How Teachers Can Get Jobs Abroad Without Teaching Internationally Before

1. Start with your existing teaching experience

Just because you haven’t taught abroad doesn’t mean your experience in your country doesn’t matter. A teacher with two or three years work experience can not be classified as non-experienced just because they have never worked abroad. 

The basic necessities needed by international schools are:

• Class room management 
• Lesson planning 
• Assessment 
• Curriculum delivery 
• Ability to teach different types of learners 
• One or more years of teaching experience 

Don’t look down on your self just because you’ve never worked overseas. All you need to do is demonstrate transferable skills through your local teaching experience. 

2. Target the right type of overseas teaching job

Most teachers look up only prestigious schools that require more than they can offer and decide they can’t work abroad. 

There are many different types of abroad teaching markets. In most cases they require teachers with classroom or specific curriculum experience. 

You can also get hired by an English language school or ESL programs without experience particularly when you have a bachelor’s degree or a TEFL /EFL certification. This makes it easier for teachers with no international work experience to get hired by international schools. 

3. Get the qualification that matches your target market

Your teaching qualification matters more than whether you have previously worked abroad.

For an already-qualified school teacher, this could mean demonstrating your existing teaching licence or professional qualification. For someone who wants to teach English as a foreign language, a recognised TEFL/TESOL qualification can make them eligible for positions that do not require a traditional teaching licence. Teach Away, for example, currently lists a bachelor’s degree and EFL qualification as the general requirements for many ESL positions. 

The qualification should be chosen after deciding where and what you want to teach, because requirements differ substantially between countries and school systems.

4. Don’t assume you need international experience before applying

This is the most common misconception. 

No school is highly centered on teachers who have worked abroad, instead they need teachers who can actually teach. 

You should be able to demonstrate what you can do. You should be able to provide :

• Good classroom management 
• A proper lesson plan 
• Curriculum development 
• Extra curricular activities 
• Pastoral responsibilities 
• Technology-assisted teaching abilities
• Special-needs support
• Teacher training
• A significant improvement in the students

Your ability to showcase these skills demonstrates your ability to cope in a new educational environment know matter where your experience comes from. 

5. Make your CV internationally relevant

Your local teaching CV can sell you short, making you look less than what you actually are. 

What works for you in your country may not be so helpful in another country. Let your CV be able to speak for itself and make it easy for international employers to understand. Your CV should be transparent enough to be able to demonstrate the curriculum you taught, age groups, class sizes, assessment methods, responsibilities and measurable outcomes.

This allows employers to answer questions like:

• What can this teacher teach?
• What age group can this teacher handle?
• What evidence shows that this teacher is effective?

Don’t assume your employer will figure out what’s on your CV, make it easy enough for them to assess your work without any difficulty.

6. Learn the curriculum you want to teach

This is a good way to make up for the lack of international teaching experience. Understanding the countries curriculum is a great step to working as a teacher abroad. 

You can begin with learning the curriculum, you don’t necessarily need to have taught the curriculum before you begin to learn. This shows an employer you understand and are ready to go into the new system you are applying for with them. 

7. Consider countries and programmes with lower experience barriers

Choose a school that matches your professional experience. Most private language and ESL schools can accept a teacher with no experience, these requirements are mostly influenced by country, employer and visa system. 

This doesn’t mean any country can hire you without any experience. Your options will be determined by:

• Visa rules
• nationality requirements
• degree requirements
• English proficiency 
• teaching credentials

8. Look beyond traditional international school

Start small, you don’t have to jump from local school to an international school in another country.

Your first overseas position doesn’t have to be everything you dreamed of. Let it be the position that gives you international experience, when you do this you get a more varieties of positions to choose from. 

9. Consider iQTS if you want an international teaching qualification

England’s International Qualified Teacher Status (iQTS) has been created for teachers all over the world train while working without traveling to England. It is favorable to people with or without any previous experience or employment. It basically requires a bachelor’s degree and other qualifications, including English-language requirements. 

This is a great way to strengthen your credentials and improve your chances at an international opportunity to work abroad. 

10. Understand that licensing and getting hired are different

You can be a great fit for the job but not certified to work in the country. This is very necessary when applying for a job abroad. The major questions you should ask yourself are:

Can I legally work as a teacher in this country?

And

Will a school hire me?

Your qualifications do not verify that you will get employed. As a teacher looking for a job abroad you should research the country’s teacher-registration requirements and the employer’s hiring requirements before making your first move.