If you’re looking for adventure, then perhaps a TEFL job is exactly what you are looking for. But what job exactly can you get with a TEFL?
What jobs can I get with a TEFL?
There are a number of different possibilities a TEFL qualification will open you up to. Some are quite obvious, but others you might not be familiar with.
- EFL/ESL teacher abroad
- EFL/ESL online teacher
- Freelance EFL/ESL teacher
- Volunteer EFL/ESL teacher
- Summer camp EFL/ESL teacher
- Senior EFL/ESL teacher
- TEFL trainer
- TEFL admin jobs
- ELT publishing
Now let’s look at those in more detail.
EFL/ESL teacher abroad
As a TEFL teacher abroad, you can work in a public school, private school, language school, university or college. You can teach General or Conversational English, or you can teach English for Specific Purposes, such as English for Exams.
EFL/ESL online teacher
If you’d prefer to work from home, a TEFL qualification allows you to teach English online. You can teach students anywhere in the world, from anywhere in the world. If you’ve got a case of itchy feet, you can use teaching online to set yourself up as a digital nomad.
Freelance EFL/ESL teacher
One option as a TEFL teacher is, of course, to work for a company or a school. But another option is to go it alone as a freelance teacher. As a freelance TEFL teacher, you have complete freedom over who you are going to teach, where, and for how much. This can mean teaching private students online, face-to-face, or in-house for a company.
Summer camp EFL/ESL teacher
One of the great things about a TEFL certificate is its flexibility. If you want to test the waters of TEFL or just teach English for a few weeks or months, then you can choose to be a summer camp teacher. As a summer camp teacher you’ll teach for a few hours a day and do activities or go on excursions with the students for the rest of the day.
Volunteer EFL/ESL teacher
Another way to get experience - and to make a difference in this world - is to be a volunteer TEFL teacher. There is a growing need for volunteer teachers all over the world. You probably don’t have to look too far from home to find a volunteer position. As a volunteer you’ll gain invaluable classroom experience and the satisfaction of contributing to a worthy cause.
Senior EFL/ESL teacher
With a few years of experience, you can be promoted within your school. As a senior teacher you may be given more responsibilities, such as mentoring new teachers, co-ordinating timetables, and sourcing and allocating resources. If you’re lucky, a promotion like this can also result in a pay raise!
TEFL trainer
If, after a few years, you’re looking for more of a challenge, you can turn towards teacher development. With a further qualification, you can find a position training people to be a TEFL teacher just like you.
TEFL admin jobs
But what jobs can a teacher do besides teach? There is another side to TEFL: running the schools. Language schools exist in hundreds of countries around the world, even English-speaking countries. If you are so inclined, you can get involved in accounts, marketing or social media related to the school. You can even start your own school!
ELT publishing
TEFL teachers all over the world rely on English Language Training (ELT) materials to teach their EFL/ESL classes. Publishing houses need people with TEFL experience to create materials and write coursebooks. If writing, proofreading or editing is your jam, this could be an enjoyable pivot from teaching.
Now that we know there are plenty of jobs in TEFL, the next question is, is it difficult to get a TEFL job?
Is it difficult to get a TEFL job?
It’s no secret that there are thousands of jobs available for TEFL teachers all over the world. The thing is, being a native speaker is no longer enough of a qualification to land a TEFL job.
TEFL teachers need to have a quality TEFL certification from an accredited and internationally recognised TEFL course provider. The certification should be at least 120 hours long, trusted worldwide and assessed by a team of qualified EFL professionals. The TEFL course provider should have a good online presence, as well as favourable reviews.
Are TEFL courses worth it?
EFL/ESL teaching jobs are no longer the easy way for a backpacker to make their way through Asia. Times have changed. TEFL teachers are now required to not only have a certain level of English (if not a native speaker) but also a recognised, quality qualification.
To be sure, TEFL courses are an investment of your time and your money. But TEFL courses are most certainly worth it, even if you are only planning to teach for a short time. What you get out of a TEFL course is more than what you put in.
Can I get a TEFL job without a degree?
Yes, you can. While it’s true that certain countries require TEFL teachers to have a Bachelor’s degree of some sort to qualify for a work permit or visa, this is not the case everywhere. The caveat here is to make sure you qualify for a working visa for a job before applying, or else it’s a waste of time.
If you’re looking to go the digital nomad or work-from-home route, numerous online companies don’t require a degree from their teachers. And, of course, freelance teachers make their own rules!
So now you know - there are tons of different jobs available to you with a TEFL.
