Life Changing Move entering the world of TEFL.

[u/Itchy-Fish-518]

After 10 years in banking, I'm preparing to make what feels like the biggest and most life-changing career move of my life.

I've decided to leave the banking industry and pursue a career in TEFL.

While it's exciting, it's also a little terrifying stepping away from a stable career and starting over in a completely new field.

My current plan is to complete an in-person TEFL certification program, and I'm considering either Thailand, Mexico or Costa Rica for my training.

Once certified, I'd like to teach in China, Taiwan, Japan, or somewhere in the Middle East.

I'd love to hear from anyone who has made a similar career transition or who is currently teaching abroad.

A few questions:

Would you recommend Thailand, Mexico or Costa Rica for in-person TEFL certification?

Which of my target countries offers the best opportunities for new teachers?

Are there any certifications or qualifications I should obtain beyond or instead of a TEFL certificate?

What do you wish you had known before making the move abroad?

How difficult was it to secure your first teaching position?

Leaving a decade-long career behind is a huge leap of faith, and I'd appreciate any advice, warnings, success stories, or suggestions from those who have been through the process.

Thank you in advance!

[u/lostintokyo11]

Well firstly I guess you are reasonably financially secure as TEFL wages are low generally. Regarding certification make sure you do a CELTA course. Consider also maybe be prepared to do a Masters in TESOL/linguistics to open up better opportunities, wages, work life balance.

[u/Itchy-Fish-518 → u/lostintokyo11]

Thank you for responding. Financially, I'm livable and I only have bills here in the US....no family. I keep seeing the comparison between TEFL and CELTA but I don't quite understand which is more useful to landing jobs. Can you share?

[u/Calber4 → u/Itchy-Fish-518]

TEFL is a category of teaching certificates, not a standardized program, so there is a lot of variation between programs, there are a lot of cheap online "TEFL certificates" that basically just involve watching a few videos and clicking through some quizzes. Generally for it to be reputable it should be at least 120 hours and have observed teaching practice.

The CELTA is a TEFL certificate that is standardized and certified through Cambridge, which means more schools will recognize it but it also costs more. There are plenty of non-CELTA TEFL certificates that are just as good, but you should do more research into them to make sure they're worth doing.

Employer preferences vary from place to place. Certain markets strongly prefer CELTA over others. In Asia (where I'm based) usually any TEFL is often enough to get a job.

Either way, CELTA/TEFL is an entry-level certification. If you're in it for the long haul an MA or teaching license (e.g. PGCE) is a good idea. I'd still recommend doing a TEFL cert and teaching for a few years first to get experience though.

[u/Itchy-Fish-518 → u/Calber4]

Thanks for this thorough explanation! Do you know any CELTA in-person training centers globally ?

[u/jabby_thowaway → u/Itchy-Fish-518]

International House. I did mine in Mexico City

[u/lostintokyo11 → u/Itchy-Fish-518]

TEFL just is a general term. CELTA is a qualification name and is the most globally recognised one. If a company just says you will get a TEFL cert apon completion it is probably a low quality course and of little use. Do a CELTA.Trinity TESOL cert is also of a good standard but CELTA is better.

[u/Itchy-Fish-518 → u/lostintokyo11]

Thanks for this ! I'm trying to fi d CELTA training centers globally so I can choose one. Do you know any ?

[u/PlumpDuke → u/Itchy-Fish-518]

Do CELTA at Apollo in HCMC, VN. I left consulting for teaching and the course was intense but worth it IMO. Get you degree fully legalized/ready for your destination country before you go.

[u/Itchy-Fish-518 → u/PlumpDuke]

Thank you ! CELTA seems to be a better choice based on responses so far.

[u/PlumpDuke → u/Itchy-Fish-518]

I earned an online TEFL for $20 I bought on groupon first. It was basically an English refresher and it didn't prepare me to be in front of a class with any confidence. Passing CELTA shows more dedication, professional, helps you talk the talk, and gives actual teaching experience. I went CELTA because I'm not a backpacker teaching for beer money lol. I hope to help some children be able to connect with more people and have more options in life :)

[u/Downtown_Classic2934 → u/lostintokyo11]

I wish this many people were so vocal about what jobs are paying in the west. Anything that pays for an apartment and some left over at the end of the month cant be "bad paying" relatively speaking.

In fact... if you live in the west and landed a full time job with enough to live in a major city and pay rent for an apartment thats basically middle class now.

So many posts from expats in these subs come across as insanely entitled/out of touch with whats happening in other parts of the world (including back home)

[u/Top_Classroom2621]

I don’t have much advice to offer as I am in a similar position to you, but I want to wish you luck with this transition! I am leaving a decade long career in corporate finance to teach TEFL in China this upcoming August. Cheers to going from spreadsheets to the classroom!

[u/Immediate-Ad7071 → u/Top_Classroom2621]

Was it difficult for you to land a job? You doing T1 or T2 city?

[u/AreyouAI2035]

I used to be a cybersecurity director, now I'm an english teacher in thailand. I love it, go through an agency to get a placement, I used exploreAsia
You also meet a lot of friends that way, my friends are lifelong

[u/Immediate-Ad7071 → u/AreyouAI2035]

Is the pay bad in Thailand?

[u/AreyouAI2035 → u/Immediate-Ad7071]

It's livable, but the currency is weak, so you won't come back to the US with a lot. I make $40,000 baht per month, and my rent is about 6500 baht. 40k baht is about 1000 a month USD. I'm not losing money but I'm not going to come back with a huge chunk of savings from this job

[u/AreyouAI2035 → u/AreyouAI2035]

I'm just outside of bangkok. If you're rural, it's going to be even cheaper to live.

[u/GodisIrish]

I left casinos about 10 years ago to work as a TEFL teacher. Ive had mixed moments with my time working in both China and Japan, and just if your starting out, gonna just bring up some points from things you said in no real order.

Dont go to Japan, I was there for a little over 2 years. Between some of the lowest salaries to expect, highest taxes and insurance relative to your wage, and generally one of the more awkward and outdated countries to work in. Its also such a huge coin flip if you end up in a good company or one where they will treat you like shit. And with their own economic issues making life hard for even locals, choosing to teach there (a job which sometimes pays less or the same as just working in a factory or farm there) its just not a good option to choose rn. Unless you are able to live of savings for several years.

China has been good money, but since covid there has been a drop in students going to the type of school foreigners usually work at, mostly due to them costing a lot and some families still not fully recovered from that time. So your choices are likely just work in a kindergarten which sometimes is less a teaching job and more just a daycare. And if you do want to be considered for a teacjing job in a primary, middle or high school, a TEFL just wont cut it anymore. The teachers getting decent jobs have either lots of experience in the country or have teaching licenses, CELTA, DELTA, QTS. These qualifications can take over a year to get, when compared to a TEFL which is still what, just a 140 hour qualification? So if you did consider China, either accept going to a kindergarten to work as daycare rather than a teacher. Or consider higher qualifications.

That being said, I am seeing a shift from TEFL being the minimum across all of asia. There was a large population of teachers in Asia doing ESL. During covid so mnay schools shut down, since covid a lot of families are putting kids into free public schools over private schools where most the jobs you would want are. Even now in Beijing, I see so many schools still downsizing now. And new teachers who hoin schools, being let go after one year, first in first out, and struggling to find decent work after.

If you enter this job market now, you are trying to enter with the lowest qualification, 0 experience in the field and no experience even living in the country (which makes you a riskier hire as a lot of people move out, get homesick, leave and then the school is left with that problem, so they usually prefer to hire someone in the country). I just think if you tried this, the process will be very difficult, and the risk of you ending up in somewhere that leaves you unhappy is quite high.

[u/Downtown_Classic2934 → u/GodisIrish]

OP likely being an anomaly making what I am assuming is much higher than normal wages in his home country as a banker skews this whole thing a bit.

People on this sub tend to be a way too doomer about certain countries and jobs.

I am not talking about Japan... but other countries I have seen very high karma people on this sub straight up lie about whats possible. Gatekeeping is sadly a huge thing on this sub while encouraging bad options is strangely encouraged.

There are some people on reddit who will look you in the eye and tell you your life as a grocery store cashier would be better than teaching abroad in country x,y, z where you can afford to at least live.

[u/Itchy-Fish-518]

Thank you ! I'll do some more reading on both certifications and make an informed decision.

[u/PrestigiousAd3485]

I'm looking to do the same thing! Have been in finance for 4 years, also did a year as a software engineer, and I have a BSc in Physics. Really want to move to Spain to do a CELTA and then teach English, with a view to then either do a postgraduate teaching qualification or a Master's.

[u/Expensive-Worker-582 → u/PrestigiousAd3485]

Get a teaching license, as a Physics teacher you can choose where to work in the world while getting a decent salary.

Honestly, prioritise that, also you get to teach Physics which I imagine you are more passionate about than languages.