Staying Competitive – Job Tips
The present ELT job market is really “dog eat dog” and hyper competitive. With the economy slow in western countries, many more teachers are vying for teaching positions abroad. Still don’t fret! There are many things you can do to improve your chances of landing a great English language teaching job. Here at TEFList, we are here to help you.
These are my top 5 replies when teachers ask me, “What can I do to better my chances of getting an interview?”
1. Read the job ad carefully!
Employers have specific conditions which applicants must follow. These can range from how to contact them to the number and kinds of documentation. Read the ads carefully and follow the employers / recruiters instructions to the letter. Believe it or not – 30% of all applications are thrown out without even being looked at! Why? The teacher didn’t follow the procedures for applying.
2. Polish your resume!
Employers and recruiters typically spend 30 seconds or less looking at each resume. Make yours professional and impeccable. Style it and make it stand out. Use a professional service if you must but follow these guidelines from MIT (they know what they are doing!). Further, keep it short and direct. Have multiple resumes depending on the position applied also.
3. Widen your search
There are a lot of gems out there and typically, teachers don’t use all the resources and contacts available to them. Use recruiters to help you – they are experts! However, be specific in communicating your requirements to them. Contact schools directly. This can pay off big time – many ELT jobs just aren’t advertised and you could be Johnny or Joanna on the spot.
4. Social Network
Nowadays, jobs are across the web. Make contacts online and use your facebook and linkedIn to maximum effect. Join online communities like EFL Classroom 2.0, make friends and ask around. This really gives you an edge and in many cases if a job does come open, you’ll be first to apply.
5. Make a video resume
Here at TEFList, we give you the opportunity to show who you are through video. Keep your video short and direct and let them see the person you are. This can be a deal breaker and if you make your video introduction short, to the point, professional – you’ll be sure to get employers and recruiters contacting you. Watch some of our videos for tips on making a video introduction.
Ready, Set, Go!
Starting up isn’t easy! We’ve been working over ONE FULL YEAR to develop TEFList. And now we are just starting!
This is our official launch and start enjoying TEFList right now. All those who register the first month, employers or teachers, will get the free ebook Teaching Journal – Zen and the Act of Teaching. Enjoy!
Please give us feedback on our uservoice! The first month we will be making changes as users voice their user experiences. The future holds even more great things
* premium video conference rooms for employers
* showing recruiters as separate from employers
* more integration of social networking tools to get your jobs out among the millions.
We have a lot of work to do but we feel we are making it much easier to get a job or find a teacher. MUCH EASIER. All the ELT jobs in one place! Videos for both teachers and employers! And more….
Let the games begin!
The “Art” of the video resume
TEFList will be expanding and promoting the use of the video resume. See examples in our main play player and on our Youtube channel. For both teachers AND employers. It is a win-win situation and gives each party more information from which to make life turning decisions.
Yet, there are pitfalls! The video resume got a bad start with Aleksey Vayner who applied to UBS with clips of his inflated athletic prowess. Here’s another video resume – my question, would you hire this guy?
A video resume, especially for a teaching job, offers you a great opportunity to show who you are. Many might think Alex is over the top, however, he really does get his point across and shows his creativity and initiative. Most importantly, he does it in a tactful way. So show off but just a little. Stick to the fundamentals employers want to see — eye contact, sincerity, language skills, your experiences and why you are the person for the job. But a little flair like Alex, tastefully done will work too.
Now get making your resume today! Possibility awaits.
How to ACE your online job interview
Job interviews aren’t easy! The require their own set of skills and preparation. Teachers need to practice with the conferencing equipment (be it skype or tinychat, oovoo, tokbox or something else). There are also many other things to do. This presentation from TIME, offers a wealth of tips to those doing an online interview!
Employers – Use a recruitment video!
Schools around the world are using video to help them recruit the best teachers possible. Video is so effective and really communicated to the teacher candidates, exactly who you are and what makes your school or organization special. As that old saying goes – “a picture speaks a thousand words and video is more than words”. Start using video today and embed on your Employer’s page on TEFList using our Advanced Editor.
Here are a couple of examples to get you motivated. The first just uses a simple interview with the director. The second, more elaborate, is shot by a teacher at the school and features comments and locations.
Resumega – Resume Processor
Just as word processors have revolutionized writing, Resumega is revolutionizing the way people work with resumes.
Effective job-seekers routinely modify their resume to target a specific job. This can dramatically increase your chances of being hired, but it is also very time-consuming.
With Resumega, enter the information once and then choose from numerous templates.
The 10 Commandments of A Job Search
Online recruitment sites such as TEFList make life a whole lot easier for those job hunting. Every day we are trying to make it even easier.
However, there are still many basic things that apply. The fundamentals never change and it is a good idea to review them before starting your search. Nothing more fundamental that “The 10 Commandments”. Here’s a nice presentation outlining them for those searching for a job. My fav. is last….says it all!
Use Wordle to spice up your resume with a word cloud
A way to highlight your resume and get attention!
Why would you want to use this? How about to give visitors to your profile at-a-glance info about what makes you special – your interests, your skills, whatever you want!
TEFList already offers you the ability to embed photos right within your TEFList Profile for employers and teachers to see, but why not embed a word cloud too?
Who knows: it might help you stand out from the competition.
Your Privacy is important!
Here at TEFList, we take your privacy SERIOUSLY! You can rest assured that all your information and personal data is private and safe and only used how you want it to be used. Turn your profile OFF and it is unavailable to the world. Turn it on and you can immediately be seen by the world as a job seeker.
Everything you do on the web has a long history. It never vanishes really. Here at TEFList, we keep your data private and in your settings you can even tell us to make sure that your page isn’t seen by google or any other search engine.
In this vein, I thought members would be really interested in this new development, a new program which will like a Mission Impossible tape, destroy your data (emails, posts, comments, anything you type online) in a specified time. It is a prototype but I think its time is coming….. this will be a boon for privacy on the internet, something I’ll say once again, we take VERY seriously. Watch this, it is cool…..
Video Resumes produced easily!
Here at TEFList we will be REALLY promoting the use of video – by both teachers and employers. It just makes sense. There are thousands of miles of distance between the parties and they both want more information so they can make the right career choice.
However, it might at first seem daunting for a teacher to make a video recording. I’ll be explaining how easy it is in the weeks to come but for a start, why not just make an audio recording? It will still personalize your introduction and give you a much better chance at a great job.
How do you do it? It’s easy. Basically, you just get a nice photo of yourself, record the photo on your computer screen, using the screencasting site SCREENR and then take the embed code and put it on your TEFList profile/resume page. Then tell employers about it. Even download it from Screenr. Here’s a power point explaining the steps and then watch my own Screenr made introduction!