 The 15 Most Asked Questions in a TEFL Interview Learning how to answer common questions in an ESL interview is easy if you've researched and prepared in advance even if you've never had a formal job interview before. Before we head into answering the top 15 most asked questions in a TEFL interview, there are a few things to check off your to-do list before interviewing. Find a quiet and well-lit spot for your interview. Test your Skype connection, your earphones and your microphone before you start your interview. Be online 15 minutes before your interview starts. Make sure you dress to impress. Nonverbal communication is important. Smile, make eye contact and remember that your body language says as much about you as your words do. Remember that you must communicate well. Answer your questions efficiently and effectively. Make sure you answer the questions you're being asked and don't stray off on other subjects. The 15 Most Common ESL Interview Questions 1. Tell me a little about yourself. This is an icebreaker question that gives you the opportunity to sell yourself. Be positive and tell the interviewer about your good points, especially the parts of your personality that make you a good teacher. Learn why you are interested in moving abroad to teach and focus on the care and attention you will give to your new job. You can also talk about previous travels, previous work experience or talk about your personality and some of your favorite hobbies. 2. What do you know about the country you are moving to and why do you want to teach there? Make sure you have done your homework in advance and you've researched the country you plan on teaching in. In places you'd like to see but don't spend too much time talking about travel. You want to touch on what you know about the country you're planning on teaching in but never leave the interviewer with the overall impression that your number one reason for moving abroad is to travel. If you've been sent information in advance, make sure you've read it. 3. What kind of teaching experience do you have? This is the type of question that you can expand on even if you don't have teaching experience. Babysitting experience, summer camp experience or any other kind of experience that has had you working with kids or adults can be useful in an ESL job interview. You can also talk about helping your siblings if you have nothing else to fall back on for teaching experience. 4. Have you ever lived abroad before or have you been exposed to different cultures through travel? Obviously the best answer to this question is that you've lived abroad or studied abroad but if you haven't and need to talk solely about travel, make sure you mention where you have traveled and some of the observations you made while traveling. Your interviewer will want to know that you are somewhat familiar with the ins and outs of moving through another country. 5. How would you say you'd like to order some food or buy train tickets but you don't speak the language yet? How would you tackle these tasks during your first months abroad? Most interviewers will ask something like this to determine what you're like in certain situations. This is your opportunity to be creative and talk about how you might accomplish tasks in a different language. Your answer will also illustrate that you understand what your own students might be going through in your own classroom. 6. What do you hope to learn from your year of teaching abroad? This question depends on your goals for your year abroad. You'll want to base your answer on your motivation to teach. Do not use this question as an opportunity to talk about traveling to other places or learning the local language. Talk about how you want to improve your teaching skills with a certain age group or how you want to develop your professional teaching skills. 7. What is your favorite age range to teach and why? Be specific about which age groups you love to work with, whether they bolster your creativity as a teacher and why you feel that the age group you are interested in would be fulfilling to teach. You can always express that you're interested in all age groups if you genuinely don't mind who you teach but be specific about any favorite age groups. If young learners make you happy because they give you an overall feeling of satisfaction by watching their learning skills develop, then say so. 8. What would you say are the most important qualities an ESL teacher needs to have? There are many answers to choose from for this question but most schools will want to hear a mix of the following. Good communication skills with a clear and concise voice, time management skills in class, creativity, passion for working with young learners or adults, patience for new language learners and a sense of humor are all important qualities to mention in your interview. 9. What is your greatest strength as a teacher? What can your new school expect of you? This is important because your school will want to know what you excel at or what you think you do best. Whether it's being creative or being adaptable or knowing how to manage your time in class, be ready to impress your recruiter or interviewer with at least one strength that highlights your strengths as a teacher. 10. How would you describe your teaching style? Most teachers have a good idea of how to answer this question, especially because they are prepared for it in their TEFL course. The best way to answer this question is to review the advertisement for the job and focus on the qualities mentioned in the job description. If they ask for creative and positive teachers, mention your creative and positive and then give them personal examples. 11. How would you go about teaching a specific lesson to a group of young learners? It's not uncommon for interviewers to ask how you'd teach a specific lesson to a group of kids at a certain age level. For example, you might be asked how you'd go about teaching IT professions or going to the store to a group of five-year-olds. Try not to fall back on using flashcards in class to teach words or sentence patterns. Interviewers hear this all the time. It's not an original idea and will not gain you any points in your interview. Prepare a mini lesson in advance that you can adapt on the spot in your interview. 12. How do you maintain discipline and control in your classroom? How do you handle kids with behavioral issues? In many ways, this question can be one of the most important parts of the interview because schools will want to know that you know how to handle a group of 15 to 25-year-olds in class. There is bound to be one student in your class that acts out and it's impossible to keep an eye on all students at all times. Draw on your experience and explain effective ways that you've used for classroom management in the past. From pairing students together to finding the root cause of their behavior, there are many ways to address this question. Talk about your lesson plans and how they are designed to keep students busy, engaged and focused on the lesson. Make sure to ask about the school's policy for dealing with students that are behaving badly in class. How do you deal with kids that learn at different rates to other students in class? Schools will often create classes for students of the same age but they don't often take into consideration that the students can have a range of English speaking abilities. Your TEFL course should prepare you for this question but an easy way to answer it is to match students with poor English speaking abilities with a student who is more advanced. Your advanced student will love the opportunity to be a helper and your student who is having challenges in the classroom will receive extra attention from a new friend. 14. How proficient are you with technology in your classroom? It's important to stress that you are proficient in technology in the classroom if you have these skills. If you don't, don't try to sell yourself on a position that you might not be able to handle. If you are technologically proficient, talk about the experiences you've had using audio and visual aids in your classroom and mention whether or not you are familiar with using a smart board. Be sure to mention using hardware such as tablets and computers, specific software apps and online education sites to strengthen your lesson plans. Use successful examples from past experience. Ask your school what kind of technology they use in their classrooms so you can be prepared to teach there. 15. Do you have any questions? The worst thing you can say to this question is that you have no questions. Interviewers will cover a range of topics but try to have at least one question to ask your interviewer to show your interest in this position. You can always ask about working environments, teaching resources, the kind of responsibilities you should prepare for, what managers are like in the country you'd like to teach in or what to expect about a curriculum to follow. These sorts of questions generally aren't covered in an interview but it gives you a chance to stand out and let your interviewer know that you are the perfect teacher for their school. Now you are ready for your adventure. A little anxiety is normal when interviewing for an ESL position but it's all part of the journey. Being well prepared for your interview is key to landing your dream job.Apply now for your TEFL TESOL certification course and start teaching in a matter of months. Speak with an ITTT advisor today to put together your personal plan for teaching English abroad. Send us an email or call us toll free at 1-800-490-0531 to speak with an ITTT advisor today. It's a how-to guide to prepare for your teaching job abroad. So, you have been thinking about going abroad and are trying to figure out a way to support yourself while traveling and seeing the world. Teaching English as a second language is certainly a solid financial option for native and non-native English speakers as well as a career that is high in demand around the world. Anyone that has a love for travel and wants to learn about other cultures while also helping people should seriously consider teaching English as it can fulfill all these desires. Here's a helpful how-to guide to preparing for your teaching job abroad written by our TEFL alumni Jen who documented her journey from TEFL certificate to receiving her job offer in Spain. 1. Choose your desired location. The first step on your teaching English journey is to find out where in the world you want to go. If your heart is itching to go to Europe, South America or Asia, it is very important to do the necessary research on your desired location. You never know, based on your research, you might change your mind and end up going somewhere else instead. 2. Does the country you want to teach and require a bachelor's degree? Some countries, but certainly not all, require teachers to have a BA degree, while for others the minimum requirement is simply a TEFL certificate. To work in many Asian countries, as well as some in Europe, you will need a degree, but do not worry as there are plenty of great places where you will not need one. Popular European destinations with no official degree requirement include the Czech Republic, Italy, Russia, Spain and Turkey. In Latin America there are also many options, such as Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico and Nicaragua. It is important that you research the exact requirements of your chosen destination before you make too many plans. 3. Research the hiring seasons and contract lengths of your desired location. In some cases the time of year that you start planning to teach abroad might determine where you end up teaching. In many European countries the main hiring season is from September to October. Most teaching contracts in Europe also include a minimum of 6 months to a year. In South American countries the hiring season generally starts in January. In contrast, many Asian countries like China will be looking to hire English teachers all year round. While researching, you can also figure out the typical salaries that different countries offer to help you decide where you would like to go. 4. Now get the TEFL certification and enroll in your TEFL course. There are plenty of schools out there that offer TEFL courses for your certification. Definitely do your research and make sure that they are in accredited school that will make the teaching process informative and easy to follow. International TEFL and TESAL training offers affordable courses where you can either go to your desired country and get certified there within a month or take their online courses where you are able to get certified in about 3 months. 5. Visa requirements and interview process. In some countries you are able to travel around freely on a tourist visa and work particularly in South America. However, working in Europe, you will usually need a specific work visa or you can apply for a student visa to be able to work legally in some countries. In many Asian countries, you can start work on a tourist visa and then obtain a work visa later. Applying for visas can be a long process and it often requires a lot of paperwork like background checks, proof of funds, proof of your enrollment at a school, required signatures and translations for the country you are applying to. You might also need to provide proof of financial stability, like paying for your studies in full, paying for your accommodation while studying abroad and proof of a legitimate amount of savings in order to survive in that country. All of these requirements will need to be researched in advance and you will probably be mailing a lot of documents out and waiting for them to come back. The good news is that when applying for a visa, you should get all the information that you need in order to provide the necessary documents. Each country should have a consulate near where you live, where you can go to apply and provide all your documents. I would recommend starting to gather your visa paperwork at least 4 to 5 months in advance of your departure date because you will want to apply for your visa at least 3 months ahead of departure. It might take a month or more just to get all your documents in order. It is also important to do your research for the interview process. A lot of countries in Europe and South America like to do interviews in person. While other countries are okay with doing interviews via Skype, when you start applying for jobs it is important to pay attention to the hiring seasons so you know when to start sending out resumes or when to arrive in the country with enough time to have interviews in person. Congratulations on your journey to becoming an English teacher. Safe travels ex. Are you ready to teach English abroad? Apply now for your TEFL TESOL certification course and start teaching in a matter of months. Speak with an ITTT advisor today to put together your personal plan for teaching English abroad. Send us an email or call us toll free at 1-800-490-0531 to speak with an ITTT advisor today. 6 Tips You Need to Know About Jobs Teaching English Abroad If you are considering teaching English abroad, you will no doubt be aware that there are many things to think about when planning your adventure. You might also be a little overwhelmed by the whole prospect of packing your life into a suitcase and heading off overseas. Whatever stage in the process you are at, do not panic as tens of thousands of people have been just where you are now and have gone on to have a successful and enjoyable time teaching English as a foreign language. The following top 6 tips should help you focus on the most important things to consider and set you on the road to a new chapter in your life as an EFL teacher. 1. Get TEFL Certified The number 1 tip for anyone who wants to teach English abroad is to complete a TEFL certification course before you start looking for work. During the course, you will learn all the essential skills that you will need once you enter your own classroom. Having these skills will not only ensure that your students receive a high standard of tuition, but it will also ensure that you have confidence in your own ability and knowledge to plan and deliver your lessons in a new and unknown environment. Although having a TEFL qualification benefits both the teacher and the students, it is also an actual requirement in many parts of the world. In some countries, a TEFL certificate is needed when applying for a work permit or visa, and many other individual employers also expect their job applicants to be qualified to teach in their classrooms. Essentially, if you want to give yourself the widest choice of available jobs and access to the best paying positions, a TEFL certificate is a must. 2. Allow plenty of preparation time. While you are probably keen to get on the plane and to get your new life and career underway, it is recommended that you allow plenty of time to make the necessary arrangements. Before you head off there will be a variety of things to take care of, including completing your TEFL course, making travel arrangements, and ensuring you have an up-to-date passport, etc. The process of job hunting, applying for positions, bonus Skype interviews, and arranging work visas can also be very time-consuming. In reality, you will need a minimum of three months to get everything in place, and in many cases, this could be six months or even longer. 3. Do plenty of research. If you already know where you want to teach English abroad then you should find out as much about your destination as possible before you leave home. The information you should look for includes potential accommodation options, wet-a-pack, and what to leave at home, where to find expert groups for advice and help with settling in, to name just a few. However, if you are still unsure of your preferred destination, your research will also be aimed at narrowing down the potential locations to the ones that suit your preferences. Everyone has different motivations for teaching English abroad, whether it is to earn the maximum salary possible, to learn a new language, to explore a certain culture, or to provide invaluable help as a teaching volunteer. Whatever your own motivations, research is the key to making the right choices for you. 4. Keep an open mind and be flexible. If you are a highly qualified EFL teacher with several years' experience teaching overseas then you will be able to pick and choose the jobs you want, where you want them. However, for the majority of EFL teachers who are looking for their first job teaching English abroad, the choices might be more limited. The key to finding the right position is to be flexible in your choice of location and open-minded about countries or regions that you might not have considered before. Although the Middle East is where you will find the highest-paying positions, as an inexperienced teacher your chances of securing them are very limited. Instead, you should consider heading elsewhere to gain experience, to put on your CV resume, so you can confidently apply for your dream job at a later date. Similarly, many people dream of living and working in one of Europe's major capitals such as London, Paris or Rome. While this is certainly possible, even for those without experience, the high cost of living and strong competition for the best jobs means you might struggle to earn enough to live a comfortable lifestyle. By choosing a destination with a lower cost of living and less competition such as Prague, Budapest or Warsaw, you will ensure you have plenty of disposable income to enjoy all the cultural and social opportunities that these great cities have to offer. 5. Be aware of visa regulations. Before making any final plans for teaching English abroad it is vital that you are aware of the visa situation in the country you have chosen to teach in. The rules and regulations regarding work visas and permits vary greatly from one country to the next, so you need to research the latest requirements to ensure you are eligible. In some countries, you need to apply for a visa before leaving home while others require you to enter on a tourist visa and then apply for a work permit once you are in the country. You should also be aware that in many countries, particularly in Asia and Europe, a four-year degree is required to qualify for a work visa. Certain countries also restrict teaching jobs to native English speakers only. Once again, by conducting plenty of research you can narrow down your options to those where you can realistically live and work as an EFL teacher abroad. 6. Be aware of the hiring process. Once you have researched your preferred destinations and are aware of the visa situation, you also need to establish what the hiring process is in that particular country or region. If you are looking at one of the largest Asian markets, such as China, Japan, South Korea or Taiwan, the standard procedure is to hire teachers in advance before they leave their home country. While in Southeast Asia, Latin America and Western Europe, it is more common for employers to only hire via face-to-face interviews. In these situations, you should also be aware of the local hiring seasons so you can make sure you arrive in the country at the best time of year to secure employment. Are you ready to teach English abroad? By following these six tips you should be able to focus on the most important aspects of the planning process and get your new life teaching English overseas up and running with the minimum amount of stress. At ITTT we are fully committed to helping you every step of the way. Apply now for your TEFL TESOL certification course and start teaching in a matter of months. Speak with an ITTT advisor today to put together your personal plan for teaching English abroad. Send us an email or call us toll free at 1-800-490-0531 to speak with an ITTT advisor today. How to find a job as an English teacher online In our modern age, where working online has become a common way to make a steady living, the opportunities for qualified English teachers have further branched out into what we call the virtual classroom. There are countless online platforms and providers that offer English lessons online with native speakers allowing students from all over the world to learn how to speak English from the comfort of their home. Here is our comprehensive guide on how to find a job as an English teacher online. How to get started teaching English online Teaching English online is a great way to supplement your income while already teaching abroad or when in your home country. Learning English online also helps new teachers to gain valuable teaching experience before embarking on their adventure abroad. If you choose to get started as an English teacher online, the setup procedures are quite straightforward and not that expensive. Your first step should be to complete a TEFL certification course. The course will provide all the skills and knowledge needed to be a productive teacher, plus it gives you an edge when applying for teaching jobs online or when looking for students. Once you hold your certificate in hand, you should make sure that you have a computer or laptop equipped with a webcam and a microphone. Depending on which platform you work from, you will also need some form of communication application, often Skype. On top of that, a PayPal account is usually the most convenient way to get paid for teaching lessons online. The best employment options for teaching English online. There are two main options for online English teachers. The first option is to set up your own teaching website. This allows teachers to be completely independent and free to set their own hours. However, it can take quite some time to find regular students and setting up a IT professional looking website requires of certain budget and time commitment. A much more popular alternative, especially for those new to teaching online, is to work for an agency or an online platform. These tend to already have a pool of students with a set schedule. They also conduct their own marketing and promotion campaigns to recruit extra students. However, they often require their teachers to be TEFL certified and to undergo an application process which may include a mock lesson in front of some of their teaching staff via webcam. How much can you earn teaching English online? This figure depends on a variety of factors including your qualifications, experience and the organization you work for. A typical hourly rate for online English teachers ranges from $15 and $30, however, an agency will take a cut of this as a fee if you work through a platform. The most popular teaching platforms for teaching English online include MagicEars. Provides fun, interactive and efficient online English learning experiences to 4-12-year-old children in China. MagicEars offers compensation, which is 30% higher than the average market value and you can earn between $18.26 USD per hour. VIPCAD focuses on teaching children in Asia. All lesson plans and teaching materials are provided. Applicants need to be U.S. or Canadian citizens and possess at least a bachelor's degree and have a stable internet connection. Pay is $18 to $21 per hour with average earnings of $2,000 per month. Kamlee offers conversational lessons in an informal setting. Students come from all over the world. Pay is $0.17 per minute or $10.20 per hour, paid through PayPal every Monday. Kids open to teachers in Canada and the U.S. must be able to commit to 6 hours per week. Pre-training and all coursework provided. ITUTER. Open to teachers from the U.S., Canada and the U.K. with a degree. Hiring process is very quick, within 3 days of registration. Pay is between $16 and $25 per hour. Continuum Education Services Recruitment Agency that payers teachers with companies that require English services. Teachers offer base pay and flexible schedules. English native speakers only with a TEFL TESOL certificate. Everlitz has offices in 70 countries worldwide. Pay is $14 per hour. English and hires tutors for virtual lessons with Japanese students. Teachers must have a TEFL TESOL certificate. Teachers work between 8 and 12 hours a week. Pay is $14.50 per hour. The curriculum is provided. Global Mate New York targets South Korean learners and is only open to U.S. citizens. Are you ready to teach English online? Apply now for your TEFL TESOL certification course and start teaching in a matter of months. Speak with an ITTT advisor today to put together your personal plan for teaching English abroad. Email or call us toll-free at 1-800-490-0531 to speak with an ITTT advisor today. What to watch out for before signing your TEFL contract in China? Signing any contract can be daunting. However, if you know what to look out for as you go through the papers you have no need to be scared. We have compiled a checklist for you to keep with you as you read through your contract. Is the contract written in English and easy to understand? Is the name of the school the same as the one you were told during interviews and has it been spelled correctly? Is your name and passport on the contract and are they correct? Is the salary the same as that promised to you in interviews and is it written down correctly? Are the start and end date written down correctly? Please note. These dates may not be the same as your arrival and leaving dates to China, but they must be there nevertheless. Go through the package details carefully. Is everything with regards to your package, accommodation, medical etc. written down in the same as previously agreed upon? Are your work hours stipulated correctly? Are the following details with regards to the contract stated? How to terminate the contract early and the penalties for doing so? How to extend the contract and any benefits for doing so? The offenses which may lead to your dismissal and contract termination. Does the contract specify how you may go about voicing any grievances? There's more. Those are the most important things you will need to look out for. There are a few things you should also keep in mind when signing your contract. Even after going through the contract with the checklist above, get someone you trust to read through it before you sign it. You will sign two contracts, one before you leave for China and one when you arrive in China. Please make sure that these two contracts are identical and that no facts have changed. Now you are ready for your adventure. If there are any discrepancies with the contract, contact the school or ask your agent who will contact the school for you. With the help of these guidelines in your recruitment agency, you should have no problems at all. Sign now for your TEFL TESOL certification course and start teaching in a matter of months. Speak with an ITTT advisor today to put together your personal plan for teaching English abroad. Send us an email or call us toll-free at 1-800-490-0531 to speak with an ITTT advisor today. Preasons to choose a recruiter when finding a job teaching English abroad Using a recruiter to help you find a teaching job abroad can be a rewarding and satisfying experience for many, provided you choose the right recruiter and you know what to expect and which questions to ask. Teachers use recruiting agencies for many reasons, including relying on a recruiter to find a legitimate contract that offers a fair salary package. A recruiter will work with you to help you find a position that meets your requirements for a teaching position and they'll help you break down the application process step-by-step. Recruiting websites should have plenty of information about the job application process and they should be able to explain this process to you in clear and concise terms that are easy for you to understand. A recruiter's job is to help you through the visa process and ensure that you have a smooth arrival in your chosen teaching destination at a school you're going to love. Some people still feel uneasy about working with recruiters, but the fact is that for certain programs, such as the Epic Program in South Korea or for many teaching programs in China, a recruiter is exactly what you need to help you through all the complicated steps of applying for a position and ensuring you have all the correct paperwork. Recruits can save you time and money by simplifying the application process and by leading you through the steps of securing your visa and work permit. Here are several tips to keep in mind about working with recruiters. 1. You should never have to pay a recruiter for their services. If a recruiter is asking you for money, stop working with them. 2. Reliable recruiting companies have faces and names behind their recruiting team. Choose a recruiting agency that doesn't offer a team page or show more information about your recruiter's work and their successes over the past few years. Look for recruiters that have experience and that are open and honest about this experience. If you are looking at a recruiting website that doesn't have visible faces or individual names on their website, we strongly recommend that you do not work with that agency. Only reputable agency will be forthright about who you're working with and how much experience they have. 3. Testimonials are important. Look up reviews and teach your testimonials about the agency you intend to work with. The general rule of thumb is the more testimonials an agency or an agent has, especially testimonials and reviews across websites and social media platforms, the more reliable the agency. There are some great reasons for working with a recruiter, application advice, it's typical to have questions about application forms as these forms differ from program to program. Additionally, the types of paperwork that you're asked to collect for a job application can be hard to track down on your own. Your recruiter can tell you exactly what you need to do, how to do it, how long it will take and how to make you stand out amongst the competition. Application advice is coming from experienced people who know the teaching landscape inside out, you can't go wrong with adding a recruiter to your hiring process to simplify things for you. 3. Free job assistance. It doesn't cost you a thing to work with a recruiter and gain access to their knowledge. 4. Visa advice. The visa process for many countries can be difficult. A recruiter can walk you through the entire process from start to finish, they can help you fast track certain documents and they can make sure that all of your visa requirements are in order for the application. Personalized service. Reliable and honest recruiters offer a personalized service that includes time spent in screening applicants and preparing teachers by putting them through mock school interviews to get them ready for their real interview with potential employers. An agency's success in placing teachers is illustrated by the number of reviews you can find online about their recruiting services and through retention rates with applicants that should be available online for viewing. What is a good recruiter? A good recruiter will not only take care to screen their applicants, good recruiters also carefully screen their schools to ensure they are up to employment standards. Great care should be taken in informing the teacher applicant about reputable schools, fair salary packages and workplace ethics. Your recruiter should be working to create a great working relationship for both the school and the teacher. Another sign of a good recruiter is an agency that provides pre-departure information packages and organizes call times to prepare teachers for their year abroad before they leave home. Pre-departure information should cover everything from tax laws, vaccinations and medical insurance to resources for life abroad in a foreign country. Your recruiter should also provide support and assistance throughout your year abroad if you need it. Whether it's with assistance in booking your flights, helping you navigate cultural issues with your school manager or even if you're wondering how to deal with a particular student in your classroom, your recruiter can assist you. A good recruiter will know the ins and outs of things and can help you before things go wrong. They can also help you develop a new support network and meet new friends by introducing you to other teachers that are in the same area as you. As your deadline for departing for your new country draws closer, you'll find your to-do list for your teaching position growing as more questions come up. Have you thought about what you need to do for your visa in your home country? Do you know what happens with the visa process after you arrive in your new teaching destination? Have you thought about where you want to live? Do you know where to look for apartments or housing if your school is not providing you with accommodation? Do you know what you need to have in order to pass your health check? Do you know how to secure a letter of experience or get a national criminal background check? These are all questions that can be answered simply and easily by your recruiter rather than wasting time online looking at outdated information for teaching positions. All of these questions and more are covered by recruiters during their hiring process with you. You gain from using their expert knowledge to ease some of the stress of moving abroad. Who pays the recruiter? Recruiters are paid a hiring fee from schools who are relying on the talents of a recruiting team to help them with their hiring needs. Smart schools and education programs employ recruiters so that they can focus on what they need to focus on running their school while relying on dependable recruiters to complete their hiring needs. What kind of schools use recruiters? Reputable schools can be very specific and selective about what they want in a teacher. This is where recruiters come in. Schools often send their teaching specs to recruiting agencies to narrow down the choice for applicants and to select a match. Most schools do not have the time or resources to do this kind of work on their own, so using an agency allows schools to do what they do best from their school. Recruiters also reduce the need for schools to have a bilingual HR staff. What makes a good recruitment agency? I'm sure you're asking how to know if a recruiting agency is legitimate or not. A legitimate agency is important. Make sure the company you're working with is legal, has a professional website with an English speaking recruiting staff that offers information on the individuals you'll be working with. Look for hidden charges in your contract. A legitimate company will never charge you for a position or take a portion of your salary. Look up agency reviews and listen to your friends who are teaching abroad. Your recruiter should be able to answer basic questions about contracts, as well as providing information about the exact location of the school, the total number of teaching hours, and provide you with contact details for teachers that they have already placed at the school you are considering. Your recruiting agency should recognize the value of their teachers having a great year abroad. One of the longest standing and most reputable ESL placement agencies on the market today is Reach to Teach recruiting. It's not hard to find their reviews and testimonials online. Their Facebook page shows over 200 reviews from teachers over the past 10 years and they come with outstanding reviews on many other ESL platforms as well. Reach to Teach comes highly recommended by its teachers and schools in a number of countries around the world. You can read Reach to Teach testimonials here. Apply for a teaching position with Reach to Teach on their job board today and find out why they are known for being one of the best recruiting agencies in the ESL industry. Are you ready to teach English abroad? Apply now for your TEFL TESOL certification course and start teaching in a matter of months. Speak with an ITTT advisor today to put together your personal plan for teaching English abroad. Let us an email or call us toll free at 1-800-490-0531 to speak with an ITTT advisor today.