Job Discussion Forums

[missdanielle]

Hi all!

I graduated from teacher's college in Canada in 2007 with my BA B.Ed (Intermediate/Senior - aka grades 7 to 12, English and Individual and Society [Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Philosophy]) and am currently taking a year to upgrade to being able to teach Drama. I spent some of last year volunteering in South Africa as a teacher, and I love the idea of teaching and traveling.

I had an interview last week with a recruitment agency from the UK, in regards to teaching in Scotland - but I was told that my prospects are very bleak, as there are few teachers needed there. They then tried to coerce me into teaching in England, but I really only want to do that as a last resort - I have friends who have taught there, and most have warned against it.

So, my question is this: is there anywhere else in Europe where my services would be needed? I would really like to start teaching in August/September (which means the Southern Hemisphere is more or less out), and it would be nice to go somewhere where the odds of getting a job are fairly decent.

Any help that you can give me would be appreciated! I would love to see Europe, but really, I am interested in any advice you have. Thanks in advance!

[spiral78]

First,you don't mention any specific training in teaching English. The norm in Europe generally is certification from a training centre offering 100+ hours on site including supervised teaching with real students - at least 6 hours. CELTA is the brand name, but there are generic certs out there that meet the standard.

Not having any certification, or having a lesser one than described above, puts you at a disadvantage on the job market in the region.

Second, 'Europe' isn't all created equal, so far as your eligibility for legal working papers. North Americans can still ge papers in most Central/Eastern European countries. Western Europe is generally a no-go, unless you can go as a student sponsored by your Canadian uni, or have a passport from a European country (see the Spain forum for details on working with a student visa - this is sometimes an option in France as well).

Third, jobs in this region are not generally found from abroad. Unless a candidate has specialist qualifications, the norm is that no school will take you seriously until you are standing in their office, CV in hand, looking professional and reliable.

Fourth, August is holiday month in most of Europe - contracts are generally September/October thru June. Very little work around in August, and it will go to teachers already in the area.

Overall, your route into teaching in Europe probably needs to begin with your choosing a (Central/Eastern) country/region. Next, plan to take a certification course in that country in, say, late July/August. Then you will be ready for the job application process in late August/early September, and should be able to land something reasonable for the normal contract period.

Do remember that you'll need to have some decent financial cushion. You'll need to plan to pay for a course, and you'll have start-up costs as well. Landlords generally want a month's rent up front, and another month's rent as security. You may have to pay an agent's fee of up to another month's rent. Schools generally pay monthly, at the END of the month worked - and you should ALWAYS have access to enough money to buy a plane ticket home if something goes wrong.

Good luck - it sounds tough, I know, but it's actually do-able. Many do - and are glad they did!

[SueH]

[missdanielle]

[spiral78]

Yes, it's true that without specific English language training, you'd be considered under-qualified for most newbie level jobs in Europe.

English lit doesn't translate into language teaching skills....

[Nmarie]

[missdanielle]

[spiral78]

Yes, if you can get lucky enough to land an international school job - they are great, and you do have the right quals. You've also got lots of serious competition, especially these days...but it's certainly worth pursuing as much as you can.

[Green Acres]

Can anyone suggest countries, other than Eastern Europe and Spain, to teach in if one does not have an EU passport? This would be greatly helpful. Thanks

[spiral78]

Non EU member countries? Google EU for a complete list...

Croatia would be an option, for example, though the job market is quite small.
Germany is apparently possible as regards legal working papers for English teachers who are not from the EU, but economically it's very tough...you might want to read through the Germany forum.
Czech Rep, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Latvia are all legal options so far as I know - are you opposed to Central Europe?

Belgium USED to allow US citizens to file for legal paperwork, as did Luxembourg - but I don't know if this is still the case. Again, you could check their Washington, DC Embassy websites for current info. Neither country offers lots of work, and it's generally poorly paid, but used to be a legal option.

[Glenlivet]

[spiral78]

My Czech spouse and friends would beg to differ - they'd usually prefer to draw the distiction between their countries and the geographical East as it was the source of the political distinction... which they're happier to distance themselves and their country from.

I think you're still in Poland - I'd be curious what Poles think of the Central/Eastern distinction.

[Mike_2007]

I think you're confusing the term 'Eastern Europe' with 'Eastern Bloc'.

[Glenlivet]

[Glenlivet]