SEARCHING AND ACQUIRING EMPLOYMENT When applying for teaching jobs overseas, the application and interview process is quite different from the way it is done here in the U.S. You must bear in mind that the only way the school really gets to “meet” you is through your cover letter, resume, and letters of reference. After these documents are produced, you may have a short phone interview that usually lasts between 10-20 minutes. You must prepare your letter of introduction and resume carefully. You want to be sure that you are presenting yourself as a teacher, no matter what you have done in the past. You also want to be sure that you include all relevant information on each document and that you have all the documents that the school will need to see in order to hire you. Many teachers lose out on positions because they do not have their paperwork and documents organized and ready for the school.
This will help you create the most effective documents to land the job that suits all of your needs. Answer the questions provided in this chapter in order to help you prepare all of your documentation. By doing this, you will create a clear and concise resume package for teaching overseas. After these documents have been prepared, you are ready to begin your job search. We will go through this process at a later point in time.
APPLICATION PROCESS 1. Create your resume package which includes a letter of introduction, your resume, at least three reference letters, and a photo. 2. Send your letter of introduction by fax/email/mail to all the schools/recruiters that you have found. Obviously, email is the quickest and cheapest. The Internet is the most common form of communication in the English-teaching industry. It is not uncommon to send an email containing only the letter of introduction and to be offered a job the same day or the following. To keep your resume and photo at hand, we recommend opening a hotmail or yahoo account and storing the files in one of the folders. This makes it very simple to reapply for another job, once you have completed your first one. Trying to find a resume after a year is very difficult, especially if you are in a different country when you start to look. 3. Upon request, email, fax, or mail your application package (cover letter, resume, reference letters and photo, as well as any additional documents they specifically requested) to all 2
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The following chapter will inform you how to organize and write your • Letter of Introduction • Resume • Reference Letters
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schools that respond to your letter of introduction. These are only suggestions. Please follow the method of submission that your school requires. 4. Send your cover letter, resume, reference letters, and personal photo either through international courier or by email. Include any additional information/documents requested by the school. Check to see if your school can handle large attachments before sending in any scanned materials. Due to virus alerts, a scanned copy of your resume is safer than the actual word documents. Crashing your potential school’s computers before you arrive is definitely not a cool thing to do. 5. Make sure you indicate the time at which to call you and--if you can figure out--the time difference. You would be surprised at how many people cannot deal with the concept of different places and different times.
DESIRABLE TRAITS FOR ESL/EFL TEACHERS Here is a list of characteristics that all directors will be looking for in their new EFL teachers. Circle the ones that you feel best describe you, or have this done by a friend or family member. Sometimes you will find that an outside source notices more characteristics than you do in yourself! empathy
humor
cultural curiosity
adaptability
flexibility
patience
respect
gregarious
professionalism
enthusiasm
energy
confidence
self-motivation
communication skills
tolerance
passion for people
passion for teaching
creative
warmth
open-mindedness
positive
fairness
firm, yet fair
awareness of either culture
active
spontaneous
innovativeness
ability to think quickly
punctual
organized
leadership skills
presentation skills
enjoys learning
challenging
team player
approachable
management skills
encouraging
takes initiative
focused
provides structure
cultural perceptiveness
cooperative
sensitivity to various personalities
willingness to constantly improve
understanding of different teaching styles
understanding of different learning available to students outside of class styles
academic knowledge of English
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Are there other traits that you feel you can contribute as an ESL teacher? List them below:
The characteristics you or another person has circled represent your character. What experiences or events prove these traits? On each line, write the trait and the event or experience that you can connect to it.
TEACHING EXPERIENCES We all have taught at some point in time; however, it may not have been called teaching directly. Take a look at the list of possible teaching experiences and check off the ones that apply to you. All of these bring out character-building experiences which will be inherent for ESL/EFL teaching.
• Tutoring: tutoring is directly related to teaching as it proves that you are able to organize a lesson in order to assist someone’s understanding of a subject they are having difficulty with. • Coaching: this is also teaching. By demonstrating and explaining the rules of a game and showing people how to be a team player, you have proven that you can teach. • Leader/President: being the head of a group of people means that you can provide assistance, structure and can make well informed decisions. This is important as this is exactly what you will be doing in your classroom. • Customer Service: this is an informal way of teaching as you are telling people about products or information they will need to make a decision. This shows that you have communities’ abilities and that you are able to work with many different people. • Training at Work: if you have ever been in charge of training at work, this means that your employer feels that you have the people skills and the knowledge to effectively show someone how to do something properly. This also proves that you are able to communicate new ideas effectively. • Presentations: are you able to stand in front of many people and talk? This is important as it shows that groups of people do not intimidate you and that you can still get your ideas across clearly. • Member of a Group or Team: this proves that you are able to work as a team-- especially 4
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• Child Care: have you ever babysat or minded children? This shows that you are responsible and trustworthy of taking care of someone else’s children. While providing childcare, you probably taught them a new game, song, or activity which will be useful in your class.
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if this group is involved in doing projects such as promotions, charity work or putting • Dealing with Complaints/Human Resource Experience: this experience will prove that you are able to solve problems independently and work with people in order to arrive at a solution. • Camp Counselor: if you have ever been in charge of a group of children, this will be much like being a teacher in an ESL/EFL classroom. This proves that you are able to manage many children and that you are able to keep them content and busy. • Independent Projects: if you have ever planned and completed any kind of project on your own or as a group, this will show that you have creative thinking abilities and organizational skills. • Artistic Talents: these are always an asset to the classroom. By bringing an artistic talent to the class, it shows that you will be creative in your teaching. • Planning of Any Sort: if you have ever made schedules, held meetings, planned a staff party, etc., this shows that you are able to organize and implement a plan of any sort, such as a lesson plan.
TEN BEST EXPERIENCES After reading the above examples, write down your top ten teaching experiences in the space below.
From the ten experiences that you have written down, take your five most effective teaching experiences and write three to five sentences explaining these experiences.
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You can now use these organized teaching examples for your letter of introduction and your resume. You will need to come back to these to better organize them for both your resume and your letter of introduction. It is best if you quickly list a few of them in your introduction letter and use the detailed explanations for your resume. The next step is to begin each of your sentences with a teacher action word.
TEACHER ACTION WORDS The following list contains words that you should use in your resume to describe jobs, actions, or experiences. All of these action words are important “buzz� words for teachers, as they are all connected to teaching. You should begin each sentence describing your experiences (work history, volunteer work, hobbies) with these action words, so that the schools can see immediately the skills you possess in relation to teaching.
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Take the remaining five experiences from your top ten and write two to three sentences explaining these experiences.
GLOBAL EMPLOYMENT HANDBOOK - INTERNATIONAL TEFL TRAINING INSTITUTE
ACTION VERBS accelerated
accompanied
accomplish
achieved
acquired
acted
activated
adapted
added
addressed
adjusted
administered
adopted
advanced
advised
advocated
affirmed
aided
alerted
alleviated
allocated
altered
amassed
ameliorated
analyzed
anchored
answered
anticipated
applied
appointed
appraised
appropriated
approved
arbitrated
arranged
articulated
assembled
assessed
assigned
assisted
assured
attained
attracted
augmented
authenticated
authored
authorized
automated
averted
avoided
awarded
balanced
blended
boosted
calculated
centralized
certified
calmed
capitalized
centered
charted
checked
circumscribed
circumvented
clarified
classified
completed
cured
debated
deliberated
delineated
delivered
defined
delegated
developed
devised
directed
distinguished
distributed
doubled
earned
edited
eliminated
enabled
established
evaluated
examined
executed
expanded
explored
extracted
fielded
finished
forecasted
formed
founded
gathered
generated
grounded
guarded
guided
handled
hastened
headed
helped
hired
identified
implemented
improved
increased
individualized
instructed
introduced
invented
invested
itemized
joined
judged
justified
landed
launched
led
located
made
maintained
managed
measured
molded
motivated
multiplied
narrowed
negotiated
nurtured
observed
operated
organized
outlined
packaged
performed
persuaded
planned
probed
programmed
proposed
published
qualified
quickened
quizzed
raided
rated
rebuilt
regulated
reinforced
reorganized
innovated
mended
minimized
positioned
presented
recruited
reduced
regained
relieved
removed
renewed
renovated
repaired
researched
resolved
retained
revised
saved
scheduled
screened
segmented
selected
serviced
shared
shortened
sorted
staffed
stimulated
stocked
streamlined
strengthened
submitted
summarized
summed
supervised
supported
sustained
taught
tested
thinned
tightened
tracked
transformed
translated
transported
trained
trusted
unified
united
utilized
verified
validated 7
Circle the action words that would apply to the past experiences that you will use in your resume. Remember to be creative! You should use a thesaurus to help you choose appropriate words that would be related to the work you will do in the classroom and as a teacher.
LETTER OF INTRODUCTION This letter is a “hello” to the school and is a first look into who you are and what you can offer to the school. This is an important letter. So keep in mind the following tips: • Make sure there are no spelling or grammatical errors. • The letter can be anywhere from one to two pages. Don’t think in local terms. • The letter should give a brief description of why you want to teach, why you chose that specific country, your experiences, and your character. • Create this letter independently and be as creative as possible. • Don’t lie. • If you can, you should write a salutation or a closing in the native language of the country you are writing to. The first paragraph should be a statement of your name, the country you are from, and your formal education (obviously TESOL should be in this paragraph!), and where you are applying to.
Paragraph Two
The next paragraph should be a little more detailed and should explain why you have chosen the country (city if you can be that specific) to teach in. This is where the research you have done on this country will come in handy again. You should flatter their country and give them an idea of what attracts you to that part of the world. This sets up a sense of interest and commitment. What will you do in this country besides work? If possible, you should flatter the school if you have had the chance to so some research already. Choose some of the striking aspects of the school that you have noticed and mention them in this paragraph.
Paragraph Three
This paragraph should include any teaching-related experiences that you have had. This is where you will get into the points why you are the BEST teacher in the world. Don’t be modest. This will not get you a job. Flatter yourself and use all of the traits and action words that you can to explain what kind of teacher you are and why you are the best. This paragraph will describe the teacher in you.
Paragraph Four
In the last paragraph, you should leave the school thinking about you. You want to describe what kind of a person you are, why you are suited for teaching overseas, and what you feel you will get out of this experience. This is where you describe yourself outside of the classroom and explain your goals for teaching overseas. 8
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Paragraph One
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Paragraph Five
The school will contact you after reading over your resume/CV. So be sure to include your phone number (with country code and area code), address, and e-mail address. In this paragraph, you should also include the best time to call you in THEIR time zone. This will avoid interview phone calls at 2:00 am when you may not be at your best. If you are posting this letter on the Internet, do not put any contact information in this paragraph-except your e-mail address.
Sample Letter of Introduction 6114 Bergenline Ave., 2nd Floor West New York, NJ 07093, USA [The Director] READING TOWN ENGLISH INSTITUTE 1010-8 Daechi-Dong Dangnam-Gu, South Korea Dear Director: My name is John Smith, and I am an Australian citizen who has recently graduated from TESOL International with a 120-Hour TESOL Certificate and a specialization in teaching young learners. I am actively looking to secure an EFL teaching position in China. I have always been impressed and interested in the culture and the language of your country. At this time, I would like to immerse myself in your culture in order to not only learn more, but also to experience your wonderful country and its citizens first hand. It has always been a goal of mine to try and master the Mandarin language, and I feel that the only way to learn is to immerse myself in the language. Most of all, I anticipate teaching the children of your country who will bring great insight into my own understanding of children in general mixed with cultural enlightenment. As you will see from my resume, I have had various opportunities to try out my teaching skills. I have been a camp counselor for two summers. I have been involved in the childcare field for three years and have organized many lessons and activities for children through my experience being a Sparks’ leader. Although these are not formal teaching experiences, I will be able to take many creative ideas and activities that I have leaned from my various experiences with children. You will also find that my personal characteristics are more than suited for teaching your young learners. I have an abundance of energy and a high level of patience. I have a sincere love for children and enjoy creating a comfortable atmosphere where students not only learn, but also enjoy the learning process. I am very creative and know how to keep children busy--whether it is through games, crafts, songs, or other activities. Above all, I consider myself a friendly and outgoing individual who will not only help my students in the classroom, but will also ensure that I will be an asset to the rest of your teaching staff.
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I wish to secure a teaching contract at your fine school beginning any time in June of 2009. Although most of my experiences have been with young children, I am open to teaching adults and adolescents at any level of English. Please contact me at 9:00 am your time in order to further discuss my qualifications. I will be home at this time on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Or, you may contact me by e-mail at jjsmith@hotmail.com. I will be anticipating your call or e-mail. Sincerely,
John Smith
There are many different styles of resumes. It is up to you which resume style you would like to use. We will provide you with three different examples of how you can organize your resume clearly and effectively. Documentation of your experience and qualifications that are interesting, informative, and well presented will surely appeal to your employers. It is important that you take the time to properly organize your resume. In every resume you should include: • Personal Data (objective) • Education • Experience • Additional Information • References Personal Data, or Objective, is a very important part of your resume, as it brings all of the aspects together in a couple of sentences. The Objective paragraph should state what you are able to do for the employer and that you have what will make you the ideal candidate for the job. Here is an example (please do not copy the example as many people use this manual. If every employer receives the same objective from TESOL International graduates, it will show a lack of creativity.). Example Objective To become an ESL/EFL teacher in a recognized institution in Japan in order to apply and further both my TESOL education and experience as a motivating and effective ESL/EFL teacher while learning more about the Japanese culture and language.
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RESUME WRITING
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Write your own objective here using the goals that you have outlined in Step One:
Education and Experience is the information that the employer will definitely be looking at. They prove whether you have the skills and knowledge about the job you are applying for. Either one may go first; although, it is a general rule that you put the one that has the most direct relevance to the job first. For example, if you have no experience teaching, you may want to put your education first. There it states that you have focused training in this field which is important. When writing about your work experience, all your teacher action and buzzwords should begin each sentence which describes your experience. Write down your educational background including any certificate courses:
For the experience portion of your resume, refer to the previous pages where you wrote down the ten top experiences that you have. You can also write down all of your previous employment and write how you can demonstrate teaching skills or characteristics through these types of employment. Write three to five sentences for each job placement and use teacher buzzwords for the description of this employment.
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Additional information can range from hobbies to special achievements or volunteer work. In this section, the employer gets a sense of who you are from the work or experience that you have outside of education and the work force. It should include any academic achievements (honor roll, awards, etc.), hobbies, and sports that you have joined and personal activities.
As you are applying for a job overseas, you should try to include as much relevant information about yourself in order to paint a clear picture of the kind of person you are. Your employer does not meet you until you arrive at the school. So the more information they have about your experience and character, the more confident they will feel when hiring you. Don’t think that you have to stay within the two-page limit as usually given in North America; although, don’t write a long list of irrelevant activities and experience. All of the information on your resume should directly apply to your character and the experiences you have which will prove you are a reliable and effective teacher. Now that you have an idea of what to include in your resume/CV, which section of your resume/CV seems to be the strongest when applying for a TESOL teaching job?
The following three pages will give you outlines as to how to organize your resume depending on your experience and education in the teaching field. Read over each style and determine which one will be best for you depending on the focus of each resume. 12
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What additional information can you write down in your resume?
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THREE RESUME/ CV STYLES The Traditional Resume/CV
The traditional resume is one that is usually used when a person has a mix of related experiences and some direct education or training. It is a basic resume that sums up the person as a whole. In this resume you must decide whether your education or your experience will prove to have the most relevance to the job. This resume includes only the basic headings such as: • Objective • Education • Experience • Additional information • References It is set up the same as described above. You will want to make sure that all of your experience or education that is most relevant will go first under each heading. In this resume you must remember to make sure that all the information you have provided under each heading is, in some way, relevant to teaching. This is a resume where the employer will see that you have both relevant skills and training to perform the duties of the employment. There is no main focus of this resume. It is one where the employer will take notice of all the aspects (education, experience, and additional information) in order to get a full sense of how you are suited for the employment you are applying for.
The Focused Resume/CV
This resume is used for those people that have many practical experiences to focus on; however, perhaps less educational experience to rely on when applying for the position. In this case, you separate your experiences in two categories in order to put the focus on your experience rather than your education. The categories are organized as follows: • Objective • Related Experience • Other Experience • Education and Training • Achievements/Other Activities • References In this case, you will put all of your direct teaching experiences (whether it is in a classroom, tutoring, coaching, child care, etc.) under Related Experience. You will then put your other work experience under Other Experience even if you also have some indirect teaching experiences (such as training, presentation, and leadership skills). Instead of putting the employer as a heading, you would put your title as a heading. 13
This is a good resume to use for those jobs that require post-secondary education. Many of these jobs request this, but will usually look at direct experience as being just as important. Under Education and Training, you can also state if you were specifically trained for childcare (such as a babysitting course), leadership training, etc. Even if you did not receive a certificate for this training, you may still put these training experiences under the heading, but to be sure that it is clear that you have no “paper” to prove the training by giving a brief description of who trained you and when.
The Functional Resume/CV
This resume is used when the applicant would like the employer to take notice of his/her attributes which demonstrate a sound capability to perform the duties of the job. The focus is on listing specific qualities that you have gained through other employment which relates to teaching. The organization is as follows:
In this case, you will be describing major qualification and achievements that you have done for other employers which related directly to what you will contribute to the school. Your qualifications and major achievements headings will include short statements about your skills and characteristics which you have done in the past. They don’t have to be in chronological order, nor do they have to be under the heading of a job. You simply list things you have done in the past to prove what you can do for the school. You should start all of these sentences with teacher buzzwords. Under employment experience, you will not give a detailed description of what you did for each employer, as these have already been stated generally in your qualifications and achievements. You simply list the past jobs with your title and a one-to-two sentence summary of your duties. Your additional information will also be important in this resume. Do you have any hobbies or past experiences which will show your employer that you have the characteristics of being a teacher? You should list all of these.
Sample Resume/CV
This example resembles the traditional resume. Remember that your resume should include the most relevant parts first.
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• Objective • Qualifications • Major Achievements • Employment Experience • Education • Other Activities/Awards • References
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Jon Smith 101 Green St. Ottawa, ON K1R 4T6 Canada Education 1998
BA English Literature Ottawa University, Ottawa Ontario, Canada
200
120-Hour TESOL Certificate TESOL International, New York, USA
Related Experience Tutor Tutored first-year English students at the University of Ottawa Training Employees Trained two full-time employees at Big Bill’s Restaurant Trained three full-time employees at Restorations Inc. Sparks Leader Organized and implemented activities, games and instructed young children (3-5) using the guidelines of the Sparks program. Volleyball Coach Assistant coach for a girl’s high school volleyball team – helped girls develop skills and instructed them on the game. Child Care • Responsible for the care of children while parents were away. • Responsible for the general well being as well as the entertainment of the children during their parents’ absence. • Minded seven children individually throughout a three-year period. Other Work Experience Big Bill’s Ottawa, Ontario Waitress • Responsible for full customer service during the meal • Retaining orders to be taken to the kitchen • Organizing seating plans for large parties • Trained two new full-time employees Restorations Inc., Ottawa, Ontario Customer Service Representative • Informed potential clients of company policies and products • Organized manuals to be used by customer service reps • Created and maintained a client database • Instructed customers in making informed decisions base on their needs Other Achievements Overseas Travel: Italy, England, Mexico Associations: Vice President of Students’ Council Treasurer for Spark’s Canada, Ottawa Division Member of various volleyball and basketball teams 15
Hobbies and Personal Interests • Strong interest in learning a foreign language • Enjoy research on new and creative activities for children • Enjoy sports of all kinds • Enjoy reading literature • Enjoy writing poetry and short stories for children
LETTER OF REFERENCE The letter of reference as part 3 of your resume lists the names of three people who will give you GREAT references. Do not use the North American approach – “references available upon request.” You want to ensure that the reader gets great references and does not have to contact you again to obtain their names and contact numbers. Who do you know that could write you a letter of reference? You should plan for five people, and then choose the best three that could relate to your character, teaching, employability, and reliability.
2. 3. 4. 5.
TIPS FOR GREAT REFERENCE LETTERS • Select only people who will give you a GREAT reference letter. • Talk to all the people whom you wish to use as references and explain to them what you are doing and how important that job is to you. Ask them directly if they will help you get the job by writing a GREAT letter of reference. It they hesitate, get someone else. • Remember that everyone HATES writing letters of reference. You are imposing on their personal time. • Remember that most people DO NOT know HOW to write a GREAT letter of reference. • Take charge of the letter of reference. Do not put your future in the hands of someone who may be well intentioned but very busy or may not know how to write a GREAT letter of reference. 16
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1.
GLOBAL EMPLOYMENT HANDBOOK - INTERNATIONAL TEFL TRAINING INSTITUTE
• To save time and headache on the part of the writer, draft up a GREAT letter of reference that you feel will get you the job. Give them a copy in the final form with their name and on letterhead, and if they endorse it/agree with it, have him/her sign it. • If they want to make changes to your letter, offer to make them and return with the final draft in two hours. People are lazy and will probably not get around to rewriting it in the time you need it. • Do not leave the letter with them to send to the prospective school. Take the original from them and follow the procedure to get the job. • By sending the school a letter of reference you are taking charge of your future and making it easy for the school to hire you.
An excellent letter of reference is a valuable document for obtaining the job you want. The author of a letter of reference should remember four ideas: 1. The reader does not know the applicant. 2. A poorly written letter is ignored. 3. The reader is at least as busy as the writer--so clarity and brevity are important. 4. Polite, friendly, honest, formal language in the active voice should be used. Every powerful letter of reference (a letter of reference is a business letter) contains four official critical elements: an introduction, an evaluation, a conclusion, and an invitation. The introduction of a letter of reference is like any introduction. It exists for two reasons: to inform the audience of the content and to capture the reader’s imagination. All introductions should begin with a salutation. The second paragraph should evaluate specific skills that are relevant to the job being sought. For TESOL applicants, this should include the ability to speak and write English clearly and logically, the ability to plan and organize activities, the ability to lead or motivate a group of people, the ability to work long hours unsupervised, a sense of humor, and the ability to teach. The third paragraph should evaluate general employee skills. Communication, cooperation, accountability, teamwork, and respect for differences in people are important for getting and retaining any job. For many employers these general skills are more important than specialized skills. The author does not have to give examples of these skills; however, a few of them would not hurt in a letter of reference intended for an overseas audience. 17
THE PERSONAL PHOTO Tips for a great photo • Color or black and white, whichever makes you look best • 3” x 5” – not a passport size or smaller • Waist up – not just head only or full body • Look professional, like a teacher! Men: collard sleeve shirt and tie Women: dress or blouse with sleeves and no bare shoulders or open neck • Wash and comb hair • SMILE! • Men: No earrings or long hair in face. If you have long hair tie it back for photo • Women: No nose rings and a maximum of two earrings (NOTE: These are only recommendations.)
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SAMPLE PHOTO WOMAN
SAMPLE PHOTO MAN
Be very careful to only send flattering pictures. A TESOL instructor only had the second set of her two passport photos that she had taken during a very bad bout of the flu, thinking she could update it once she arrived. She arrived in South Korea the week after with the new picture in her hand only to see the photo she had sent on every promotional poster the school put out. The horrible picture followed her around for almost a year before they changed the poster. Another teacher with bright red, curly hair sent a picture of himself to Japan. He found out later that the school had displayed his picture on a doorknob hanger on every door in the city that said, “Don’t disturb me. I’m studying English.”
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Many people are intimidated by the personal photo. It is not a beauty contest, and they are not judging you by your looks. They use the photo to put a face to the resume. Plus it helps when they have to pick you up at the airport when you arrive.