tighting up, things are changing, and that it will be difficult to find a visa. but is it impossible? what can i do to make myself a better candidate to possible employers? is there a specific format that my resume should adhere to? (ie listing my age, marriage status, and nationality at top of the resume and limiting it to only one page) is it foolish of me to think that i can fly over with a handful of contact's (companies ive found online) and land a job? most everyone that i talk to about teaching english abroad wants someone that is already in the country, so i am taking that leap. i would so greatly appreciate any thoughts, experience, or advice on teaching english in germany.

many thanks,

kelly

[spiral78]

kelly, I'm sorry to have to be pessimistic about your chances, but I seriously don't think you've got any chance at all of landing a legal job.

Primarily because you are not an EU member citizen, and, as you have pointed out yourself, Germany has recently tightened laws against hiring outside of the EU considerably - to the point that American teachers with experience and qualifications and local contacts and fluent German are having to LEAVE (read through earlier posts for more info on this).

Germany's economy isn't exactly booming and the EFL positions are easily filled with Brits, who can work legally.

Your qualifications quite honestly wouldn't matter in the face of the legal issues, but another thing you will need to consider is training. If you hope to teach in any of the European countries where Americans CAN work legally (Czech Rep, Poland, Slovakia, etc) you will need a certification. It's just basic for newbies on this continent, and you can't compete without it.

If you decide to try this, consider training in the country where you want to teach. Prague's a training centre mecca, and most countries have some reputable basic training centres. Be sure it's an ON-SITE course, 100+ hours, with real teaching practice on real students. On line courses don't get it here.