|
Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
barr43
Joined: 05 Jun 2003
Posts: 11
Location: Qatar
|
 Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2004 7:49 pm Post subject: Well qualified, but no job offers. |
 |
|
I am a Canadian citizen, and a certified teacher, with a BA(Ed.) in Education (Primary, alas. I'm male which appears to be a major problem in Canada), a BA in Sociology (both degrees from Canada), an MA in Linguistics(TESOL) and a CTEFLA (both from the UK), and 16 years of ESL/EFL experience. I even program for the net (ActionScript, HTML, DHTML, ASP, FLASH, Dreamweaver, etc.). Returning home to Canada after 15 years teaching ESL/EFL abroad, 5 at the university level. What, if anything, can I do in Canada (besides teach) with these qualifications? I have looked on the net, but have found nothing. Even with college ESL teaching jobs, all I get are replies such as "We are looking for someone with more Canadian experience."
I'm even considering retraining in ...........
What do you siggest?
Regards,
Last edited by barr43 on Thu Sep 23, 2004 11:10 am; edited 2 times in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
|
| Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2004 2:13 am Post subject: |
|
|
| barr43 wrote: |
| I am a Canadian citizen, and a certified teacher, with a BA(Ed.) in Education (Primary, alas. I'm male which appears to be a major problem in Canada), |
ESL teaching in Canada isn't all that different, gender wise, at least not in Ontario. But it's a chicken/egg thing. Most of the people in university TESL certificate courses and MAs are women, so the market is mostly women. But that doesn't mean that the men who are in it are actually getting hired.
| barr43 wrote: |
| a BA in Sociology (both degrees from Canada), an MA in Linguistics(TESOL) and a CTEFLA (both from the UK), and 16 years of ESL/EFL experience. I even program for the net (ActionScript, HTML, DHTML, ASP, FLASH, Dreamweaver, etc.). Returning home to Canada after 15 years teaching ESL/EFL abroad, 5 at the university level. What, if anything, can I do in Canada (besides teach) with these qualifications. |
Most of the things you mentioned are specifically for teaching, so besides teaching, I don't really know. You might be able to get into textbook publishing, but it might require doing a year of publishing courses. You could try writing textbooks, too, but if no publishers buy them...?
| barr43 wrote: |
I have looked on the net, but have found nothing. Even with college ESL teaching jobs, all I get are replies such as "We are looking for someone with more Canadian experience."
I'm even considering retraining in ...........
|
You can get more Canadian experience by working at a private language school for a while, or setting up your own.
I think you have more experience and qualifications than a lot of the people on this board, so maybe going to a career councellor might be the best move. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
barr43
Joined: 05 Jun 2003
Posts: 11
Location: Qatar
|
| Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2004 8:45 am Post subject: |
|
|
I didn't mean to imply that ESL in Canada was gender biased. That note was in reference to my BA(Ed.) degree (teaching in the public school system, not ESL).
Still, thanks for your help. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Norman Bethune
Joined: 19 Apr 2004
Posts: 731
|
| Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2004 6:03 pm Post subject: Re: Well qualified, but no job offers. |
|
|
| barr43 wrote: |
| I am a Canadian citizen, and a certified teacher, with a BA(Ed.) in Education (Primary, alas. I'm male which appears to be a major problem in Canada), a BA in Sociology (both degrees from Canada), an MA in Linguistics(TESOL) and a CTEFLA (both from the UK), and 16 years of ESL/EFL experience. I even program for the net (ActionScript, HTML, DHTML, ASP, FLASH, Dreamweaver, etc.). Returning home to Canada after 15 years teaching ESL/EFL abroad, 5 at the university level. What, if anything, can I do in Canada (besides teach) with these qualifications? I have looked on the net, but have found nothing. Even with college ESL teaching jobs, all I get are replies such as "We are looking for someone with more Canadian experience. |
You can do a lot more than just teach.
My advice....
If you live in Newfoundland, as your profile indicates, leave there ASAP.
Head to Ontario...Ottawa or Toronto.
Where did you teach abroad? That experience may be an asset with companies which do business in those countries. If you were in China before, approach any company you know has offices there. If it was Saudi Arabia approach the Oil companies. You get the gist.
Sell yourself as an intercultural specialist...play up your sociology degree and understanding of that subject as it pertains to the global marketplace. The option exists to be a corporate trainer of sorts, whether teaching computer software programs or in workplace communication strategies.
Get contracts as a consultant with different companies who can't afford a full timer.
Don't limit your search to the net. The jobs you want don't make it onto the net.
If employers are pulling out the Canadian Experience crap, it means that you are not aiming high enough in your job search. Local community Colleges in Canada cater to the immigrant and Refugee market and use LINC as a model. It is quite different than teaching EFL and Celta related courses. Focus on Universities with a high number of Foreign fee paying students from the countries you taught in if you really want to teach. Universities don't follow LINC.
You may have to sell yourself hard, but I think if you are creative, you will find something that will be fulfilling and make you some good cash.
Network network network.
Consider Not for Profit groups active in the region where you once worked. Maybe the pay is low for administrative jobs, but your experience offshore would be valued...and you would gain experience working on Canadian Soil again to appease those idiots who value it so highly. Frankly, I think the term "Canadian experience" is used by employers to cover their racism when used against new immigrants, or
just code when used against whites for "We don't believe you actually worked overseas, you were in prison right?"
Get letters of References from your employers overseas, and send them out with your resume. I know, most people write on their resume "available upon request", you have to send them...just make sure they are glowing and easily verifiable by the employer.
good luck |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
|
| Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2004 3:13 am Post subject: |
|
|
| barr43 wrote: |
| I didn't mean to imply that ESL in Canada was gender biased. |
I did. At least it seems to be in some areas. Again, chincken/egg thing.
| Norman Bethune wrote: |
If you live in Newfoundland, as your profile indicates, leave there ASAP.
Head to Ontario...Ottawa or Toronto. |
Especially Toronto, there doesn't seem to be much at all in Ottawa other than teaching English and French to government employees, but it seems to be mostly French to Anglo-government employees because most of the French people in the downtown area of Ottawa speak perfect (or at least very, very good) English. There may be some work in Orleans, but it's a French area (and they want to keep it that way), the demand for English is pretty low.
Vancouver and Toronto are the places to be for teaching ESL (and a lot of other things, add Montreal too).
| Norman Bethune wrote: |
| The jobs you want don't make it onto the net. |
No, they don't. They get filled by friends, or friends of friends and for the university/college route, often positions are filled by someone graduating from the Ma programme or TESL certificate programme (if they already have an MA in another discipline) of the university hiring, provided that that university actually has an MA in Applied Linguistics. Other than that a lot of positions are filled from the nearest university that has one.
| Norman Bethune wrote: |
| Network network network. |
Yeah, you too need to be friends or a friend of a friend in order to get a job (but then, so does everybody else).
| Norman Bethune wrote: |
"We don't believe you actually worked overseas, you were in prison right?"
|
 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
barr43
Joined: 05 Jun 2003
Posts: 11
Location: Qatar
|
| Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2004 10:57 am Post subject: |
|
|
Norman Bethune wrote:
"We don't believe you actually worked overseas, you were in prison right?"
No, I wasn't in prison
GambateBingBangBOOM wrote:
I did.
Oh dear. So much for equality and all that.
GambateBingBangBOOM wrote:
Vancouver and Toronto are the places to be for teaching ESL (and a lot of other things, add Montreal too).
Such as? Teaching ESL downtown Toronto will make me what, $10 - $ 15 per hour part-time? How much do cardboard boxes rent for these days?
GambateBingBangBOOM wrote:
chicken/egg thing
Don't know much about chickens or eggs, but do know a lot about ESL/EFL and middle-management paranoia. Seems to be rife in Canada as abroad.
Norman Bethune wrote:
Where did you teach abroad?
I've taught in Japan, S. Korea, the Middle East, Thailand and Canada. Also developed an ESL website in Cyprus.
Norman Bethune wrote:
Frankly, I think the term "Canadian experience" is used by employers to cover their racism when used against new immigrants
Agreed.
Norman Bethune wrote:
Get letters of References from your employers overseas, and send them out with your resume.
I have and I do.
GambateBingBangBOOM wrote:
Yeah, you too need to be friends or a friend of a friend in order to get a job
Yes, sad but true.
It seems that the only way to get a decent job in Canada is to change markets, or if in the ESL market, to change sex. I prefer the former. I think the latter is a bit drammatic just yet
Norman Bethune wrote:
Sell yourself as an intercultural specialist
This sounds like the best suggestion yet. I will give it a try and see what happens. If nothing, there is always retraining, I suppose. Either that or go to France for a year and brush up on my dilapidated French. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Gnome
Joined: 05 May 2004
Posts: 74
|
| Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2004 4:40 am Post subject: |
|
|
barr,
Don't underestimate the power of your BEd in Primary Education. Perhaps on The Rock you are looked upon with suspicion because you are a male, but in Ontario a male primary teacher is much sought after. If you can put up with the odd questions from parents and co-workers, you can get a position teaching Primary ... I did. I taught Phys Ed and Music to K-3. My 2 brothers and I are all trained Elementary teachers. I switched to Adult Ed several years back, but my 2 brothers have been teaching Elementary for over 20 years. The Dufferin-Peel Public board hired over 700 new teachers this year, and many were TESL teachers. If you can teach Primary French, so much the better. At that level, it isn't very challenging. And, the kids are great. Still fresh and unjaded.
With your advanced degrees, you could also teach at the College and Unversity levels. It would be contract work, but it pays from $40-80 per hour, in my experience. Get off The Rock! |
|
| Back to top |
| |
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
