Operation: TEFL

I am sitting in a coffee shop, waiting for a school director in Ecuador to sign in to Skype so that she can interview me for a job. This is the second such interview that I have had, the first being with a school called Academia de Quito, and this time with Inlingua Quito.

My computer is on, the coffee shop's wireless internet is in full bloom, and I am wearing a sweater, and am generally combed up for my conversation. I turn on my webcam and position myself to make sure that the lighting is sufficient. Looks good. Now I wait.

In Ecuador, time is regarded with greater lethargy, and it is common for people to show up to scheduled events about forty-five minutes late. It is 7:19am Pacific Standard Time, and she has still not signed into Skype. It is 10:19 Ecuador Time. They have their own time acronym. This cannot be good.

But as I am waiting for this interview to begin, and people are just beginning to plunge into their daily routines all around me, it becomes clear that I am participating in something that the world has, until recent years, never known. I am participating in a job market that has transcended national boundaries via the world wide web. My credential is called a TEFL, a Teach English as Foreign Language diploma, and it opens up the possibility of teaching in private and business schools worldwide, many accredited by respected universities.

Here is the problem: since you are not participating in any geographic space for this search, it is purely informational, which means that every step of your inquiry, resume, application and interview have to be spot on. Time zone conversation has to be paid close attention on both sides, internet connections have to be working, language barriers have to be broken with general working knowledge of the native languages on either side of the conversation, money conversions have to be considered, customs and cultural traits regarded, not to mention all of the standard job hunting protocols: nice appearance, confident demeanor, punctuality, references, et cetera. In short, it is a tough market to get into. I say this in the middle of my own experience, now about six months of diligent online activity.

In the meantime, I have not neglected my domestic search. More domestic credentialing is also important as a teacher, and so anyone in a TEFL job hunt should be on top of what other credentials can bolster their teaching experience.

It is 7:42am PST, 10:42am ECT, and there has been no sign of Inlingua Quito for forty-two minutes. I will be using this space to document my job hunt in the TEFL market, and hopefully bring to light some problems and virtues of this new occupational world. For now, I am signing off and wish you a lovely day, reader.