Job Discussion Forums

[expatben]

I was reading a topic in the China off topic forum and this sort of came up so I am asking-if you left ESL and were applying for a job "back home" would you include your experiences in teaching ESL?

I guess for me it all depends. I have had limited experiences of working 1 month stints around the world. It may make me seem flakey. On the otherhand do people associate ESL with flakeyness anyways?
I dunno I don't want to offend, I just thought it would make for an interesting discussion.

[denise]

If you spend a year or two teaching, you`re probably better off including it. Otherwise, you�ll have a big ol�gap in your work history that might draw questions.

And what is there to be ashamed of?!?!?

d

[Mark Loyd]

There is plenty to be ashamed of.

More than 2 years in TEFL and employers do not want to know. They see TEFL as backpacking and it carries with it no marketable skills or experience.

Get out if you can

[SandyMcIvor]

You should only be ashamed if you are a lowlife loser running away from reality.

Those who view, and treat, teaching as a profession should put it on their resume and show prospective employers how their experience has given them the skills to rise in the profession.

If you are not interested in improving your teaching skills, get out now and save the rest of us the embarrassment of guilt by association.

[PAULH]

[Justin Trullinger]

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

[comenius]

I taught full time for five years until 1998 until going over to "the dark side" and working for corporate America in a more traditional job. I put my ESL experience on my resume with pride, and I really think it differentiates me in a positive way. I'm now fairly senior in the company, and everyone knows my background. I still correct people from time to time when they use the language incorrectly--even if they're native speakers!

Anyhow, my point is that my years as an ESL teacher were a wonderful period of my life, and in no way do I feel bad about letting other people know about it, especially potential employers. How many other folks applying for jobs can successfully claim to have adapted to a wide variety of cultural climates and working conditions, and thrived? It's a definite plus, in my opinion.

[Spinoza]

Eventually, I'd like to get Qualified Teacher Status in my native country and teach English in secondary schools. I think a couple of years teaching in Korean public middle/high schools would be a very relevant and appropriate thing to include on a resume and this would form the basis of my application.

No disrespect, but I find it rather a silly and pointless question. If EFL is relevant to your applications, include it. If you don't want to because you're ashamed of the appalling places you've worked in, don't bother. But if you think ordinary Joe Bloggs who's interviewing you for what ever pursuit goes round thinking "ah, ESL - it's not very good is it? I'd better not employ him" then you're living on a different planet. Joe Bloggs doesn't give a rats about ESl conditions and in my opinion you'd be doing yourself a disservice by not mentioning it. I find that people who say things like "ESL experience is worthless" have simply failed to articulate themselves sufficiently in an interview and sell themselves. They then apply this to everyone else and rubbish the industry as a whole.

[Guy Courchesne]

Not sure what it's like in the US, but back in Canada, being unilingual can be a serious drawback. Independent of field or background, experience with other languages is nothing but a plus. Maybe not if you're planning to climb the 7/11 career ladder to stardom, but anything international, government or otherwise, and you have a leg up.

I am assuming that people who do TEFL do take some time to learn the local language?

[Ms. Atondo]

I found the following when looking for a job after returning from teaching for more than 1 year. If I put "Teacher"first , then what school, then English I got a more favorable reply than "English Teacher". I think there is a certain view of English teachers being backpackers (to the extent that one employer asked me how I enjoyed my vacation). And, as Guy mentioned, the bilinualism definately helped. I think it all depends on how you describe what you have been doing.

[Cdaniels]

I would guess that in many areas of employment in the US, (maybe with the exception of education) HR does not even realize one can earn a salary teaching overseas at all! I don't think they would be dismissive as much as puzzled or curious. Is it different in other countries? I guess no reputation is better than a bad one.

[GambateBingBangBOOM]