Job Discussion Forums

[littlebadmonkey]

I am mexican american and looking to teach around the mediterranean i.e. Spain/Italy/Turkey/Lebanon. I was curious if anyone teaching in this region of the world or in general felt that you were passed up on job opportunities because you didn't look like a "typical" American/Canadian etc. Are their employers out there that would prefer to hire candidates who look like the "typical" native english speaker. Or is the demand for english speakers so great that is not even a factor even for more selective entry level positions. What type of schools would tend to harbor such preferences if any?

[naturegirl321]

For some schools, yes, it is an issue, but it's not worth working at those schools.

[Marcoregano]

The thing that most TEFL employers in Spain and Italy will want to see is an EU passport - it's difficult for them to obtain work visas for anyone outside the EU, and that includes blue-eyed babes no matter how many teaching credentials they might have. As for Turkey and Lebanon - that's a different ballgame and I don't know the answer. I would suspect that some backward employers might prefer the classic Caucasian look, but any reputable employer will mostly be concerned about your quals and experience.

[sharpe88]

Well said... !

[SueH]

I'd second marcoregano in that the visa issue is far more important here in Italy, and, I've heard, in Spain.

There are preconceptions here which you might have to overcome: so, for example, all the illegal immigrant African street traders result in certain preconceptions about certain groups of people; but back to the visa issue... that's the real killer.

[JenR]