Advice needed

[haize]

Hello.

I've been gathering information of TEFL for some time now, but I'm still very confused and would greatly appreciate some advice.

I have dual citizenship, Italian and Australian - so I guess I could qualify as a native speaker. All my education qualifications are Italian (degree and master), nonetheless for the past 2 years I have worked in a London college as a researcher. And before that, I worked a couple of years in Australia.

Now I was thinking of taking a Celta course, but, given that it is quite expensive, before embarking on this new adventure, I would like someone to reassure me on my future employment prospects. Reading the posts, I understand that a degree is mainly required for visa purposes, so would I have problems in finding a good job even if my degree is not English but Italian? Would the Celta plus my work experience in London and Australia be enough to prove to a prospective employer that I speak English fairly well ? Most people reply to just go in the country and look for teaching positions on the spot, but I would really prefer to have a contract before I leave my home country - I'm not that adventurous. Is this realistic?

Thank you.

[systematic]

Your degree does not need to be in English as a subject. Any verifiable degree from a recognised university will be accepted by any country whose law requires it for teachers. You might however be required to obtain and produce a certified translation of it into English.

All the best jobs certainly go to people who are already in the county at peak recruiting times and available for personal interview. Getting employment by 'remote control' can often be a hit or miss affair - for all parties concerned.