We’ve put together some useful information and tips to help you navigate the world of online teaching as a newbie teacher. By the end of this article you should be ready with an action plan to get out there and find your first online teaching job!
Do you need experience to teach English online?
Good news: experience isn’t necessary to teach English online. There are plenty of online teaching companies out there that don’t ask for any previous teaching experience, so as long as you have at least a 120-hour TEFL qualification there are jobs out there for you.
Bear in mind that just because you might not have direct experience teaching English that doesn’t mean you don’t have experience elsewhere employers are after. If you’ve taught in other capacities then that will be hugely beneficial when applying for jobs. Have you trained people in the workplace? Given presentations? All relevant! And if you’re applying for a job teaching young learners be sure to emphasise any experience you have working with children.
5 tips for finding an online teaching job if you have no teaching experience
Get a quality TEFL certificate
First things first, you need to get TEFL certified if you want an online teaching job but have no experience. And you need to make sure you get your qualification through a properly accredited course provider, which will ensure you’re suitably prepared and ready to start teaching for the first time.
One of the first things employers look at is accreditation, so if you’re an inexperienced teacher a cheap Groupon TEFL courseisn’t going to cut it. Accreditation is external quality control, which helps give you and employers confidence that the course is everything it claims to be.
In terms of how long the qualification should be, 120 hours is the industry standard. Level 5 courses (which are Ofqual-regulated) include more hours of study, and are a good option if you’re looking for more comprehensive training. But there’s no need to go overboard - doing hundreds of hours of training isn’t going to open up any more opportunities or better paid jobs, it just means you’ll take significantly longer to get qualified and into paid work.
Put together a strong CV
You need to really sell yourself and stand out from the crowd with your CV.
Think about what you can do to boost your CV. That could be with advanced TEFL trainingor volunteering, for example. And make sure you’re showing all your relevant skills and experience in the best possible light. Get a friend or family member to read it through and give it a proofread.
Check out our CV guidefor helpful tips, and if you’re a TEFL Org student you can take advantage of our CV builder as well!
Nail the demo lesson
Demo lessons are a very common part of the application and interview process for online teaching jobs. You may be required to record one in advance or deliver it live in front of an interviewer or panel.
For new teachers, this can understandably feel a little daunting. But if you’ve completed your TEFL course you do know your stuff, it’s just a case of demonstrating that to the interviewers. We’ve got some great tips for putting together a demo lesson, which guide you through how to approach it and what to expect, so be sure to check it out.
Focus your job search
We all know how time-consuming and demoralising applying for jobs can be. To make the process as pain-free as possible, it’s a good idea at the start to establish what companies you meet the requirements for so you don’t waste any time.
The table above highlights a number of online teaching companies that don’t require you to have any previous experience. But it’s important to be aware that companies can have other requirements. Some may require you to be a native English speaker (or have a passport from an English-speaking country) and others may ask for a degree. Non-native speakers can check out our advice for applying for online jobs here, and if you don’t have a degree you’ll find lots of helpful info here.
Once you’ve put together a list of companies you can apply to work for it’s time to fire off those applications. Many online teachers work for a few companies to get more hours, so we recommend applying to several at a time. Even if you’re only looking to make a bit of additional income from a few hours of teaching, it’s a good idea to try working for different companies to see what’s the best fit for you.
Manage your expectations
It’s important to understand that when you start teaching English online you won’t immediately have a full schedule, and you probably won’t be on your ideal hourly rate. This is particularly true if you’re new to teaching English as a foreign language.
When you’re starting out as a teacher who has no previous experience, you want to focus on building your teaching experience. The more experience you gain the more hours you’ll be able to work and the more you’ll potentially be able to earn. Like any new career, you start from the bottom and work your way up!
For more information about getting started as an online English teacher download our FREE Guide to Teaching English Online .
