Prices start at $20 USD per year.
Index
● Looking for jobs? Go to The LA Job List.
● Want information about teaching in Peru? Go to A Country Guide to TEFLing in Peru.
The Age Issue: Too Young
Updated 13 November 2009
For the majority of paying teaching positions out there, you will have to be at least 18 for visa reasons. While age is not usually the deciding factor, your education and experience is. Read what more people have to say in this thread. Chances are if you are only 18, you probably haven’t finished your BA and don’t have teaching experience. Since you probably don't have much, or any, teaching experience, expect your pay to be on the low end of the pay scale.
Your lack of BA is probably the biggest challenge you will have to overcome. More and more countries, China for one, are requiring a BA for you to get a work visa. Of course, there are usually ways around this, but that often comes with years of experience, which a young person simply doesn’t have. If you're looking for jobs, you can find links in the Job Sites article.
So if you don’t have a BA (usually three or four years, depending on the country) you’ll have to look at countries that don’t require a BA. And don’t even think about trying to use fake degrees. Before your employer even gets to see your degree, you’ll probably have to get it legalised or Apostillised by the country where you got it, then take it to the embassy of the country you want to go to, then send it off to the country where you’ll be teaching where if will be further scrunitised. Consequences for getting caught trying to pass a fake degree can range from a simple warning to being banned from that country. If you don't have a degree, try taking a TEFL course, which will help you learn the basics about teaching.
Another thing to keep in mind is where you can teach. The EU is getting harder and harder for non-EU citizens to legally work in. Newer EU countries are easier to get into than the older one. See What's The Best Country to Teach In for more information.
Once you’ve narrowed down your choices on where you want to go, you’ll have to sell yourself to employers. You need to convince them that your age is a positive factor, rather than a hindrance. Make sure you can teach a couple of good lesson plans if asked, at a demo lesson. The first thing to bear in mind is to tell the truth. Lying will get you nowhere. Employers often see hundreds of CV and are quick to spot lies. Lying will get your CV chucked straight into the bin. Examples of how to write a teaching CV can be found here.
Basic advice is to talk about how you will help the institute and what you can contribute. In addition, make your age work for you. Since you’re young, you’re more likely to be able to adapt to a new environment, whether it be a new country, a new job, or a new career. Tell them that you are quick and eager to learn. Don’t forget that attitude counts a lot. Stress that you are positive and confident. No one wants to work with someone who’s complaining all the time.
Flexibility is also another key element. Classes get cancelled, visa problems come up, salaries may be delayed, dates are put off, books don’t arrive, housing issues arise. Time and your word have different meanings in different cultures, if someone says tomorrow, it may mean tomorrow or it may mean next month. Keeping a flexible mind and being patient will make your life much easier. Along with attitude goes maturity.
You need to be emotionally mature enough to work in a completely different culture. You can have all the degrees in the world, but if you can’t put up with the challenges of living in a foreign country, than your degrees won’t help you at all. Team work is key in any work environment and this is especially true in the TEFL world. Not only will you have to work well with others at work, but you will most likely socialise with them outside of work. Give examples of how you have worked together on a team and stress how important this is to you.
If you lack work experience, don’t forget to mention any volunteer, group, sports, or club involvement you have had. Education is also important, talk about specific courses that you took, such as English Literature. With the push towards EAP (English for Academic Purposes) courses such as Business, Accounting, or Law may also help you get your dream job. If you took a TEFL training course, you should mention this and the experience you gained, such as the ages and levels. Don’t forget to mention your ability to organise, lesson plan and manage your class. Remember to include other details, such as foreign languages spoken, driver’s license, work permits (especially useful for the EU), and when you can start.
Just remember that you can make your age work for you. With a lot of persistence and a little luck, soon you’ll be on your way to teaching overseas. And always ask for a written reference when you leave a job, no matter if it's paid or a volunteer position. Have your employer write when you work, job title, levels worked with, and what your responsibilities were. It should be printed on school letterhead and carry your employer's stamp (if they have one), their signature, their name, job title, school address, phone, and email. Try to get two copies of this.
Prevent Piracy
A lot of time and effort has gone into writing TEFL Tips. Please acknowledge this effort and do not reproduce any material on this site in any way shape or form without prior permission.
All posts and all purchased or public documents by Sharon K. Couzens de Hinojosa are copyrighted in compliance with international law.
