Job Discussion Forums

[madhatter109]

Hello,
I finished a year contract in Korea and have been working at my new school for almost 3 months. It's a vocational school for adults in the USA. I'm planning on staying here for at least another 9 months to put a solid entry into my resume.

I do not have a CELTA or education-related degree. What do you think my best options are? I've thought about saving up some cash and getting the CELTA. I heard some people on here mentioning that there are online equivalents which are viewed just as highly? Is this true?

I'm thinking about working in Eastern Europe or the Middle East. Anywhere that I can make a decent salary. I don't have any desire to go back to Korea. What do you suggest?

[USAMATHMAN]

It will be very difficult to land a good job in Middle East without a CELTA or English related degree.

Most of the university positions in UAE require MA +3 years of teaching experience. In Saudi a CELTA and 2 years of teaching experience could land you a decent job.

There are lots of great posters on the UAE/Saudi board who can help you once you get the CELTA. Take a look at those two forums. Lots of good information on schools, qualifications, etc.

You could also try finding in China, Thailand, or Philippines.

Hope this helps!!!

[spiral78]

I'm thinking about working in Eastern Europe or the Middle East. Anywhere that I can make a decent salary.

Salaries in Eastern Europe are subsistence level. Go only if it's for the experience - saving money, living lavishly, or paying off debt back home isn't really possible.
Basically, at the newbie level, you can probably plan to eat out some, enjoy cultural events, travel in-country at weekends - but NOT to buy anything big (a bike is a major purchase, and a pair of jeans may require some planning). You can also expect start-up costs in Eastern Europe - employers mostly don't pay for travel to the country, and you can plan to pay for a couple of month's rent up front, before receiving a paycheck. Also, jobs aren't usually found from abroad - you normally have to be in-country to find something reasonable.

[spiral78]

CELTA. I heard some people on here mentioning that there are online equivalents which are viewed just as highly? Is this true?


Second point: No. Online courses don't offer supervised teaching practice with actual students - and are NOT considered equivalent to a CELTA for this reason.