Job Discussion Forums

[darkcity]

What kind of job can I expect to get without a teaching certificate?

I've been teaching English in South Korea for 1.5 years (by the time my contract finishes in January 2010). Also there was a minor group tutoring diddly-doo I did in an American junior college which I may mention to pad my resume.

From what I've read, it sounds like EF is the risky entry-level job, and Wall Street Institute is the more attractive option.

WSI Korea did reject me when I was first looking for a job in Korea. But now I have some experience under my belt, maybe it'll be a different story.

Did most WSI or similarly satisfied people get their jobs by actively chasing the employers, or posting a resume and waiting for them to bite?

Thanks in advance folks.

[Chris Patton]

Hi

First of all, as a matter of disclosure, I am an EF DoS (BSD-Tangerang) so I do have an interest in attracting good teachers.

1.5 years experience should put you in a position to choose between a few different options, not just entry level. There are factors of course, for instance your own level of education, and the type of reference you can provide from your previous employer.

Where you choose to work should depend upon what kind of lifestyle you want to experience in Indonesia. Some employers have higher salaries than others, some offer different sorts of housing options, some are in various parts of the country and some have more opportunities for career advancement. There are also differences in the facilities available at different schools, and the levels of ongoing training and support you will receive. Finally, you should consider the type of workload you will be asked to do, what days of the week you will work, and the holidays allowed by your employer. Different people have different priorities in life. You should have a think about what you are looking for, and then choose the option that best matches your goals.

Without getting into too many details, I can tell you that one big difference between EF and WSI is the type of students taught. At EF (at least in BSD) we mostly deal with young learners, while WSI caters exclusively to adults.

As far as waiting for employers to bite at a cv or resume, I would suggest a more active approach. Your best bet is to send out some applications/cv's and do some research into the institutions involved. When you do get offers, don't be afraid to ask for as much information as possible before accepting. The more you know ahead of time, the better your experience in Indonesia is likely to be.

Good luck!

[malu]

Surely Mr Patton is not suggesting that EF would recruit someone as a native speaker English teacher without a CELTA/TESOL/TEFL certificate that involves a specified amount of practical teaching?

[Chris Patton]

Thanks Malu, I'd better just clarify that point.

Generally speaking, most EF's wouldn't usually hire a teacher without a certificate. Certainly people with little or no experience would need to have a certificate in order to be considered.

Having said that, I have met quite a few people over the years who came into the profession without a formal certificate or other qualification and, through experience and dedication became excellent teachers. Unfortunately I have also met a small number of people with a CELTA or other type of certification who in the end were just not suited to the job.

As I said in my initial response to the OP, the number of offers he gets would depend upon other factors. Does he have a degree? Is it in a related field or not? What was the nature of his previous experience? Did he bounce from job to job in his 1.5 years, or stay with one employer? What does that employer think of him? Would they have hime back?

Given the details of the original post, I think its fair to say that Darkcity would not find himself courted by International schools, but would probably have a good chance at getting offers from some language centres.

[darkcity]

First off, thanks Mr. Patton for the informative response. Normally I wouldn't post this kind of stuff in forums as I feel like i'm having my hand held. but it's a relatively slow forum, so i thought, why not.

i've emailed a handful of EF schools, but only one has responded thus far.

i only considered indonesia this past month and my current contract does not end until january 23, so for now i'm just getting my feet wet...don't plan on coming to indonesia until the end of april, so for now i'm taking the lazy approach of forum research.

details about me:

as of January 2010, 1.5 years teaching experience at the same company, teaching one on one, businessmen/women and university students. done the split shift, been to hell and back with the 50+ hour weeks, working saturdays to boot.

no teaching certificate, but i'll consider it

3 year degree in photography from an australian university

at risk of sounding arrogant, i'm confident my employers will give me a glowing reference. 1:1 teaching, as you might know, depends on booking rates (how many students reserve your class). i've consistently gotten the highest booking rates in my branch, month after month, so there is data on paper to prove my capability as a teacher.

i do plan on living in jakarta, as i imagine that's where the most opportunities are (and my best friend lives there). i'm trying to convince my mother to retire in a smaller city in indonesia somewhere down the line. as for my living conditions (and again at risk of sounding like a been-there-done-that A-hole), i've lived in 15 different households in three countries, from halfway houses (it's not what you think) to suburbia. i just want a bed and running water (AC would be nice too).

the most important things to me are a normal schedule (i can't do split shift again) and fair benefits/decent working conditions. teaching adults or older students would be preferred. of course i'd like the best bang for my buck, regarding a job...but obviously i'm not coming to indonesia for the money.