Job Discussion Forums

[RoadAbTeach]

Hello everyone:

This is my first post on the forum. Maybe someone that finds themselves in a similar situation as I am in currently can help me or offer some advice. My circumstances are as follows: I entered grad school three years ago with the intention of staying in the United States and teaching English composition/literature at a community college; at that time, I had no intention of going abroad and, therefore, took an MA in English (rather than a TESOL), and, afterwards, went ahead and took an MFA in Creative Writing.

I realize now (for some reason), that I would like to teach English abroad (Europe specifically) instead; however, I don't know--given my qualifications--that I can do this without having to take additional certificates or the MA in TESOL. I don't want to spend 2000-3000 on a CELTA when it may be superfluous (and the money I already spent on grad school is another burden to this); therefore my question is (specifically for Europe), do I absolutely need a CELTA with my qualifications or will the majority of employers overlook the fact that my grad training is in literature/composition rather than TESOL? Sorry for the long post.

[nomad soul]

Do you have any teaching experience in ESL or in writing?

And... Do you hold a passport from an EU member country? If not, you'll be limited as to where you can teach. Also, salaries in Europe, in general, are mediocre.

Spiral and others can give specifics about qualifications.

[RoadAbTeach]

[spiral78]

So, you are a US citizen with an MA in English and an MFA in creative writing? And you've taught creative writing (to whom)?

Your passport is a more serious issue than your (lack of relevant) qualifications. It's not more/less of an issue depending on country - either you can or can't get legal working permits. Essentially, except for a few study-programs, you can write off western and northern Europe. Central/Eastern Europe is feasible. Scandinavia's not a viable option, either. Think Czech Republic, Poland, and points east.

You don't actually have any relevant quals. Knowledge of English is not really considered evidence of your ability to communicate what you know effectively to non-native speakers. Many European natives have MAs in general, meaning that simply having an MA doesn't wow anyone much.

Given good timing (more on that shortly), you could probably find an entry-level job in the region, but the CELTA would definitely improve your chances of finding something that will sustain you enough to hang on until you have developed the local reputation, language skills, and connections it takes to find one of the relatively fewer 'better' jobs.

The main hiring season is September/early October, and it's fairly rare to find anything from abroad. Come over at the end of August, and use your 90 days of tourist status to interview in person. You're likely to find something - again, the quality in terms of livable salary (and finding a single school to give you a full-time contract rather than piecing together several to make ends meet, not to mention helping you with the work visa process) may depend on you relevant quals. CELTA in August would give you a good leg-up. The course providers can also hook you up with good schools in the region.

As you can see, there are pretty significant start-up costs here. You should count on supporting yourself for at least Aug/Sept/Oct as employers typically pay monthly at the end of the month worked: your first full paycheck, optimistically, at the end Oct/first Nov. Landlords and rental agents often want as much as three month's rent up front from foreigners (many have been burned over the years).

All that said, it's do-able if you are really committed. There are obviously many upsides as well - it's an amazing region to live in and while you won't be rolling in the dough, there are tons of things to see and do on a tight budget. Quality of living is high overall. While most EFL teachers come and go on an annual or semi-annual basis, there are those of us who've made it work long-term, and I've rarely heard the regrets that seem to abound on the Asia forums.

[nomad soul]

[RoadAbTeach]

[RoadAbTeach]

[nomad soul]

In the meantime, check out the country-specific Europe forums.