Teaching Job in EU as an American

[qwerty123]

I would like to teach English in Europe but have heard it's difficult unless you have EU citizenship (i.e. you come from Ireland or the UK). I am thinking of getting my CELTA and have heard that it carries more weight than the TEFL there.

Would having the CELTA help give me a better shot of landing a job in Europe or would it still be difficult for me to find work in the EU regardless of what certification I have? I'm from the States.

Thanks!

[Tdol]

'The TEFL' doesn't mean very much as there are many places offering courses with this name, and the CELTA does carry some weight despite the many criticisms of the course content. I'd go for that as a starter as itr is recognised the world over. There are Americans working in the EU, so it's possible, but it is easier to employ EU citizens so you may have to look around a bit more. There's often an element of luck and of being in the right time and place- positions often come up at short notice and then nationality doesn't matter. Where positions are azdvertised in a more leisurely manner, you may find that preference goes to EU teachers.

[konungursvia]

You have little chance these days without an EU passport. Before I got my British one by virtue of my English mum, I went and taught at Paris X with my Canadian passport. I began work on 1 October, and got my immigration documents straightened out by January. I got my first pay on Feb. 19, my birthday.

So, it may be faster to marry a Euro-girl. :)

[Airone]

Originally Posted by qwerty123

I would like to teach English in Europe but have heard it's difficult unless you have EU citizenship (i.e. you come from Ireland or the UK). I am thinking of getting my CELTA and have heard that it carries more weight than the TEFL there.

Would having the CELTA help give me a better shot of landing a job in Europe or would it still be difficult for me to find work in the EU regardless of what certification I have? I'm from the States.

Thanks!

Depends on what your goals are. If long-term, steady employment is your goal, a celta and having your immigration documents in order gives you a much better chance.

That said, I did the CELTA myself and was slightly nonplussed when I realized I would have been hired without it. It certainly gave me some useful preparation, but it wasn't a prerequisite. It depends on the school, but the unfortunate truth is that many for-profit schools are selling a product of which teaching is a component. Your experience and way of presenting yourself are as least as important as teaching training.

As far as working with or without documents, at least in Italy, it is hard but not impossible to find work without work papers. If you just want to tour Europe for a few months you can probably get away with it.

Alternatively, what some people do is apply for a student visa (much easier to get) just to be in the country legally. They usually take few if any courses, and student papers are good enough for many employers, though not for some government authorities. So again, this solution is okay for a few years and the 2 people that I know that do it don't work a huge number of hours and just happen to be attractive females who round out their salaries with a large number of private students.

To summarize, I think you should concentrate more on your immigration status than on getting a celta, as you can get a good job without a celta, but getting one without proper documents is more difficult.

Another thing to think about is that, unless you lie on your resume, any future employer might be curious about how you have the credentials to work in Europe. If it comes out that you skirted immigration law, company policy may compel them not to hire you. Just something to think about.

[ICAL_Pete]

Originally Posted by Airone

... As far as working with or without documents, at least in Italy, it is hard but not impossible to find work without work papers...

Yes, due to the highly beaurecratic system still in place in many parts of Italy non-EU passport holders find it more difficult to obtain a work permit there.

Applications need to be made from your own country, with a definite offer of work from an Italian employer.

But there are ways around it such like looking for work on a Visitor Visa.

[hollysuel]

It is not impossible to get a job in the EU as a non-EU member, but very very difficult. The reason is that the employers do not want to sponsor a visa. Why should they when they have enough native speakers of English with the same qualifications? If you are highly qualified and well connected, you have a better chance, but even then it is difficult. Good luck!