The Best Way To Get A Good TEFL Job
Figuring out where to work in a country on the other side of the world – before or after you arrive – is no small task. But it’s something you can’t avoid in EFL and taking the initiative to educate yourself about things is probably one of the best steps you can take.
It’s hard though: while it is hugely important to make an effort to seek out information “from the source” it is also hard to do. Even “good” investigations in TEFL often rely on taking into account second-hand information. often getting it online. Sometimes it is just not clear where to look for answers to your questions, or even what questions you need to ask. But in the process of researching it, some things should fall into place.
Very rarely will another person have an incentive to look out for you greater than your own. This doesn’t mean you should expect people to lie, or that you can’t trust anyone; it means you should not put all your figurative eggs in one basket. It is precisely you who will face the consequences if that source is wrong, unintentionally or otherwise.
Asking others for advice and assistance is absolutely integral to succeeding…and you also need to be able to sort through that advice. Educating yourself about the work situation where you will be (by consulting different sources) helps you do just that.
It would be a big mistake to draw all of your ideas from one message forum or one single website or blog – even the TEFL Logue. We’d all like straightforward answers to all the important questions without having to root around in the dark, but reality isn’t like that. It is extremely rare that one source will cover all possible, or even all relevant, angles…so shop around, visit different sites, and end up better informed and more likely to get a job with a decent school because of it.