We all would love to get paid to travel or work from home with, making our own working hours with no one to answer to. Well, there are several ways to do this, one of them being, teaching English online. But like every career choice, going into it blindly can be far more detrimental to your chances of earning enough to support yourself while living the dream.
Fortunately for you, the following guide will help you get started on finding a successful English teaching job.
How to Find Teaching Jobs Online
Before you can be ready to apply for online English Teaching Jobs, there are certain steps you have to take to ensure that your application will be successful. These include the following;
   1. Get TEFL Certification and Specialize in Teaching English Online
You may already know that you must get a TEFL certification to teach English. But did you know that you can get a TEFL certification to specifically teach English online? If you plan to teach both in person and online, you may want to add the online certification course to the regular course. The TEFL Academy’s specialized online course prepares you for the specific challenges you will meet when teaching English online and is recognized internationally.
   2. Have a College Degree
Depending on the agency you apply with, you may need a college degree to teach English online. Some agencies are fine with you having a high school diploma. Of course having a college degree will maximize your chances of getting hired and even mean a higher salary.
   3. Speak English Fluently
This may sound obvious for a native English speaker, but there are non-native English speakers who can get online jobs teaching English. They just have to take a test such as TOEFL to prove their fluency with the language.
Decide the Type of Job You Want
Once you have the qualifications out of the way, it is time to determine the type of job you want. There are several factors to consider in this regard. They include the following;
- Decide what hours you are willing to work. It may even be a good idea to determine where your students are from. If you have students in China, you may have to work late at night.
- At the same time, you want to determine how many hours you are willing to work. Most agencies leave the scheduling up to you. So, you may want to determine if you want to work part-time or if you are willing to take on a larger workload.
- You may also want to specify where your students are from. This comes down to a matter of preference. For example, you may prefer to teach students from Japan and not Korea.
Find an Online Agency to Work For
Now that you know how many hours you are willing to work, it is time to find an agency to hire you. It is up to you to vet the various agencies although there are some TEFL certification courses that can help you locate the most compatible agency. If you are vetting them yourself, do your research to ensure that the company is trustworthy and that they will remit payments to you on time.
Sign the Contract and Get to Work
Before you sign the contract, read it thoroughly. You may even want to have a friend go over it as well. The most important stipulation on any contract is how quitting will impact your earnings. If you quit, will you get your final paycheck. If you don’t understand any aspect of the contract, ask questions. You may even be able to negotiate better terms.
