Job Discussion Forums

[goodbyeus]

Hello all!

I know that depending on what country and programs you apply for determines when you may or may not get hired and when schools/programs hire. I will be taking a CELTA course in the US this coming June and will finish up in early July. I am looking to start applying for jobs in Asia and my top three choices are Thailand, China, and Japan in no particular order and im not really stuck to those completely. From reading lots of other posts on this forum, I have learned that different countries have different times when they hire for the upcoming school year and it seems that the vast majority of places hire between March and June for the following "fall" school years, (again, I know these practices are not law but thats the general gist of what I have been reading). My question(s) is this:

What are my honest chances of getting a job soon after I finish my CELTA course in early July and if there is a chance, when is the best time to apply?
After I finish my CELTA course so I can say that I have a CELTA, or is it possible for me to apply earlier, say now or in the next 1-2 months and say that I WILL have a CELTA after I finish my course in July and that I can start working immediately after.

Any information would be greatly appreciated as you can probably tell that I am about as new as it gets to this. I cant believe how much information is on this site and I have learned so much in such a short period of time, but I am stumped on this one. Thanks so much in advance!

[tttompatz]

One quick question because it will make a difference in the where which will effect the when? Do you ALSO have a degree to go with your CELTA?

IF NOT then your options are severely limited, especially in Asia.
Scratch, Thailand, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam off your list.

If YES then language academies are hiring YEAR ROUND but tend to be slow in Dec-Feb.

If you are looking at K-12 schools or entry level uni-positions in ESL then:

China tends to look at hiring (bulk of the ads) in the spring for the fall term but the demand outstrips the supply so badly that you can find jobs year round.

Thailand is hiring now for May starts and there is a small surge in Aug./Sept for November starts (mid term).

Korea starts the school year in March with a large recruitment drive from May -July for late Aug. (mid term) starts.

Japan starts in April and the JET program does their recruiting the summer prior to the term start. IF you are not in the JET program you will need between $3000-5000 to set yourself up and last until you actually get paid.

IF you have a degree the CELTA is largely not required to get a job and obtain the necessary work visas/permits. A CELTA coupled with a degree is not a bad thing and will usually land you a marginally better job or a pay bump (depending on the country you end up in).

If you don't have a degree then you virtually no chance of employment without a recognized TESOL cert. Even with the CELTA the odds of landing a decent job from abroad are slim.

.

[goodbyeus]

Sorry, I guess from reading other posts I should have remembered that it makes a huge difference if you have a degree or not. I do have a degree from a university in the U.S. but it is a non education degree. Will that change anything that you have said regarding hiring chances? I want to do the CELTA course because, one, I know it is a little better to have a degree and a cert and two, because I have only done some volunteer tutoring for high school kids and ive never actually "taught" before so I know that I need some kind of practice before I actually step in front of a classroom.

As far as language academies v.s. positions in schools, I have read two different things on this forum. I actually dont have a preference between the two, although admittedly I dont know the real differences between them and have to do more research on both of them before deciding. However, I have heard that as far as getting experience goes, some countries dont see teaching in language schools vs teaching in an actual school or university as the same kind of "experience." Do you know how valid that is, because it would certainly sway my decision one way or the other.

Lastly, based on the fact that I have a degree and will have a CELTA come July, do you think applying now or over the next few months (if im reading it right China and Thailand look like best bets for getting a job as near to July as possible) is a good idea, or do you think I will be fine to start applying in July after my CELTA.

Thanks again tttompatz for your help, I have seen you have offered many a newbie advice on this forum and it is much appreciated.
BTW are you in Thailand?

[tttompatz]

[goodbyeus]

Sounds good. It looks like ill be looking mostly in China then when it comes time to start applying. Thank you for the advice and stay safe.