of ‘experience’! Employers do notice; especially experience with young children such as summer camp work, or after school camps (even if it isn’t in “English.”)
Many jobs require 2, 3, 4 or 5 years of experience. This will initially limit your options starting out, so don’t expect to walk into a University classroom overnight. The best jobs also require specific types of experience in EAP, ESP, or with speakers from different linguistic or cultural backgrounds. Don’t let this dissuade you from applying, but remember there’s lots of well qualified applicants out there that have been at this a long time; and if you are new, a lot longer than you.
Resist the temptation to fabricate your resume or experience. This may get you in the door, but it will make for a miserable experience for both you and your employer. Be honest with yourself! If you need to start at the bottom and at a less than desirable job, that’s okay, because you’re going to be building the skills that you need to get to the next level. It’s always better to walk before you can run, as the adage goes. You will always remember where you started, and appreciate each job that you get that is a little bit better.
Again, if you have absolutely no experience then you should try to think of other experience which makes you a well-qualified teacher. Were you a summer camp counselor who dealt with international students? Did you tutor an exchange student in High School or College? Teach at a literacy camp? These may not be “professional qualifications”- but if you are starting from the ground up, they are better than nothing!
Thinking about this beforehand will help you when you write up a resume, and cover letter. It also will prepare you mentally for potential interviews after you get started applying!
Goals
Thinking about your personal and professional goals is probably one of the most important steps in deciding who to teach, and where to teach. There is an amazing diversity of assignments available to you based on your tastes and preferences. At this stage, it’s important to be realistic about your goals and priorities at this stage in your life. Also consider the basic accommodations that you need to be comfortable. It’s a great idea to be as realistic and honest with yourself as possible; don’t delude yourself in thinking you can “make it” in a situation which your gut or mind revolts at. For example, don’t even consider working in the Middle East if you really hate the heat and are uncomfortable about Muslims. It’s good to challenge yourself to expand your horizons- but start small and take small steps!
The basic things that you should consider are-
1. Lifestyle
2. Personal Taste
3. Financial Needs
4. Professional Goals
5. Personality and Psychology
6. Opportunity
In this section, we will look at each of these in turn.
Lifestyle
This is perhaps one of the more complicated questions to answer on the list. The question of “lifestyle” is complicated because it deals with “ideals” which are often quite different from reality. However, having a set of ideals as a baseline will greatly improve your chances of finding a job you really like. Start by asking yourself these questions, and recording the answers.
1. How many hours am I willing to work in a week?
2. Do I prefer working mornings, days, or evenings? Am I OK with split shifts?
3. What days of the week am I comfortable working?
4. What sorts of locations are unacceptable to me?
5. What is my ideal work location?
6. Who do I want to teach?
7. Do I need to live around other foreigners?
8. Do I need to live in the city, or am I comfortable in a rural location?
Don’t expect to set out and find an ideal job which matches all of these criteria. Think of these as your values; some compromise should be expected, but too much compromise probably means that you will end up severely disliking a job once it has started. Also, keep these questions in mind as you move through your career, the answers may change. That’s okay!
Changing Priorities
When I first got into teaching, I didn’t have a whole lot of priorities. I wanted weekends, and about 8 hour work days. My idea of a good job was shaped more around what I thought a good job was- which was mostly the standard idea of “a weekend, vacations, decent pay.” During my first two years, I realized that these were not the only things I cared about. I cared about having a “weekend” and having one of my friends abroad became increasingly important. I thought it was very important to live in a city where I had access to at least some ‘Western’ food (You would be surprised at the amount of McDonalds, Starbucks and Costcos in some parts of the world where you would not expect them.)
A year and a half later, after completing graduate school, my priorities had totally changed again. I wanted to work only 40 hours a week. Money was less important to me as I had made some savings. I absolutely detested teaching in the evening (at this time I was teaching from mid-morning to 11 o’clock or later some nights.) My passion for teaching children had changed and I wanted to teach adults, or at least University students. Luckily, a great position opened up on the beach in Mexico. A comfortable, 40 hours a week complete with ‘siestas’ and ocean views. Sometimes, changing values motivate you to change your situation.
Personal Preferences and Idiosyncrasies
The next thing to consider after the basic questions we discussed above are things I like to term “personal idiosyncrasies”. Some people call them “pet peeves” or “affectations”, but I find these terms only address the negative. I find it helps to separate these into “wants” and “repulsions”. Everyone has them (if you don’t, you just haven’t found them yet!) Think about the things that really bother you.
Here is my list, compiled through years of experience.
Wants
Repulsions
Fresh Food
Noodle slurping
Fast Internet
Coughing and sneezing without covering mouth and nose
High Water Pressure
Wet Bathrooms and Bathroom Stalls
“Clean” Electricity that doesn’t damage electronics
Excessive Staring
Friendly People
Excessive Fried Food
Toilet Paper
Dried Fish and Squid Products
You can probably tell that this list has evolved over the past years through all the locations I have lived. There are some
