Job Discussion Forums

Austin Allegro · Joined: 11 May 2009 Posts: 4

Hi all.

I have a possible one year sabbatical coming up and would like to travel whilst working. I would like your help on some questions if you would be so kind.

1. Is it worth getting a TEFL if I can only work for a maximum of one year abroad? Will most schools demand longer contracts or can one come and go more quickly?

2. Just how easy/hard is it to find work? I don't have any particular preference for a country, but would like if I can to go to more than one.

3. I have seen a few sites that organise paid work placements in China (you pay a fee and they set you up with a paid job). Are these dodgy or genuine?

4. Is it better to do a TEFL in one's home country, or the country where one hopes to get work? I understand the pros and cons as:
Home country - easier to concentrate on work, no distractions/stresses about strange country
Foreign country - work 'in the field' and get better chance of jobs.
What's the general consensus?

5. Is it possible to generalise about the sort of people who teach EFL? I am worried I might not fit in - I am 38 and have been working in publishing/journalism for 15 years so I'm pretty professional in my outlook. I've been used to the fairly dog-eat-dog world of business. Am I likely to be working/socialising with a bunch of idealistic, flip-flop and singlet wearing backpackers in their early 20s? I'm exaggerating but I hope this makes sense - I'm wary of being stuck somewhere 'east of Suez' with people I have nothing in common with.

6. Just how common is 'culture shock'? I've travelled widely, including developing countries, living in quite basic conditions often, but never for more than 3 weeks at a time. Even then I've found myself daydreaming about an idealized England of warm beer, county cricket etc. Does this mean I'll be prone to culture shock?

Many thanks for any advice offered...

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 10:29 pm Post subject:

Okay, one question at a time.

Yes, it's worth being prepared to teach, which means a cert of some sort, even if it's only for a year. Your students will be paying you for this; don't cheat them.

Most of the good jobs would want a one year contract.

Some will hire for a few months- but they tend to be low end.

justcolleen · Joined: 07 Jan 2004 Posts: 654 Location: Egypt, baby!

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

1. It will help you in the classroom. 6 months is the min, usually.

2. VERY easy, finding a good job, on the other hand, is tough.

3. Dodgy.

4. Depends. there are good and bad for both.

5. TEFL takes all kinds. My advice, get a hobby that you can do by yourself, knit, crochet, paint, study a language, read, watch movies, just in case.

6. Happens to everyone, travelling is different than living in a country.

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

Unfortunately, I'd say that given your desire to country-hop, you are more likely to end up with those early-20s-backpacker-types. The older (oh dear--do I go into the "older" category now? Nooooooo!)/more job-oriented among us don't move around that quickly. A typical contract is for one academic year, and even that is a fairly short stint. That may be long by travelers' standards, but it's short by expats-living-abroad standards.

If you have time to get certified, then yes, by all means, do it. It's worth it simply because without it, and with no teaching experience, how will you know what you are doing? If you go in unprepared, or even underprepared, you are making your life more difficult and probably less pleasant (this job has its stressful moments!), and you are jeopardizing your students' education. Sure, you can get a job without getting certified, but then again you're increasing your odds of ending up with those young-'uns.

d

Austin Allegro · Joined: 11 May 2009 Posts: 4

Thanks for the answers everyone.

At the moment my plan is to do 1 month TEFL, probably in the UK, followed by 6-8 months paid teaching then poss. 3 months volunteer work in another country.

As I don't have much time to faff around with job applications, interviews etc, I was interested in the 'guaranteed placement' agencies which mostly seem to be in China. What should I be wary of with these, as some of you have said these can be dodgy?

One of them says on its website: Everyday of yours in China is a colorful picture, a flowing river, and a gentle sweet breeze�. Hmmm. Is this a little rose-tinted? It sounds too good to be true. I was thinking more in terms of sweltering concrete schoolrooms full of children unimpressed by the foreign devil at the front, fighting my way through the smog on an old bicycle, and hoping the hot water hasn't run out while living in something like a more downmarket version of HK's Chunking Mansions. Or am I being too pessimistic?

The volunteering would be in a country that can't afford to pay its teachers - somewhere like Africa - and I would apply directly to local organisations rather than pay the exorbitant costs of the 'voluntourist' agencies in the UK.

Does this sound realistic?

Mexicobound · Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 6:53 pm Post subject:

Sounds like a plan, good luck.

yaramaz · Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 9:43 pm Post subject:

I like your plan. China (so far, for me) is much much better than your fears... If you have any questions about job hunting in China, you can PM me- after I left Turkey last autumn, I did a 2 month job search online, trying to figure out where to go next. After a lot of sifting through rubbish recruiters, I found some good stuff.

Good luck!

(PS I'm 34 and don't wear a singlet or flip flops, unless the situation calls for it)