- Step One: Identify Your Teaching Destination
- The course coach conducts an insightful process designed to help our students better understand their key overseas teaching needs. By the end of this process most
students know which countries they would like to teach in.
You can get started with this process right now by considering some of the following: Do you want to save money? Do you want to learn a certain language? Do you want to immerse yourself in the local culture or explore tropical islands? What type of climate do you prefer? Some points to consider when choosing your destination include the requirements for obtaining a work visa, the salary, the cost of living, and the cost of airfare. Do you prefer to live in a city or in a small town? What are the working conditions and hours? What health requirements will you need?
- Step Two: What Type of School?
- There are many different types of ESL schools each with their pros and cons. Considering these differences can help in selecting which types of schools will be right for you.
- Step Three: Job Search Strategies
- So how do you actually go about finding a job overseas? There are several ESL job search strategies that we recommend to find open ESL teaching positions.
- Step Four: Resume and Cover Letter
- Resume and cover letter writing is covered in the LCC TESOL/TEFL course.
- Step Five: Telephone Interview
- By the time you hear back from the schools that you have applied to, you will be prepared to effectively answer important interview questions.
The phone interview is where you prove that you possess the qualities the school director is looking for. We show you how to concisely answer questions by addressing the concerns he or she might have as to whether you are the right person for the job.
- Step Six: Is the school reputable?
- While the vast majority of ESL language schools are reputable, inevitably there are sleazy employers out there. So how can disreputable schools be avoided?
- Step Seven: Contract Advice:
- Once you receive a contract, examine it carefully. The contract negotiations can be tricky, and it is a good idea to call our Teacher Placement Center so we may guide you through the process.
- The trick is to know what “red flags” to look for in a contract, what you can negotiate and on what basis you can do it. There are a few items in an ESL employment contract that are worth reviewing.
- Step Eight: Getting a Visa
- No worries here! In nearly all cases your new employer will organize your work visa for you. It doesn't do any harm to contact the embassy to find out more about the application process, health care and vaccinations.
- If you have agreed with your employer to start work in the near future he or she might ask you to fly to that country on a visitor visa initially which the school will convert to a work visa once you are there. In most cases its perfectly legal to work for your employer while your work visa is being processed.
- Through international agreements, it’s possible for American citizens to fly to many countries and get a “landing visa” at the port of entry. Although this type of visa usually permits you to stay from 30-60 days, it’s often not readily convertible into a work visa. In this case you would have to temporarily leave the country you are working in to get a visitor visa issued by that country’s embassy elsewhere.
- Consequently, you are far better off getting at least a visitor issued by the embassy in the United States before leaving for overseas. This type of visa is usually issued within 24 hours.
- Step Nine: Pre-departure Check List
- There are many things to consider before leaving to being working overseas.
- Step Ten: Tutoring
- Private tutoring as solid means of supplementing your income. Whether you want to save money or pay off your student loans, tutoring is a fantastic way of making a substantial amount of additional money. You can expect to make $17-85 USD per hour by private tutoring. It is not uncommon for ESL teachers to double their income or more a year.
How to pick up tutoring clients? If you are looking to tutor children or young adults one of the best ways is through word of mouth. Often teachers who are leaving the country will pass on their tutoring students to newly arrived teachers. Just by meeting people in the community you are living in you will soon find that they will be asking you to tutor their kids, cousin or friends.
When it comes to picking up business English clients, our TESOL course trains students how to take a proactive approach. Many owners of small/medium sized businesses today realize the importance of improving the communication skills of their staff. We point out that you only need one or two such businesses as clients to give you more than enough work. During the LCC TESOL course we explain how to identify, approach the decision makers and secure potentially lucrative tutoring deals.
There has never been a better time to get a teaching job overseas. The ESL job market is booming with new language schools opening every year.
Our TESOL graduates receive a lifetime of assistance. Expert advice from our Job Placement Center is only a phone call away 1-800-868-1452.
Click here to register on one of our upcoming courses.