Pass a TEFL-ESL-TESOL job interview and get the dream job abroad

The job interview in TEFL/ESL/TESOL is of vital importance for many reasons. You have to prove that you are capable and competent in an increasingly competitive market, you have to find out what type of establishment your potential employer is, whether or not you can negotiate wages and other conditions, and many more reasons. As we learn in this article, careful planning and a shrewd, charismatic approach to the day work wonders. Think now that you have applied for a job at a private language institute and have been invited to attend an interview like any other job. This is how the preparation stage for the TEFL/ESL/TSEOL job interview begins. Getting your looks, interview answers, and interview questions right, through careful preparation, will put you miles ahead of the competition. This is when you should spend your time doing your homework. But what do you need to know?

English teaching jobs abroad, by their nature, present challenges for companies when trying to hire teachers. The challenges of long distances are reflected in a variety of job interview formats, which you should be aware of before you attend. Let’s identify the three main types of interviews and their unique quirks. First, there’s the standard face-to-face interview, which is more like any other type of job. Such interviews can be done in your home country and are very common if you are looking for teaching jobs in the country where you want to teach. Most of the advice in this article is primarily concerned with passing this format.

Second, is the group interview. In this format, a group of typically five to twenty people is invited to attend, typically for several hours, an interview and seminar. This format can be challenging as it will be more obvious that you are competing with other candidates. Also, you will most likely be asked to participate in some tasks related to teaching or teamwork. The main thing to look at in such tasks is how you behave towards your fellow interviewees, rather than how well or quickly you can complete the tasks. Be cooperative, a good communicator, and conscientious, all necessary characteristics in the classroom.

Third, if you are applying for a teaching job abroad from your home country, be prepared to do a phone interview. Phone interviews are rarely popular with candidates, or surprisingly, with interviewers. Lack of face-to-face reassurance brings out people’s insecurities and this can result in overall lower performance. Other annoyances like time zone differences and potential phone delays also make this format more unpleasant. In response to these difficulties, respond to the interviewer’s icebreakers, make your own to create an atmosphere of calm, and remain calm at all times.

Now suppose you are attending interview format one; a basic face-to-face meeting with the OS/ADOS of the school you want to work for. Don’t overlook cultural differences when considering what to wear to your interview. If you are already in the country where you intend to teach, you can figure out the social norms quite easily. However, if you are interviewing for a job abroad in your home country, do your research. One of the most curious interviews I have attended involved a large Japanese company recruiting staff in the UK. Arriving for the group interview in London, all male candidates not wearing a suit and tie were politely asked to leave. Female candidates who did not dress to a similar level of formality were also eliminated. On this occasion, as on any other where I’m not sure of appropriateness, always be too formal rather than too casual.

It is not inevitable that you will be asked questions related to English grammar, but if it is your first job or you have less than the golden two years of experience, take time before the interview to brush up on your grammar. As the TEFL/ESL/TESOL market becomes saturated with more candidates and qualifications like CELTA/Trinity TESOL become the norm rather than the exception, it is vital that you do not embarrass yourself in the interview by encountering elementary language problems. . By no means do you need to know all the intricacies of English, but basic knowledge of the language is essential; after all, how can you teach something you don’t know yourself? As a guide, look at a Pre-Intermediate level course book; the interviewer will not ask advanced language questions, so don’t worry. From my experience, be prepared to explain the difference between the simple past (I was) and the present perfect (I have gone), the rules of comparative or superlative adjectives (taller, the tallest), what are modal verbs (must, can) and what are gerunds (swimming, being late) and more.

The job interview is now in a few days and it is essential that you prepare your thoughts for a series of open ended questions that the interviewer will ask you. In this sense, I think TEFL/ESL/TESOL job interviews are easier to pass than other interviews, as there is really only a limited range of questions you should expect to be asked. It is advisable to prepare ideas, not fully written answers to the following (question tips in parentheses):

• Why do you want to work for us? (Impress them with your knowledge of the company).
• Why have you become an English teacher? (Mention your love of teaching and learning; not traveling—your employer doesn’t want to think you’ll get up and leave through your contract!)
• What work experience (in TEFL/ESL/TESOL) do you have? (If this is your first job, explain how your previous work experience relates to teaching and learning.)
• What were the challenges/difficulties you faced in CELTA/Trinity TESOL/your last teaching job? (Be sure to rotate this so it looks like he reflected on his teaching practice and grew as a teacher.)
• What English course books have you taught from? What do you think about them? (Identify a book you liked and tell how it helped your students learn)
• How long do you want to work for us/in TEFL/ESL/TESOL? (It is advisable not to mention teaching English as a stopgap or simply as an excuse to leave your country of origin. It gives the impression that you are in it for the medium or long term).

Naturally, there are quite a few other questions that could be asked; The above is supposed to serve as a guide only. Always remember to try to put a positive presentation on any teaching practice or experience you have had. Never appear disgruntled with a former employer or former colleague and do not speak ill of the society in which you have lived.

Interviewers like DOS and ADOS don’t expect the interview process to be one-way, so neither should you. In fact, I think TEFL/ESL/TESOL job interviews involve as much evaluation of the school as the school does of you. Unfortunately, it is the experience of teaching and working within TEFL/ESL/TESOL that best brings out the questions and problems you want answered. If you have never worked in teaching English, try to think about what will affect/benefit your daily work life the most. Here are some essential things to find out:

• Do I have to work split shifts? (never popular with teachers)
• Do I have to travel from one class to another? (rarely paid)
• How will the school support me if I am teaching children? (the best schools work closely with parents and teachers; the worst, not at all)
• How are student levels determined? (hopefully through a full test administered by a native speaker)
• What are the procedures for coverage and overtime? (How easily can you get coverage if you are sick and can you get overtime if you want it?)
• What materials (books, stationery, etc.)/resources (photocopier, printer, etc.) do you have?
• What are the opportunities for promotion/salary increase? (it is reasonable to ask)
• What are the professional development opportunities? (Can the company help you be a better teacher?)

Obviously, there are many issues you may want to raise in the interview, but try not to turn the meeting into an interview for the school! Hopefully, the interviewer should allay your fears and provide answers that show the school is committed to academic quality, teacher job satisfaction, and administrative competence. Alarm bells should ring if the interviewer dodges the above issues or provides unsatisfactory answers.

If you’ve impressed the interviewer and, conversely, been impressed by the interviewer’s responses to your questions, it’s time to think about acceptance. You may have been on several interviews at the same time and are wondering which one to accept. I would recommend weighing the pros and cons of each job very carefully and remembering that it is not always the salary that affects job satisfaction. Is $50 a month more really worth it to a poorly run school that prioritizes money over student/teacher welfare? The interviewer can ask for her acceptance on the day. If that’s the case, it’s not unreasonable to ask for a day or two to think: you’re committing to spending a year or more abroad, and the interviewer needs to understand that.

In conclusion, with thorough preparation, being dressed formally, and having a charismatic performance that day, you should land that TEFL/ESL/TESOL dream job easily. Schools are always looking for teachers, and there are often too many jobs to choose from. Use the interview as an opportunity to discover the employer. Talk to other teachers and tour the facilities. On a final note, learn from every TEFL/ESL.TESOL job interview – write down what went well and what could be improved so you can improve your level next time. Good luck!