Teaching overseas

When to apply

The best time to apply for teaching opportunities overseas will vary from region to region:

• Europe - peak periods for recruitment are October to January.
• In Asia - March, April and May are the highest recruitment periods for Asian recruitment companies. However, many recruit throughout the whole year.

Skills, qualifications and experience required

• To teach in a classroom in Europe you are required to hold a teaching degree and at least 6 – 12 months experience is required.
• To teach English as a Second Language full-time in Asia, you must hold a degree, but not all organisations require a teaching degree. However further  qualifications usually receive extra pay.
• Asian recruitment agencies have found that applicants from a non-teaching background can be more flexible. For some part-time positions, the applicant  must have completed at least one year of tertiary education. Priority can also be placed on recruiting those who are experienced in working with children.
• Flexibility and willingness to get involved
• Ability to present a clear and concise CV -international schools need to be able to easily see important details such as disciplines, year levels taught, amount of experience, responsibilities held
• Patience and tolerance, particularly when dealing with language barriers and different cultures
• ESL experience and/ or English grammar skills
• Expression when speaking - facial expression, intonation and gestures

Application process

To be accepted by a recruitment agency, applicants need to go through an in-depth process. This process may include all of, or some of the following:

• Detailed application form and resume
• Interview/s: May be phone, video conference, one-on-one, group, panel, and/or Risk analysis interviews
• Reference and experience check
• English grammar and knowledge test
• Extensive documentation including academic transcripts, police checks, immigration checks.

Most organisations also offer a pre-departure information session where applicants meet other teachers. On arrival at the overseas destination, agencies may offer further orientation and support.

What sets one candidate apart from another

• Interview skills and personal presentation are important
• The ability to highlight your strengths in an interview
• A candidate’s attitude must be positive
• Experience - it varies between agencies, for example, 2 - 3 years is seen by the UK as an advantage
• Memberships with subject associations
• For Asian agencies, experience working with children is increasingly important
• Experience other than teaching, such as customer service

Advice for students seeking to teach overseas

• Spend time developing your CV
• Consider utilising the recruitment agencies but do your homework to find out how they work and what fees they may charge
• When applying to recruitment agencies you are responsible for obtaining a Federal Police Clearance
• Update your English grammar skills if wanting to teach English in a non-English speaking country