How to contact
TEFL employers:
Should
I use e-mail or letters to contact TEFL employers?
Or should I
call? What works best?
What works is what works. The same approach doesn't
work everywhere.
What really works best? Personal contact and
networking. Just like back home. But, if you are not
in country, you'll have to try some other approaches of
course, particularly if you don't have networking
contacts.
E-Mail - Telephone?
I
am a giant e-mail fan and I use it for everything. But,
for some reason, not everyone responds well to it. For
me it is great! I don't understand why others don't use
it as I do. But they don't.
All
that said, some employers will use it efficiently -
others won't. Use it if that is what they ask for. But
don't expect it to do the job. A follow up phone call
might help you get to the top of the list - even if you
must make it at 2am your time. That little bit of
effort might make a huge quality of life difference if
you land exactly the job you want.
Advertised Jobs
When jobs are advertised on popular boards, the
advertiser may get as many as 100+ responses. You need
to think about how to get your application to the top.
Follow up. Follow up. Follow up.
Tip: It is worth your effort to get a list of schools
(online is often easy) and send your letter of interest
to them before they advertise. I almost always do
this. Try not to compete with the hoards on the
Internet.
Some Countries
Want a personal contact - to meet you face to face -
hard to do if you are in your home country. Phone calls
are cheap nowadays - try them too. Be aware of time
zones of course.
Letters
Some jobs/schools will want hard copies of your resume
and a letter of interest. Still, it is best to follow
up with either an e-mail or a phone call.
How
Many?
Plan on a hundred contacts to find the job you want.
Some places (Korea for example) will require much less
(maybe only one or two!), others may require more. I've
never made that many contacts myself, but I want you to
be realistic and mentally prepared. There is
enough demand that you can look over a few offers before
you decide. Don't hold out too much - but don't
fell either that you must take the first job offered.
Be
Patient
Hold out for the right job. Know that as a Newbie, you
may not find the perfect situation, but don't give up
what you want too quickly.
