 So you've got your TEFL certificate. Now what? How do you go about looking for a job as an English teacher abroad? TEFL TESOL Recruiters Using a recruiter can be a great way to find a TEFL job, especially if you are applying from your home country. Some recruiters will help with the necessary paperwork involved in applying for the correct visa for your destination country and some may even arrange orientation sessions before your job starts. Recruiters are paid by the schools to find teachers and should not charge teachers for finding positions. Depositives Great way for new teachers to find legitimate jobs. Recruiters can offer visa assistance. Provide relevant information about destination countries. Take some of the stress out of moving to a new country. The negatives. Avoid companies that charge the teacher for their services. Research the company thoroughly before committing. Remember that they work for the schools, not for the teachers. Online job adverts. There is a large number of websites advertising TEFL jobs all over the world, and this is a good way to find jobs yourself while you are still in your home country. Many sites allow you to search by country showing you what is available and your chosen destination. Even if you don't apply to any of the adverts, there are good ways for you to suss out typical salaries, benefits, and so on of local job markets. Depositives There are thousands of positions around the world advertised online. You're free to choose where you work. You can judge the job market and the country you're interested in. Negatives Online ads attract a lot of applicants. Schools tend to prefer hiring teachers already in the country. Watch out for scams. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Applying in person Applying to schools in person is often the best way to secure an English teaching job. Most employers prefer to hire someone who is already in the country. Due to the transient nature of EFL teachers, job openings arise frequently and employers often rely on word-of-mouth and personal contacts, rather than posting a new advert every time they need a new teacher. Depositives Many employers prefer hiring teachers who are already in the country. An employer is far more likely to read a CV on their desk than in their inbox. It's an excellent chance to make a great first impression. The negatives It can be expensive. You'll need to support yourself while job hunting. You'll need to arrange visas, accommodation, and transport yourself. Speculative email This enables you to access EFL jobs that may not be advertised and ensure that your details are already with employers when openings do arrive. All you need to do is write a cover email for the area in which you want to work. Search on Google for schools in that area. Collect all the relevant email addresses in one word document. Create a new email and address it to yourself. Add the email addresses you have collected to the BCC field. Attach your CV. Send the email and wait for responses. The positives Send your details to a large number of potential employers in one email. Access jobs that aren't advertised online or elsewhere. The negatives Adding the email addresses to the CC field instead of BCC will show everyone your writing to more than one school. So where to start looking? The biggest demand is in Asia with 400 million learners in China alone. The highest salaries are in the Middle East with 5,000 US dollars per month on average. The lowest cost of living can be found in Latin America with only 400 US dollars monthly.