Job Discussion Forums

[ttiballi]

Hi all,

I am looking to do a CELTA course in Europe and secure work afterwards. My timeline is August/September, with hopes of getting a job this Autumn.

First, a little background. I am an American citizen, and am in the process of obtaining Italian/EU citizenship via ancestry, but my meeting with the Italian Consulate is not until February 2014. If successful, I wouldn't get full blown dual citizenship until sometime next spring. I have an MSc in an unrelated field (Archives/Museums/Libraries) from the University of Glasgow. I have 1.5 years experience working as a TOEFL tutor in the US and UK, and teaching ESL at the Immigration Services Center in Philadelphia.

My questions are these:

1) Am I correct in assuming that the best way to find a job in Europe is by doing a CELTA course in the country where I would like to work, and applying for jobs during/after the course? If so, does anyone know of any particularly well-connected schools, where placement rates are favorable?

2) As I will not have EU citizenship until next Spring at the earliest, I run the risk of a gap between the end of my 90 days and the time when my Italian passport is issued. I understand that there are some places where this can go more smoothly than others. Does anyone know which countries/areas might be the most lenient in a situation like this? Alternatively, I've heard some places are better than others at finding employers who will offer work visas for employees (Prague?). Which countries are the easiest to go the legal route in, while lacking an EU passport?

3) This is more of a longshot and might be more appropriate in my OTHER Italian genealogy forum, but is there any wisdom on the work restrictions for a US citizen in the process of applying for Italian citizenship via Jure Sanguinis while working in Italy? One plan might be to gather my relevant materials to prove ancestry, take a CELTA course IN Italy, hope to find work (probably illegally) afterwards, and apply for citizenship IN Italy while I am there.

I'm new to all this and have had trouble finding these exact answers elsewhere on the site, so any advice/help/bumps would be warmly received, as we are fastly approaching the timetable to get started on CELTA with hopes of employment this upcoming year.

Thanks!

[Xie Lin]

[emmett grogan]

I'd like to go to the USA and work illegaly. Can you help me?

[spiral78]

I actually think the OP is being pretty realistic and that the plan he/she has laid out is feasible. It makes sense to start out in a country where a US citizen can still get a legal work permit, so Czech Rep, Slovakia, Poland are good choices. As pointed out, Germany is not impossible, but it's difficult.

[Chris Westergaard]

Whatever course you take, make sure that they offer visa and job support. Without these two things, you'll have a very difficult time finding work and getting legal. Some courses offer great services, other courses offer literally nothing. CELTA or Not, check with the school, get a list of recent graduates, find out how many American graduates are actually finding work after the course and check out what the school does to help you with all of this. If the school can't offer you assistance and clear evidence/support in this area, you should ignore them.

CELTA and Trinity, while recognized, are not accredited for Job or Visa assistance. Some TEFL courses offer great post job and visa help, some offer nothing. Check first before signing up!

Cheers,
Chris
The Language House TEFL