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Writer's pictureConnor O'Donoghue

Finding work after a CELTA course

Updated: Jan 25


Finding work after a CELTA course
How do I navigate looking for a job teaching English after my CELTA course?

So, you have your CELTA, and you know a lot more about how to plan a lesson, about how to manage students and how to analyse grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation, but you don't have a job. What should you do?


At the end of your CELTA course at DC Teacher Training, you'll have a careers advice session with your tutors. We'll also introduce you to our partners, English Path to talk about jobs with them at their schools in the UK, Malta, Germany, Canada, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. You'll also have the opportunity to book a one-on-one careers session with one of the DC Teacher Training team to discuss what your next steps should be. Your tutors will also act as referees for you in your initial job applications.


In your own job hunt, the first place to start is online. There are literally hundreds of job ads all over the world posted on jobs noticeboards on the internet. The biggest one is probably www.tefl.com, but you'll also find jobs listed on https://www.eslbase.com/tefl-jobs/, https://www.teflwork.com/find-a-job/ and https://www.eslcafe.com/jobs/international


When you're looking at these ads, it can be quite bewildering. Because teaching English is such an international industry, you'll find very different job offerings. Some schools will offer complete packages including flights, accommodation, visa costs etc. Some schools will offer a salary in your currency. Some schools will treat you as they would a local employee. Whichever school you interview with, make sure to do your research. Google the school. It can be a good idea to ask if there's a foreign teacher currently working at the school and seeing if they would be happy to chat to you on Zoom.


Working conditions are also very different in different schools and in different countries. Split shifts, teaching children in the morning and business people in the evenings, are common. In some countries, there could be a lot of weekend hours, with a lot of free time during the week. Some countries will have different tax arrangements for foreign nationals. Some schools will offer paid holidays, sick leave etc and other benefits, but many won't. Some schools only offer longer contracts and some only offer short ones. It's a very varied industry and the only way to really know is to ask.


What if there isn't an advertisement for a job in the city you have your heart set on? Don't worry! There are almost certainly people who want to learn English in pretty much every city in the world. Again, Google is your friend here. Just search for English language schools in the city you want to move to and start emailing them. Address your email to the Director of Studies. If they're not advertising for teachers, they may not have full-time work available, but when they see a CELTA-qualified teacher is available, they could well have something to offer. Many people spend a few hours a week working for a few different schools and then make up the rest of their pay by teaching one-to-one private lessons, either online or in their students' homes.


Wherever you want to work, CELTA is the key that you need to open the door, as three out of four job ads for English language teachers ask for a CELTA certificate.





Dr Connor O'Donoghue hails from Ireland and he started teaching English as a foreign language in Poland in 2003 and he became a CELTA trainer in 2008. He has taught and trained in Ireland, the UK, France, Italy, Slovenia, Macedonia, Poland, Russia, Kazakhstan and Vietnam. Connor also holds a Masters and a PhD in Education from Trinity College in Dublin. He has previously managed large teacher training centres in Vietnam and in London before founding DC Teacher Training.

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