As I mentioned in previous posts, teaching abroad can be an excellent way to travel and see the world. But how do you get a job teaching overseas? Simple. First you have to ask yourself, “What type of teaching do I want to do?”
Doing some service learning in the Philippines my first year teaching abroad.
If you want to teach English to those learning the language, click here. If you want to teach children in an international school, in most cases you have to be certified. I say in most cases because there are some schools out there that will hire you with a college degree and no certificate, but this is not as common. You can also find schools that will hire you as an intern if you are still completing your degree or teacher certification. To find teaching, administration or counseling jobs there are a number of hiring fairs all over the world run by companies.
This is the company that I used to find my first job overseas. I signed up with them (for a $225 fee) and was assigned to an associate that helped guide me through the process. They have a large database where you create a profile. Schools can see your profile and vice versa. Their profiles are complete with all of the school’s information, including current openings, how much you can expect to save if hired by them, housing and other benefit information. Based on the list of openings you can begin to contact schools and schools will contact you as well if they think you’re a good fit for them. Along with the online database, attendance at one of their hiring fairs is included in the price you pay for them to represent you. I signed up before I was really ready to move overseas and had a job offer without even attending a fair. When I decided I was ready to move, I attended their Cambridge, Mass. fair and received 4 offers in one weekend. It was a great set-up, as I got to meet the representatives from the schools (usually the superintendent), hear their pitch, and I had access to my search associate to ask questions. He was very supportive in helping me weigh the different offers and he also gave me his personal experience in some cases. Search Associates has fairs in Cambridge, San Francisco, Toronto, Melbourne, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Dubai, and London, and they help place administrators and counselors as well.
The view from my job to my apartment. International schools have some great facilities and coaching opportunities as well.
International School Services, or ISS operates similarly to Search Associates. I know people who have used their services and found placements, but I don’t have any personal experience. The cities where they have fairs differ, so that would be one reason to use them instead.
The University of Northern Iowa fair has a reputation for having a lot of newer teachers. But I know veteran teachers who have been to this fair as well. The location kept me from giving it a try, as I don’t know anyone in Iowa, but it has a solid reputation.
The Association of American Schools in South America fair was in Atlanta this year. It only caters to schools located within Latin America (the Caribbean, Central and South America) and is typically held very early in the hiring season. I haven’t been to their fair either but very much want to see what it’s like. The feedback that I’ve heard from friends who’ve attended is that it’s too early so some schools do not know all of their vacancies yet. But I believe it was a couple of weeks later this year, which may have been better for recruits.
Sankowski, Dariusz (Photographer). 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2016 from: https://stocksnap.io/photo/CG0LZC3FSI.
Last but not least, you can look online. With more schools moving to hiring by Skype this is definitely an option. I was hired for my current job over Skype. I filled out an application online and they contacted me soon after to interview. It was great for me because I had already visited the school and knew what it was like, but this may be more difficult if you’re just starting out, as you may not know which schools to look for. The International School Review is a website dedicated to reviewing schools, so if you are interested in knowing what schools are out there, give it a try. You have to pay for a membership to see some reviews, but in my experience you can find some of their reviews just by Googling international school packages and reading through their discussion thread.
If you decide to go with one of the fair options, make sure to select a fair that has a lot of schools attending, especially the schools in which you are most interested. But in my opinion it’s most important to be open minded. I had my heart set on Latin America but would have went home jobless if that was all I was willing to consider.
Any readers out there who have been through the process? Share your experience with the process in the comments below.
Hello young lady, I posted this on my Facebook to create some traffic and for some of the folks that don’t know how to follow you.
Thanks so much! What about you? You took a different route to get your job, right? Care to share?
I got lucky with my current job. I applied through footprints and or teachaway and one of them said I wasn’t qualified and never explained why. I then was on linked in and a recruiter for the same job popped up. Sent her my info in March of 2015 had an interview on April 20th-ish and was hired by the 26th. Moved by Septemeber 14th.
Hi Maya, another awesome post! You laid out the steps for seeking employment at international schools. The process is much less intimidating to me now. Thank you!
I am going through the Network of International Christian schools. If you are looking to teach through a Christian and biblical worldview then I would suggest looking into them! I will be starting my first assignment soon, but the process has been smooth and the people here are great and know what they are doing.
Thanks for sharing! Sounds like a great route. Congrats on the job!
Hi. Have you heard of summer only positions?
Yes. My school has summer school, but generally they hire teachers that also work full time throughout the year. There is an agency that does part-time positions in international schools. You can try Tie Online.
Hi Maya! I found your blog through a WOC travel group im apart of on Facebook. Do you have any updates on your cousin? I’m interested in teaching English abroad but don’t have a college degree. I’m trying to see what my options are. Thank you for all you helpful information.
Hi Kristal! She did finish the course but hasn’t looked to move. I’ve heard from plenty of others though that are teaching English abroad though and even get some job postings sent to me from time to time. If you decide to do it let me know and I’ll forward those to you the next time I get them.
Hi Maya,
Thank you for sharing your post! I’ve been interested in living abroad for a long time. I’m a professional with no teaching experience but love to train and teach when I can in my current role. How challenging will it be for me to make a transition into teaching or into an administrative role?
Hi Latoya! I think the biggest hurdle is certification. There are a lot of people who switch careers to become teachers, but for the best schools you must be certified. Certification can vary a great deal depending on the state. You don’t have to get certified necessarily in the state you live in. I’m certified in New Jersey for example, but have never taught or even lived there. But of course there is so much value you can add to a school with your professional experience. Have you tried to look for a position within your area of expertise? My school has a whole marketing department, finance, human resources, communications,etc and then Singapore is a huge financial hub so there are expats from every specialization here. When I lived in the Philippines there were lots of expats working for call centers training the local staff on customer service, etc. Hopefully you can find something that really speaks to you. Feel free to e-mail me if you have more questions. I’m happy to help!
Hi Maya! Can you PLEASE forward me more information about becoming certified without a degree? Also, have you ever met anyone with a child(ren) who’ve successfully moved abroad? Thank you for taking time to respond to everyone!
Hi Eboni! Sure. Will reach out to you via e-mail.
Hi Maya!
I read your post and was very impressed and inspired. I am a single mom (graduate degree)with a 7yr old daughter. Do you know of any job opportunities for families like my self? My daughter would make the move with me.
Thanks, LaVern! Absolutely! Most of my coworkers are here with their kids and most if not all of the teaching packages I know of come with tuition for your kids and even a travel stipend for them too. Are you thinking of teaching or doing something else?
Hi! Thank you for blogging and sharing your experiences, especially on this topic of how you got to Singapore and paid off your debts! About 3 weeks ago I came across this article on the Girls Who Love Travel page and was hooked. After doing some digging and research I was signed up through myTEFL the next day. I am a single parent of two and would also like any additional info that comes to mind regarding:
1. Benefits for parents of young children; contacts who are happy to talk about their experiences of moving their children to a non-English speaking country, and tuition/access to childcare when regular schools are closed.
2. Your level of education when you started on your path 7 years ago.
3. How to choose a state for taking teaching certification exams (since you did not go with one you had experience in already.)
Hi Robin! Thanks for reading! I think we should chat. I have lots to say on the subject. Feel free to email me and we can set up a time to talk. mayatheexplorer@gmail.com
Hi Maya! I found you through helloNecole’s page on IG- she had posted an interview/article with you. I am obtaining my graduate degree soon, but I felt a little lost. Your path inspired me and re-ignited a passion for travel and exploration. I think the route for me is teaching abroad. If I were to just complete TEFL, is there an option for getting a certification while I’m in another country?
Hi Stephanie. If you already have your bachelors I would suggest you get a teaching certificate through one of the Department of Education offices. Any state is fine and some are much easier than others. Where are you located?
I am in NJ. Would you advise into obtaining the certification vs the TEFL?
Hi Maya!
In your post you say that if you want to teach children you will need to be certified. Are you referring to only a TEFL certification or a general teaching certification? I have a TEFL cert., experience teaching English in Spain and two bachelors degrees (neither in teaching). I am most interested in teaching kids – would getting a teaching certificate from the state I live in now help my job prospects or do you think everything I have now is suffice?
Thank you so much for all your info! Love the blog 🙂
Hi Sophie! Thanks for reading. Yes, that’s exactly what I mean. See which state offers the best way towards certification for you. In some states it may mean just passing a test (since you’ve already taught). And it does not have to be the state you live in. For example, California is notoriously difficult but Arizona may not have the same requirements. Does that help?
Hi Maya. I am currently a mental health case manager no teaching experience. I have a degree sociology and a MPA.In reading your other responses I see where you stated your agency has many different types of opportunities. What might someone such as myself be able to do if I were going to switch careers? What type of certifications would be required? Thanks for your response!
Hi Mel! I’ve has lots of questions on this. Let me work to add a blog post on this to help you figure out the best way to get certified quickly. Thanks for commenting!
Hey Maya!
Thank you for sharing your journey with us! Curious: do you have married couples who’ve had success teaching abroad? Are they able to get offers at the same school? What would housing look like?
Cheers!
Yes!!!! It’s SO common. You interview together. It actually saves the school money in the long run so a lot of times schools prefer teaching couples. In general the housing stipend is larger than that of a single and increases if you are a teaching couple with kids.
Hi i was so wondering which agencies do you recommend for teaching abroad in Asia and UAE countries I am a teacher of 22yrs and about to do my ESL. I am a masters in education administration
and I’m about to compete my doctorate in Educational Leadership.
Hi Natasha! Thanks for commenting. I used Search Associates and they handle placements all over the world and admin positions as well. Hope that helps!
Hi Maya!
Thanks so much for the informative post! Your journey is nothing short of inspiring. I earned my M.A. last year, and am currently a doctoral candidate (Ph.D.) I definitely know the tenure track is not for me though. Degree requirements mandate that I teach/ T.A. undergraduate students. I plan to get a TEFL certification; would I still need to acquire a teaching certification? I understand that it’s probably a case-by-case sort of thing, but could a Ph.D. stand in place for the certificate?
Hi Anita! Thank you! I think it depends on the school and the subject. Some schools are not allowed to hire teachers without a certificate because of the visa requirements of the country. I certainly think there are schools though that would consider you because of your education. You should contact Search Associates and see what they say. What will your PhD be in?
Thanks for the suggestion. I will contact them as soon as time permits. 🙂 My Ph.D. will be in the History of Art.
Hi Maya!
First of all, thank you so much for sharing your experience and tips with all of us. I am actually in the process of finishing up a M.Ed. with a focus in mathematics, and I’ve been contemplating moving abroad for quite some time now. Unfortunately, most of the teaching opportunities abroad that I found through cursory searches were for ESL teachers. Have you found that there are significant opportunities in other subject areas? Once I complete my degree, I will be certified in secondary math and middle school science, and I will likely add an endorsement for high school physics as well. Thanks!
Absolutely! You should be eligible for a ton of jobs with that background. You just have to know where to look. I would register with Search Associates once you’re done if I were you.