| When several readers sent in "generically similar" | | | | expertise. If I may be a bit blunt, you need to get off |
| questions like the ones below, my response was | | | | your duff and do some marketing research. Then |
| similar to each. It helped them. Perhaps it will help you | | | | market to the target markets you find.o First, write a |
| too. Sooner or later, we all leave our first ELT position | | | | cover letter which highlights your technical background |
| for "greener pastures". Sometimes we stay. | | | | with your teaching skills. Show how one complements |
| Sometimes we don't. Often we simply want a better | | | | the other. Focus on trade / technical schools and / or |
| salary or income to help support the better life we | | | | technical career faculties in universities.o Second, write |
| were originally looking for. Here are the situations, | | | | proposals for teaching ESP, that is technical English to |
| questions and my response. | | | | businesses and companies in your target areas. |
| "About teaching English abroad; I wanted to ask you a | | | | Intensive English courses of from one week to one |
| couple of questions." | | | | month might work best at first. Use the phone book, |
| "I have a technical degree and years of successful | | | | chamber of commerce and periodicals for leads on |
| experience but I find myself with a desire to do | | | | companies to target.o Third, advertise in large local |
| something different. I visited my dream country on | | | | newspapers using a small but highly targeted ad for |
| vacation and I fell in love with the country. Now I am | | | | teaching business / technical English to high-tech |
| giving up a good job in the USA and moving to abroad | | | | companies and business professionals. Get some |
| to teach English." | | | | decent business cards too - with your full contact |
| "I took the TEFL and have my certification but I am | | | | information on one side and your services / expertise |
| finding that most schools want an Education-related | | | | on the other. I'll bet you don't have good business |
| degree and my technical degree seems to be hurting | | | | cards at the moment, do you?o Finally, you're causing |
| me despite the TEFL. I have found work with private | | | | your own problem in part, which is good in that you |
| students but I am having a hard time finding full-time | | | | can then provide your own solutions. Get to work. If |
| teaching jobs in one of my more desired cities. For me | | | | you really get stuck and genuinely require additional |
| it's not only about the money. I just want to teach at a | | | | help, let me know and I'll try to prod you in the right |
| high-level school or university." | | | | directions again. |
| Question: Do you have any advice? With my TEFL | | | | I hope I've helped. What happens to you is up to you - |
| and technical degree, I can't get a teaching position at | | | | not me or anybody else for that matter. |
| a bilingual school. It's depressing! | | | | One final point: Don't give up. Keep plugging away. If it |
| Thanks for any help at all!! | | | | takes a couple of months or more to saturate the |
| Here's What to Do | | | | market sufficiently to start getting relevant feedback, |
| I'm a little surprised at the "difficulty" you seem to be | | | | so be it. Do what it takes to succeed. |
| having, but I'd like to suggest a slightly different | | | | The opportunities are out there. |
| approach. You're obviously not marketing to target | | | | Now you just go out and get them. |
| markets that could most benefit from your multiple | | | | |