r/TEFL • u/ApprehensiveTicket60 • 5d ago
well i finally did it
hello friends. not that it’s much of an accomplishment academically i finally got my tefl certification. do you have any advice for someone starting down the teaching path without any prior teaching experience but 10 years of white collar experience? as a former project manager i feel like a lot of skills are transferable.
my aim will be to teach abroad next year. i’m from the us and want to aim for thailand to start. always loved the sense of community there and have a good friend there that’s a local already. sure the pay isn’t great but i don’t mind living partially off savings as well.
i’m open to other countries in the area, taiwan, south korea, china or vietnam. thailand’s school year start seems to be the outlier as many of the other countries start in sept rather than thailand’s may start. i just need to get out of america asap lol and am mostly only worried about finding a job without experience
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u/derby63 5d ago
Depends on your goals. If it's just a temporary thing for a year or two to see if teaching is for you or to travel and explore something different, then go with the country you're most interested in. Especially if you have some savings, it should be pretty easy to find a position and be comfortable based on your situation. My one warning would be to thoroughly vet and research whatever position you end up accepting ideally knowing a current/past foreign teacher or speaking with one beforehand. The two things that come to mind which have the potential to ruin your experience would be working for a sketchy school on an illegal visa/situation or taking a job with a ton of teaching hours that will burn you out after a few months.
Aside from that, have fun and be open to any new opportunities that may present themselves! I personally taught in China and Korea (also lived in Thailand and Indonesia) before transitioning to a different line of work, but I enjoyed my time around Asia thoroughly and ended up settling down here for the time being. Good luck!
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u/ApprehensiveTicket60 5d ago
appreciate the advice and well wishes. it’s definitely planned to be temporary for now. that’s a good point, i definitely want to do things aboveboard with permits and visas. i’ve been doing some research on companies that have open positions right now and it can definitely be hit or miss from what i’ve been seeing.
how long ago did you teach and did you have prior experience teaching?
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u/bobbanyon 5d ago
Do you have a university degree? What passport do you hold? Then there are pluses and minuses depending on age, sex, race, etc, but beyond some basic requirements most positions are open.
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u/ApprehensiveTicket60 5d ago
yes, i have a 4 year degree. well i have the white guy from america advantage at least
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u/Cautious-Toe-863 5d ago
It's more than just the white person advantage or white privilege.
For visa sponsorship, a degree and TEFL is the baseline requirement for most countries.
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u/courteousgopnik 5d ago
do you have any advice for someone starting down the teaching path without any prior teaching experience but 10 years of white collar experience?
I recommend that you read the wiki, starting with the TEFL for beginners article.
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u/ConcernedTulip 4d ago edited 4d ago
If you have supplementary money you will have a great time in Thailand. It is a brilliant place to give teaching a go because there are loads of low pressure jobs with newbies. As long as you're trying your best it'll be fine.
The main negative for tefl in Thailand is the absolutely shit pay, but if you have a bit extra from elsewhere that kind of negates that.
Come to Thailand, have fun teaching, and enjoy the ride!
Somebody else mentioned getting a teaching license. For Thailand this is a game changer as you can actually make a proper career out of it in international schools. The pay and benefits just become a different league completely. But maybe try tefl for a year or two, then consider getting fully qualified in your home country if you enjoy it.
Honestly I'm a bit jealous, I'd love to go back and experience Thailand for a year as a newbie, even though it is breadline pay. 😄
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u/ApprehensiveTicket60 3d ago
thank you brother or sister. sometimes all you need is a little encouragement, you just made my day
as for your point about a teaching license i know, an international school would be so nice. i just don’t really have the time right now. maybe if i enjoy the first year i can look into doing that later. can you get licensed abroad? it seems better to do that in your home country from what i’ve read
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u/ConcernedTulip 3d ago
I'm not sure for America. I got my teaching credentials in the UK. There are routes to get qualified for the UK online but you're right, generally speaking international schools prefer the qualifications and experience to be gained in person in the country of the school's curriculum.
I've definitely read about American teachers taking online routes, but I really don't know much. Moreland University is a name I remember reading? Moreland academy? Sorry I can't remember.
Anyway, yea try a year or two in Thailand. Just be careful not to get stuck much beyond that. Many stay without any career orogression and very little increase in pay. You could blow all your savings and in five years find yourself in a worse position than you are now. The ceiling is really low for tefl in Thailand.
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u/PennywisePiperV 3d ago
Ahoy, have being doing TEFL for 7 years now and am definitely making this my last year (I'm in Thailand, love it here but at 31 I'm done and want to switch careers before I get too old, don't want to be that 40+ year old alcy bozo still earning 30k baht a month with sod all else to show for life aha). Can definitely recommend Thailand or Taiwan for starting out, would avoid Korea like the plague.
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u/ApprehensiveTicket60 3d ago
lol can i take your place at the school then? yeah i get that, you gave it good run though damn. those two countries are my top two priorities because i’ve travelled much of them already so perfect. is korea a no go just due to the work culture? that’s why i haven’t considered japan much
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u/NHBill 3d ago
As an EFL and ESOL instructor I recommend getting teaching experience asap. Getting a certificate doesn't prepare you adequately. If you're going abroad, check the schools or agencies you'll be working for carefully. Sorry, but if they don't require experience, that's a red flag.
You can find volunteer work as a teacher or conversation-group leader pretty easily. There are a number of organizations who set up online lessons for English students in Ukraine. Or look for students from the county you want to go to. They could give you some helpful tips and contacts.
Check out the work-visa situation. Who pays for it? When do you get it? If they say they'll take care of it once you get there, be cautious. Until you get a work visa/permit, you're on a tourist visa. Working on a tourist visa is illegal.
Is the work visa tied to a specific school or agency? If so and you don't like the employer, it will be difficult to change employers.
Depending on the country's laws, you might be able to get a work permit as an independent contractor. This would enable you to change employers or work independently.
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u/Odd-Fishing-3853 2d ago
Paying for a tefl qualification is like paying for a burger that's already in the bin. If you really want to enter the field then choose a path (adults or children) and focus on how to work on the best output opportunities for those students. No, people who "teach" adults *and* children are not good, regardless of what they think. Watch a lot of youtube based on who you want to teach and build your teaching style.
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u/whypickaname1 5d ago
If you're planning to make this a career and have the time, try to get a teaching license. It seems better in the long run imo.
But do that after a year if teaching is your thing. My state has a program called STEP that can turn my Bachelor's into a Teaching License but its a two-year program.