Articles for Teachers
Ok, so you'e on your way to becoming an ESL teacher! You've just completed your TESOL/TEFL course and are keen to start teaching. One thing lies in your way: finding an ESL job.
In this article we will discuss three main areas related to landing that perfect job! We will look at defining what you want out of your new ESL job, what to do to stand out from all the other ESL teachers applying to same the job as you and some useful hints and tips when it comes time for the telephone interview!
Before you even start your ESL job search you need to define, for yourself, what you are looking for. You can't find what you aren't looking for! Spend a couple of minutes answering these questions:
* Where do you want to teach? Which country, which area?
* Who do you want to teach? Do you want to teach children or adults or both? There are many ESL jobs that cater to teaching adults or children as well as a mix.
* How many hours do you want to work? Be realistic here; don't write down five hours a week because you will be hard pressed to find it. A common contract usually stipulates around 20-25 teaching hours a week.
* How much is your new ESL job going to pay you? This really depends on the area you are intending to go. Select your area and look around at a few different offers to get a feel for what the pay is like.
* How long are you going for? Generally, recruiters look for a one year commitment. You will usually get your return airfare paid for as well travel insurance (if they require you to purchase that in advance). For anything less than a year, expect that your bonuses will be reduced proportionally.
* What other inclusions do you expect from your new ESL job? Think about things like accommodation, utilities, furnishings in your new home and meal allowances etc.
Ok. So you now have a description of your perfect ESL job. You have been looking on a few ESL job websites (www.simplyesl.com, www.eslcafe.com, www.eslbase.com) and you have found an ESL job that you think is perfect for you. Chances are some other people have also come across the same job. In this section we'll talk about what to do to make your application stand above all others. We'll take a look at answering the recruiter's questions and defining yourself as a great ESL teacher.
Firstly, I want you to go back to the ESL job ad and make a list of everything that they are looking for. Done that? Good. We want to make sure that we not only answer those questions clearly but let them know that we can do a lot more! If they can easily see that you fulfill all their requirements then you are one step closer to getting that telephone interview, if not then you better start looking for another job.
While your prospective employer is reading your application they are (whether consciously or subconsciously) creating an image and a personality for you. You want to help shape the opinion in your favour. We can do this by listing your attributes (no, this doesn't mean listing your height, weight, hair colour etc), i.e. listing the things that make you a good ESL teacher. You may consider something like this (again look at what the school is looking for and play it to your advantage): I am:
* Dependable
* Energetic
* Patient
The list goes on. However, just because you can see the benefit of one of your attributes, it doesn't mean that your employer can. When applying for your ESL job you need to tell them WHY your attributes make you the ideal candidate. For example, you could say something like this:
I feel that motivation plays a big part in the learning process, with my energetic personality, I help to get students excited and interested in learning.
Here, I identified a potential problem in the ESL classroom and then solved it by using one of my personality traits. This tells the employer that if they want their students excited and motivated to learn, they better let me have that ESL job! Don't over do this! You don't want to come off as boastful and so you should only include one or two of these problem solvers. Your resume should be short and sweet, while still filling all the requirements that the employer asked for.
Now your application should answer ALL the requirements that the employer has asked for as well tell them why they MUST hire you! Now you're one step closer to landing your ideal ESL job!
In the next section we'll take a quick look at your telephone interview.
Congratulations! You have applied to your perfect ESL job and they have asked you for a telephone interview. This is usually a time where your employer will ask you a few questions about what you would do in classroom situations. Interviews vary from recruiter to recruiter, so we've decided to include a few general tips about telephone interviews.
* Speak clearly - If they don't think you can speak clearly, they won't hire you for an ESL speaking job.
* Answer the question you were asked!
* If possible, be at a computer with internet access, just in case they ask you something that you may stumble on, you can quickly Google it.
* If they gave you any materials prior to the interview, such as hypothetical questions or pre-interview questions etc, please make sure you have them on hand during the interview! They may be looking to see how you will use the materials they have given you.
* Thank them for their time and the opportunity.
You've done all that you can. I wish you all the success in your new ESL job!