Once I was accumulating essays for Extra Than a Hole Yr Journey, I had an opportunity to have Zoom chats with many wonderful ELT professionals from everywhere in the world. Regardless that their profession tales are fairly totally different, there’s a private trait that every one of them have in frequent, and that’s being proactive. If you wish to achieve ELT, issues are unlikely to fall into your lap. You might want to be able to work your manner up and overcome every kind of obstacles. The next quote from the e book actually stands proud and demonstrates what I’m referring to:
Once I learn this passage from Fatime’s textual content for the primary time, all of it felt actually acquainted. I’ve despatched an enormous variety of emails and messages that by no means led to something, so I do know what it’s like. Tiago Bueno, one other contributor to the e book, instructed me a few comparable expertise when making use of for jobs. I ponder if that is what everyone in ELT has to undergo. Is all of it only a numbers sport? Do we’ve to depend on amount and hope that one in all our many emails might be replied to?
Since I’m a really organised particular person and hold lots of spreadsheets documenting my actions in ELT, I assumed it could be attention-grabbing to have a look again on my profession and share some knowledge with you. I’ve been on this career for seven and a half years, so that is going to be an extended publish, however I hope it may assist us attain some type of conclusion.
My first try at discovering a job in Medellín
I moved to Colombia in July 2017, a month after finishing my CELTA. My goal was quite simple: I needed to search out my first TEFL job in Medellín. Sounds easy, proper? Effectively, it turned out to be a whole fail.
I don’t suppose my plan was too dangerous. I googled language institutes within the metropolis, despatched them my CV by e mail, and instructed them I used to be obtainable for in-person interviews. As anticipated, most of them by no means even responded. A couple of of them instructed me that they’d hold my CV on file. Three establishments replied fairly rapidly and invited me for an interview. The primary one was with a college, however the place they had been trying to fill was really for his or her accomplice college and concerned instructing youngsters, which was not what I used to be thinking about.
The second interview occurred at a language academy within the metropolis centre. The preliminary chat with the director went properly and I used to be requested to ship a demo lesson and take an English take a look at just a few days later. I aced the lesson and was supplied the job on the spot. We shook arms and I used to be purported to get the paperwork wanted for my visa functions in just a few days’ time. And guess what I obtained subsequent? Crickets. The varsity stopped responding to my emails and left me questioning what had occurred. This was the primary of many detrimental experiences with Colombian establishments that I’ve had right here. I used to be not stunned to learn in regards to the college’s closure just a few years later.
Anyway, after a month of pointless ready for the paperwork, I made a decision to use for a volunteer place in Villa de Leyva that offered a stipend of sufficient cash to reside on. The varsity in Medellín that had supplied me the job ultimately obtained again to me and needed to renew the hiring course of (nonetheless with out producing the required paperwork), but it surely was too late and I left town with a way of disappointment. I additionally obtained an e mail with one other interview invitation from a Medellín-based academy, although once I discovered in regards to the depressing hourly charge the college supplied, I made a decision to present that ‘alternative’ a cross. Once I began running a blog in 2020, this dangerous expertise led me to jot down my very first weblog publish titled All people desires to reside in Medellín.
Medellín-based establishments contacted: 63
No response in any respect: 86%
Rejections: 6
Interview invites: 3
Contracts signed: 0
Touchdown my first full-time job
Issues went fairly easily with the volunteer task and I began working in Villa de Leyva in the midst of September. The workload wasn’t that heavy, so I had sufficient time to consider my subsequent steps. I knew the venture was going to finish on the finish of the yr, so I rapidly up to date my CV and started sending emails to language centres in Colombia. My method was a bit smarter as a result of although I needed to return to Medellín, I additionally determined to contact colleges in quite a few cities, particularly Bogotá, Cartagena, Ibagué, Manizales, Armenia, Tunja, Pereira, Bucaramanga, and Cali.
Having some expertise on my CV appeared to do the trick and I managed to land three interviews by way of Skype: with a language institute in Bogotá, a college in Cali, and Centro Colombo Americano Manizales. The final one allowed me to show my demo lesson by way of Skype, after which I used to be supplied a full-time contract that I fortunately accepted. Two universities in Bogotá invited me for an interview in January, however I had already made the choice to maneuver to Manizales.
Establishments contacted: 108
No response in any respect: 92%
Rejections: 4
Interview invites: 5
Contracts signed: 1
Speculative functions
My first yr on the language academy was extraordinarily helpful by way of gaining expertise and changing into a greater trainer. Regardless that I had no causes to go away, I needed to try different choices. I contacted native universities in Manizales, which might doubtlessly be an upwards transfer. I assumed that having a CELTA and a few related expertise with instructing within the metropolis can be sufficient for them to be thinking about having a chat with me. I used to be improper.
Establishments contacted: 4
No response in any respect: 100%
Transferring to Bucaramanga
The primary cause I began on the lookout for a brand new job on the finish of my second contract in Manizales was cash. After getting my Delta Module One certificates in 2019, I requested for a pay rise and was supplied only a tiny improve that wouldn’t even cowl the inflation charge. At that second, I knew that staying on the institute can be a waste of time, so I contacted language colleges in different cities: Pereira, Bucaramanga, Medellín (together with the newly-opened Worldwide Home department), and Ibagué.
I felt that I used to be making regular profession progress and including the primary Delta module to my CV made me stand out a bit, and my success charge did certainly enhance. I obtained one interview invitation from Ibagué and two from Bucaramanga. I opted to fly to Bucaramanga the place I attended each interviews. The one on the native department of Centro Colombo Americano was extra spectacular, and although it appeared like a sideways transfer, I switched to being hourly paid with a significantly better charge, which meant working fewer hours. The COVID-19 pandemic hit the world simply three months after my transfer to Bucaramanga and within the following yr and a half I accomplished my Delta, began this weblog, and realized tips on how to educate on-line.
Establishments contacted: 12
No response in any respect: 67%
Rejections: 1
Interview invites: 3
Contracts signed: 1
Returning to Medellín
My time in Bucaramanga got here to an finish once I discovered that having a full Delta and glorious suggestions from college students didn’t benefit a pay rise. I began on the lookout for positions that had been extra aligned with my skilled profile and despatched my CV to 5 establishments. As anticipated, the outcomes had been fairly good and only one place (a college in Ibagué) by no means responded to my e mail. The British Council in Bogotá didn’t have an acceptable emptiness for me, however my precedence was transferring again to Medellín anyway.
I attended three on-line interviews (with Worldwide Home plus two universities) and all of them resulted in a job provide. Ultimately, I selected IH since they supplied me an opportunity to work on a contract foundation, ship on-line courses with IH Bogotá and do some in-person non-teaching work with IH Medellín as properly. 4 and a half years after beginning instructing, I lastly started making actual progress by way of cash {and professional} fame.
Establishments contacted: 5
No response in any respect: 20%
Rejections: 1
Interview invites: 3
Contracts signed: 2
In search of personal college students
After all, probably the most necessary rules of freelancing is having a number of streams of earnings, so I made a decision to arrange my very own instructing enterprise shortly after transferring to Medellín. I knew I used to be good at instructing however the issue was I didn’t have any personal college students. What I had was: (a) the expertise of instructing tons of of individuals throughout my time in Manizales and Bucaramanga and (b) entry to their emails and cellphone numbers. I made an inventory of those that had already completed all ranges on the language institute and contacted them with a proposal to attend a complicated course (both one-to-one or in a bunch).
I knew that most individuals in all probability wouldn’t have an interest, and that proved to be the case: greater than half of my emails / WhatsApp messages had been left and not using a response, and 65% of those that replied didn’t take the superior course with me. There have been fairly just a few instances of individuals accepting my provide after which fully ghosting me, which was a bit discouraging. Luckily, I nonetheless managed to get sufficient college students to get my enterprise began with out having to make use of third-party companies. A number of the college students additionally beneficial me to their mates or kin, which helped me so much on the very starting.
Operating my very own programs has been a really rewarding expertise and I’m pleased with having the ability to make this work. I nonetheless educate a gentle variety of classes per week, and I haven’t needed to search for new college students since 2022. In truth, I’ve to maintain saying no to those that have heard about my courses by means of word-of-mouth suggestions.
Potential college students contacted: 158
No response in any respect: 56%
Rejections: 30
Cases of being ghosted: 16
College students who accepted my provide: 24
New college students gained by means of suggestions: 6
Freelance alternatives
In 2023, I lastly stopped counting on speculative emails and truly utilized for 2 non-teaching freelance positions that had been marketed on-line. One was with Oxford College Press and the opposite one with one other huge identify ELT organisation. I felt that I used to be a robust candidate for the previous position, and after a prolonged recruitment course of I began working for OUP as an unbiased contractor in Might 2023, virtually six years after changing into an English trainer. I work on an assessment-related venture and it has been an excellent expertise to this point due to the wonderful individuals from OUP who I’m in contact with.
The opposite organisation despatched me a well mannered rejection, which was a bit disappointing, however once I noticed who ultimately obtained the position, I instantly understood why I wasn’t thought of. The particular person was rather more certified for the job and fully deserved it. I don’t wish to digress an excessive amount of, however I’ve to say that I don’t suppose it’s useful to take each rejection personally and make baseless claims of discrimination on social media, which is one thing I’ve seen occur recently. Generally you simply must say honest play and settle for that you’re not an important ELT skilled that has ever lived and there are literally extra appropriate candidates for the position you utilized for.
Positions utilized for: 2
Contracts signed: 1
In search of e book contributors
Due to the truth that my freelancing work began producing respectable earnings, I out of the blue discovered myself with extra free time than once I was an worker. This weblog helped me by way of visibility within the on-line ELT group, and I’m positive it was the principle cause why I managed to gather 23 essays for Extra Than a Hole Yr Journey. There have been just a few issues and even one occasion of being fully ghosted after what I assumed was a constructive Zoom assembly in regards to the particular person’s essay subject – by the best way, because of this there aren’t any visitor essays written by professionals based mostly in Colombia within the e book; I did strive exhausting, but it surely wasn’t meant to be. That stated, my total expertise with inviting individuals to contribute to the e book was superb, and I’m actually pleased with the ultimate end result.
Potential contributors contacted: 62
No response in any respect: 37%
Rejections: 13
Cases of dropping out of the venture: 3
Essays collected: 23
Extra freelance alternatives
Probably the greatest issues about being your individual boss is having the ability to select the way you’re going to spend your time. After lastly publishing the e book, I took a brief breather after which began on the lookout for one thing that may push me to be taught one thing new. Due to LinkedIn, I discovered about two assessment-related positions with Cambridge College Press & Evaluation and British Council International Assessments. I obtained a constructive response from the latter and signed a short-term probationary contract after a 6-week coaching course of.
Positions utilized for: 2
Contracts signed: 1
Foremost takeaways
To a sure extent, attempting to get a TEFL job is a numbers sport, and that is true particularly in the beginning of your profession. Not surprisingly, contacting establishments and folks that don’t know who you might be is hard. In response to my expertise, most of them won’t ever reply and a few of them will even allow you to down in a manner that isn’t very nice. And you realize what? I don’t care. Sending 100 speculative functions and getting a job is a significantly better end result than having no job after making use of for only a few positions marketed on an internet job board.
The excellent news is that your odds of succeeding considerably improve if you’re keen to make your individual luck. When you get related expertise, acquire superior {qualifications}, and construct up your fame within the ELT career, you can find it simpler to realize one thing significant. At that stage of your profession, you might be extra selective in terms of doing what you want, and having the ability to cease counting on amount is a practical place to goal for.
► If you happen to’d prefer to learn extra about profession improvement in ELT, I like to recommend that you just get a duplicate of Extra Than a Hole Yr Journey, a collaborative e book that includes thought-provoking essays written by skilled professionals.