Newly certified now what?

[Sarah90]

If anyone can offer words of wisdom that would be great!
I am newly certified as a TEFL teacher and am excited to start teaching!
I really have no clue where to begin to find a permanent position. I am young and do not have a degree but was hoping that somewhere I would be able to find a job, to get some teaching experience. Is there any hope for me? or is this a lost cause!

[Lucy]

Dear Sarah90,

There are many decisions to be made around the subject of TEFL. I think the first thing you should consider is where you want to live and work. Obviously, where you are living and working will affect your daily life in a big way. Decide which country or which area of the world you would like to work in: Europe (south or north), south or Latin America, Asia, etc. You should also consider whether you want to work in a country whose language you speak and/or if you would like to work in a country where English is widely spoken.

This will help you to narrow down your search. You can then also consider whether you prefer to teach teenagers, children or adults. I suggest you make these decisions before you start looking for work. You can then start looking at job ads in a more focused way.

It is possible to find a job without a degree; some schools accept teachers without that qualification. You should bear in mind that such schools will not be of the highest quality and will most probably pay a lower wage.

Please feel free to write in again if you want more ideas.

Lucy