How to find your first TEFL job abroad

The demand for TEFL teachers is huge, but are you wondering how to find your first TEFL job abroad? Do you need to know where you should look and what you have to prepare? Follow these 4 easy steps and you’ll land your dream TEFL job overseas in no time!

1. 1. Get TEFL qualified

   The most important step is getting TEFL qualified. Almost all employers worldwide require English teachers to have at least a 120-hour TEFL qualification, but the higher your TEFL qualification the more likely you are to find a decent TEFL job. The TEFL Advanced Diploma, for example, would give you the best shot at landing higher paying roles in more competitive TEFL locations.

   Most of our students don’t have any previous teaching experience, so all of our courses are designed to provide you with everything you’ll need to start teaching English for the very first time. And, even better, you can complete them all online! You’ll be able to access study material 24/7 and learn at your own pace, to fit around your existing schedule, making achieving your qualification that much easier!

2. 2. Choose your TEFL destination

   You’ve got your TEFL qualification – yay! The next step is the most exciting one, deciding where you want to teach. A TEFL certificate really is your passport to the world. If you’ve no teaching experience yet, Southeast Asia, South America, and Eastern Europe are great options. But you’ll also be able to find jobs in places like China, Japan and South Korea, where the English language industry is booming!

   Looking to earn big as a TEFL teacher? The most high-income TEFL positions are found in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other countries in the Middle East.

   Another important thing to consider when you’re choosing your TEFL destination is visa requirements. Some countries require teachers to have a degree so it’s important to do your research to make sure you’re eligible. Don’t have a degree? See our post about how to TEFL if you don’t have a degree for more info!

3. 3. Create an amazing CV

   A good CV goes a long way so it’s really worth putting some time into building the best CV possible. If you don’t have any teaching experience, then employers are going to be looking for transferable skills and these are found in all jobs. A TEFL employer will be particularly interested in evidence of good communication skills so make sure to demonstrate those. Pro-tip: always research the employer and tailor your CV to that specific position. Sending one CV to all employers might seem like the easy option but if you tailor your CV, you’re more likely to stand out and land the job! It’s definitely worth the initial effort, trust us!

   Need help putting together your TEFL CV? Visit our ‘Perfect your CV‘ blog post for more info.

4. 4. Apply for TEFL jobs

   There is a HUGE demand for TEFL teachers all over the world so you’ll be able to find loads of jobs to apply for online – if you know where to look.

   There are 4 main ways to apply for TEFL jobs:

   1) Apply for vacancies on TEFL job sites. All of our students get access to LoveTEFL’s jobs board which is bursting with thousands positions world-wide so that’s a great place to start. But there are plenty of other jobs boards where you can find loads of jobs. It’s as simple as applying and waiting.

   2) Contact language schools yourself. It might seem time consuming to send your CV to a large number of language schools in one country but it can really pay off. Not all language schools advertise their TEFL job vacancies online, so even if there’s no job advertised, there might still be a job available. Send your CV to as many schools as possible to increase your chances of success.

   3) Use a TEFL recruitment agency. This can take the stress out of applying for jobs yourself as the recruitment agency will do everything for you, but you won’t have much say in where your CV goes, and you don’t know how hard they are working for you.

   4) Embark on a TEFL internship. A TEFL internship is a great way to gain your TEFL qualification and teaching experience without the stress of finding a job, and it’ll do wonders for your CV!

   To give yourself the best shot at landing your dream TEFL job, it’s really worth doing all 3 of these and getting your CV out to as many employers as possible.