Find TEFL jobs with no degree? Easy. The university scene isn’t for everyone—but neither is boring 9-5 employment. That’s why we recommend that those without bachelors or associates degrees consider the more exciting early career path of teaching English abroad.
Yes, you can find TEFL jobs abroad without a degree. Though some countries and regions have stricter policies (here’s looking at you, the Middle East) and others will list having a degree as a preferred qualification, you can still find TEFL jobs a-plenty.
However, teaching English abroad without a degree is kind of like the Wild West. Yes, you can find a gig off of a random internet listing, but do you actually want to trust that broken English as a legitimate job opportunity? Maybe, maybe not.
Here’s what you need to know before seeking TEFL jobs abroad without a degree, because yes—TEFL without a degree is not only possible, it is absolutely worth pursuing.
5 things to know before finding TEFL jobs with no degree
1. You should strongly consider getting a TEFL certificate.
We wouldn’t want any future TEFL hiring team to doubt your capabilities—a great way to instill confidence in your qualifications is to be trained to be a TEFL teacher. Figuring out which TEFL course is the right fit for your goals, budget, and timeline can feel arduous at first, but our team is happy to walk through all of your options to help you find the best TEFL course for you.
Courses range in length from 120 hours to nearly 300, not including optional specializations like teaching English online or teaching English to young learners.
Why is this our first piece of advice? Because having a TEFL certificate signals to future schools, language academies, and summer camps that you have put in the time to learn effective strategies for teaching the English language. It showcases your commitment to not just doing the job, but to doing it well, and will open new doors and opportunities for you that are simply unavailable to those without a degree and without a TEFL certificate. It’s the perfect first step to TEFL without a degree.
2. Speaking English isn’t the same as teaching English.
One more time for those in the back: Just because you’ve grown up speaking English, whether as a first language or second, doesn’t mean that you can be an all-star TEFL teacher. Knowing how to make your sentences “sound right” and explaining why you speak the way you do are two totally different skills sets.
Get that TEFL certificate to fill any gaps in your knowledge of the language and your knowledge of how to teach it to others. Git!
3. Your opportunities are still many.
There are hoards of destinations who seek to hire external help (especially native speakers) to share their skills with their citizens, regardless of whether or not you’ve completed a bachelors degree.
While it’s true that your degree-totin’ counterparts might have even more destinations to choose from, multiple countries still hire TEFL teachers without a degree (we outline five great ones right here). Popular countries for teaching abroad that hire non-degree holders include Cambodia, Romania, Costa Rica, Brazil, and Poland.
4. TEFL jobs range in size, length, commitment, more.
Not all TEFL jobs are created equal. As you start to get a feel for the landscape, pay attention to factors like the hours of work you’re expected to do weekly, how much time—paid or unpaid—you have set aside for lesson planning, how long is your contract, what your hourly rate will be, and more.
5. You can also teach English without a degree online
Teaching English online is the most convenient way to make a quick buck in exchange for your English language skills. That’s why we were thrilled to uncover that some of the best English teaching jobs online, including those with Fluentify, don’t require a degree to teach. This is just another awesome avenue to living your dream life abroad to TEFL without a degree.
So, regardless of whether or not you can get a TEFL job in-country, you can certainly find opportunities to teach English without a degree online. Huzzah!
Hiring now: TEFL jobs abroad
Without a degree, you may feel like your options are limited. But here are no less than FOUR teaching abroad opportunities actively seeking your talent and skills, just as you are!
- Paid Internships in Argentina — 6 months
- Paid Internships in Romania — 3-5 weeks
- Paid internships in Cambodia — 3 months
TEFL Jobs: No degree required
You now know more essential pieces to the TEFL abroad pie and are one step closer to getting paid to travel the world. What other questions do you have about TEFL without a degree? Set up a call today!
The post TEFL Without Degree? What to Know First appeared first on Premier TEFL.
