Is it worth getting into TEFL ??

[jadeo]

Hi there!

I have been thinking of embarking on TEFL as a career for a while now.
I will be starting a Trinity TEFL course in a couple of weeks, but I would like some advice in career progression and routes. I am 25 with a degree in English Language and Linguistics. I've have done the whole 9 - 5 thing and hate every minute of it lol ! I've have always been interested in teaching, but wanted to teach a specific area, not say GCSE English in a secondary school.

From what I have read on the net, pay is not great and there seems to be no clearly defined progression route. All these things concern me as this is an area I would like to say in for at least 15 years.

I am unsure wherever TEFL is something you can make into a long term career that offers some sort of stability. For example being able to save, put away money towards a pension, raise a family etc..

Any advice, guidance or tips would be a great right now..

[Alex Case]

It depends how flexible you are about location.

[jadeo]

Hi Alex

Thanks for your response. I am willing to go wherever there is work. Ideally I would like to go to Turkey or Pargue.

[Susan]

I think you need to get clear about what you want to do. This seems a contradiction to me:

I've have always been interested in teaching, but wanted to teach a specific area, not say GCSE English in a secondary school.

I'm afraid that when teachers start out, they have to accept jobs at the bottom of the ladder: i.e. low pay and often difficult work situation. You can make a lot of money in the Gulf and in some Asian countries.

[jadeo]

Susan- I guess my main concern is this a salary or wage I can live on wherever I teach here or abroad. I understand that stating out in any profession you will start on low pay. However what I am not sure of In the area of TEFL do your earnings increase with experience and additional qualifications or do you stay at the same level In terms of pay .
My issue is I potentially do not want to dedicate my time and money into a career that will not provide me decent standard of living.
I am not talking about lots of holidays, designer clothes, or expensive nights out. Just enough to live on so I can save etc..

[Alex Case]

There are places where you are unlikely to ever earn enough to save and/ or support a family even if you later move into management or teacher training (e.g. most of Europe) and there are places where you can save from day one but are unlikely to want to teach in for me than a few years (most famously South Korea). There are also places where you need experience and decent qualifications (usually a relevant MA), can earn an absolute fortune, but are likely to want to stay even less time (e.g. on oil rigs in the Caspian Sea). Then there are the minority of places where they are decent enough to live long term for most people, and most people can just about save and/ or support a family once they get themselves established.

To summarise: It's possible to make a living wage, but it takes some planning. The best plan, however, is to get qualified teacher status and a couple of years' experience back home and then get a job in an international school abroad.

[jadeo]

Thank you for your reply .. that’s been really helpful, and I appreciate your honesty. Can I ask:
1. Why did you not want to teach in South Korea and the oil rigs in the Caspian Sea? Was it the employment conditions, culture .. etc. It would just be really good for me to know the reality of teaching in these places, instead of all the babble that is written on the net.
2. As a newbie with no experience lol, where do you suggest I start in terms of looking for work, talking to the right people and potentially doing voluntary work to just get some experience down on my CV.
It seems to me from what you have said, and my research on the net it comes down to hard graft, luck and making the right connections.
I think your suggestion at the bottom is the best plan for me. I am in this for the long haul.
After I have competed my Trinity certificate how would I go about getting qualified teacher status? Sorry am clueless, besides doing a PCGE; I don’t know any other route!