When exploring opportunities to teach English abroad, many aspiring educators encounter agencies promising guaranteed job placements in exchange for a fee. While this proposition may seem appealing by simplifying the job-hunting process and eliminating the tasks of submitting applications and navigating interviews, it is essential to weigh the pros and cons:
Pros:
- Convenience: Streamlined job search, potentially saving you time and effort.
- Assured Position: A guarantee of a teaching role upon completion of a TEFL course.
Cons:
- Additional Costs: There is a financial commitment upfront, which might not always equate to the job's value.
- Limited Choices: You might not get the location or school type of your preference.
- Quality Concerns: Not all placement agencies maintain high standards; it is crucial to verify their reputation.
In essence, before investing in such services, it is prudent to assess their credibility, understand their terms, and decide if the benefits outweigh the costs.
Table of Contents
How strong is the demand for English language teachers across the globe?
What are the down sides of a TEFL job placement?
What kind of school do you want to teach English in?
How strong is the demand for English language teachers across the globe?
The worldwide appetite for English language learning is vast, underlined by staggering numbers. Current data suggests that around 1.5 billion individuals globally are actively pursuing English education. A striking testament to this demand is China, where up to 300 million individuals are engrossed in learning the language.
Given these impressive figures, the availability of teaching roles is substantial, frequently numbering in the hundreds of thousands annually. In several regions, the volume of open teaching positions significantly surpasses the available teachers. This robust demand ensures that teachers can often find ideal roles directly, bypassing agencies that might charge placement fees.
What are the down sides of a TEFL job placement?
By paying for a job placement you can seriously limit the choices available to you. Not only will you have a limited say as to the country, town, and neighborhood where you end up living and working, you will also have to accept the salary provided and the hours you are expected to work. You could potentially find yourself with insufficient hours or salary to live comfortably, or be overworked and paid significantly less than your colleagues. Whether you plan to live overseas for just a few months, or see it as a long-term plan, working in an environment that isn't right for you could quickly turn your dream into a nightmare.
What kind of school do you want to teach English in?
Another serious point to consider is do you want to work in a school that is happy to hire teachers without meeting them or even speaking to them first? If you would prefer to work in a school that only hires teachers of a professional standard, then you need to be able to choose which jobs you apply for. Applying for multiple positions in the area where you want to live will allow you the freedom to pick the specific position that is right for you. If you decide to pay for a placement you lose this freedom of choice.
