Things To Do To Prepare For Teaching Abroad

[International Expat]

One of the most important things to do if you are thinking about becoming an international educator is to prepare yourself for this next chapter of your life. Teaching abroad is a major life change. And like all major life changes, you need to go in with your eyes open. It should not be a spur of the moment thing. If it is, you are asking for disaster.

With that in mind, we've created this prep guide to help you figure out what you need to do in order to give yourself the best chance at having a great experience teaching abroad.

·      Start your preparation and research roughly six to nine months before you actually want to start teaching abroad. This will give you a chance to weigh all of your options carefully so you don't make a snap decision.

·      Search through international job postings and figure out what different types of schools are looking for. Then look at your own skill set and determine which ones match certain schools. This will save you from applying to a school where you will not be a good fit.

·      Figure out if there are any qualifications you don't currently have, but could get before you start applying to schools.

·      If you find a school that seems to match your qualifications, research it and make sure that it doesn't have a bad reputation or any other red flags that would indicate it might be a poor choice.

·      Decide if there is a specific country or region you'd like to live in for a while. If there is, find an online course to help you learn the basics of the language so you will be able to communicate a bit as soon as you arrive.

·      Figure out how big a cultural change you can handle, and match your school search to that. You don't want to end up teaching in the Middle East if you like to go out drinking and flirting several times a week.

·      Prepare several resumes that highlight different aspects of your professional history for different types of schools.

·      Do practice job interviews with your friends. This way you will feel more comfortable with the real thing.

·      Go to as many job fairs as you can, and ask a lot of questions while you are there. Don't simply talk to the people in the booths. Talk to other people who have taught abroad and seek out their advice.

·      Get a check-up from your doctor, and ask him or her if there are any regions you should avoid for health reasons.

·      Arrange for someplace reliable to keep your stuff in storage while you are gone, so you don't have to rebuild your life from scratch when you eventually decide to return to your home country.

·      Try to get at least three job offers so you can compare your options and know you are making a well informed choice.

cc InternationalEducators.com