For aspiring TEFL teachers, job opportunities abound throughout the year. Nevertheless, maximizing your options means being attuned to peak hiring seasons specific to your desired country. Generally, it is advisable to initiate your job search and application process a minimum of three months prior to your anticipated start date. This buffer allows ample time for tasks like submitting applications, attending interviews, and securing essential documentation like visas and work permits.
Table of Contents
What are hiring seasons for teaching English abroad?
Peak hiring season in Latin America
Peak hiring season in the Middle East
What are hiring seasons for teaching English abroad?
For those eager to teach English abroad, understanding hiring seasons is pivotal. These are periods when a surge of teaching positions open up, often coinciding with the commencement of a new academic cycle. While hiring patterns can differ based on location and institution, the most prevalent hiring seasons globally fall in the fall (from late August to early October) and spring (January to March). Europe and Latin America especially see a notable job turnover during these seasons, as many teachers transition to new roles or return home. However, thanks to its persistent demand for English teachers, Asia often boasts a more consistent year-round hiring rhythm.
Peak hiring season in Europe
The peak hiring season across much of Europe is during the months of September to October. There is also a second window of hiring in many countries during January. In popular destinations such as France, Italy, and Spain as many as 50% of all foreign teachers leave their jobs at the end of the school year, leading to huge demand for new teachers to start the following school year in September or October. Some jobs can be secured in Europe before you leave home, but for many teachers the best approach is to arrive on the ground in your country of choice ready to start interviewing during the peak season.
If you are planning to apply for a government recruitment program such as the Cultural Ambassadors Program in Spain or the TAPIF Program in France, applications need to be filed by March for positions beginning in September. These programs are extremely popular as they take care of most of the paperwork for you and all the details can be sorted out before you get on a plane. Both of these programs attract a large number of applicants, so the best advice is to get your application in as early as possible.
Also read: What is the TAPIF Program for teaching English in France?
Also read: What is the Cultural Ambassadors Program for teaching English in Spain?
Notable exceptions to the typical hiring seasons in Europe include Turkey, Russia and Georgia where jobs can easily be found at any time of the year. Summer English camps are also popular across Europe and these jobs are often advertised in advance during the previous winter and spring.
Peak hiring season in Latin America
In Central America the peak hiring season for foreign ESL teachers is during June and July, with a second window in the months of January and February. In South America the peak season is February and March, with a second window during July and August. In many countries across these regions only a small proportion of available jobs are advertised internationally, which means that it is often necessary to arrive at your destination in advance and then start your job search locally. While this might sound a little daunting, it is common practice in this part of the world and most teachers are able to secure a suitable position in a short time.
Notable exceptions to the typical hiring seasons in Latin America include Mexico where the demand is high enough in most areas to support year-round hiring. Costa Rica is another very popular destination that tends to do things a little differently. Here many schools start the interview process in December for jobs starting in January.
Peak hiring season in Asia
Across Asia a large percentage of ESL jobs are found in private language schools who generally hire whenever a vacancy arises, which can be at any time of the year. This applies to many of the most popular destinations in the region where demand for teachers is particularly high, such as China, Japan, and South Korea. Public school jobs are also a realistic option in some countries, particularly in South Korea where recruitment starts in the spring and early summer for start dates in August and September. There is also a secondary window in some public schools during the fall for start dates in January, February or March.
There are two big government-backed recruitment programs in this region that attract thousands of applicants every year: The EPIK Program in South Korea and the JET Program in Japan. The EPIK Program has two intakes each year, while the JET Program takes applications in December for start dates during the following autumn. We recommend you visit the program websites as soon as possible to ensure you are aware of the exact timings required when applying.
Also read: What is the EPIK program for teaching English in South Korea?
Also read: What is the JET Program for teaching English in Japan?
Taiwan and Thailand are two other destinations that are very popular in the Asia region. In Taiwan the main hiring season starts after the Chinese New Year and there is also a second window during July and August. In Thailand the main hiring season is between February and April, with a second window from August to October.
Peak hiring season in the Middle East
Due to high demand jobs can usually be found at any time of the year in many countries across the Middle East. However, in countries such as Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E and Qatar, schools, colleges and universities tend to do the bulk of their hiring during the spring for start dates in August and September. Another popular time for public schools to hire is in the fall for start dates between January and March. In countries with large markets for foreign teachers, it is common practice for all the arrangements to be made from within your home country. Countries such as Egypt, Jordan and Morocco, who have smaller markets, typically require an in-person interview.
