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Ok, so you’e on your way to becoming an ESL teacher! You’ve just completed your TESOL/TEFL course and are keen to start teaching. One thing lies in your way: finding an ESL job.

In this article we will discuss three main areas related to landing that perfect job! We will look at defining what you want out of your new ESL job, what to do to stand out from all the other ESL teachers applying to same the job as you and some useful hints and tips when it comes time for the telephone interview!

Before you even start your ESL job search you need to define, for yourself, what you are looking for. You can’t find what you aren’t looking for! Spend a couple of minutes answering these questions:

* Where do you want to teach? Which country, which area?

* Who do you want to teach? Do you want to teach children or adults or both? There are many ESL jobs that cater to teaching adults or children as well as a mix.

* How many hours do you want to work? Be realistic here; don’t write down five hours a week because you will be hard pressed to find it. A common contract usually stipulates around 20-25 teaching hours a week.

* How much is your new ESL job going to pay you? This really depends on the area you are intending to go. Select your area and look around at a few different offers to get a feel for what the pay is like.

* How long are you going for? Generally, recruiters look for a one year commitment. You will usually get your return airfare paid for as well travel insurance (if they require you to purchase that in advance). For anything less than a year, expect that your bonuses will be reduced proportionally.

* What other inclusions do you expect from your new ESL job? Think about things like accommodation, utilities, furnishings in your new home and meal allowances etc.

Ok. So you now have a description of your perfect ESL job. You have been looking on a few ESL job websites (www.simplyesl.com, www.eslcafe.com, www.eslbase.com) and you have found an ESL job that you think is perfect for you. Chances are some other people have also come across the same job. In this section we’ll talk about what to do to make your application stand above all others. We’ll take a look at answering the recruiter’s questions and defining yourself as a great ESL teacher.

Firstly, I want you to go back to the ESL job ad and make a list of everything that they are looking for. Done that? Good. We want to make sure that we not only answer those questions clearly but let them know that we can do a lot more! If they can easily see that you fulfill all their requirements then you are one step closer to getting that telephone interview, if not then you better start looking for another job.

While your prospective employer is reading your application they are (whether consciously or subconsciously) creating an image and a personality for you. You want to help shape the opinion in your favour. We can do this by listing your attributes (no, this doesn’t mean listing your height, weight, hair colour etc), i.e. listing the things that make you a good ESL teacher. You may consider something like this (again look at what the school is looking for and play it to your advantage):
I am:

* Dependable

* Energetic

* Patient

The list goes on. However, just because you can see the benefit of one of your attributes, it doesn’t mean that your employer can. When applying for your ESL job you need to tell them WHY your attributes make you the ideal candidate. For example, you could say something like this:

I feel that motivation plays a big part in the learning process, with my energetic personality, I help to get students excited and interested in learning.

Here, I identified a potential problem in the ESL classroom and then solved it by using one of my personality traits. This tells the employer that if they want their students excited and motivated to learn, they better let me have that ESL job! Don’t over do this! You don’t want to come off as boastful and so you should only include one or two of these problem solvers. Your resume should be short and sweet, while still filling all the requirements that the employer asked for.

Now your application should answer ALL the requirements that the employer has asked for as well tell them why they MUST hire you! Now you’re one step closer to landing your ideal ESL job!

In the next section we’ll take a quick look at your telephone interview.

Congratulations! You have applied to your perfect ESL job and they have asked you for a telephone interview. This is usually a time where your employer will ask you a few questions about what you would do in classroom situations. Interviews vary from recruiter to recruiter, so we’ve decided to include a few general tips about telephone interviews.

* Speak clearly - If they don’t think you can speak clearly, they won’t hire you for an ESL speaking job.

* Answer the question you were asked!

* If possible, be at a computer with internet access, just in case they ask you something that you may stumble on, you can quickly Google it.

* If they gave you any materials prior to the interview, such as hypothetical questions or pre-interview questions etc, please make sure you have them on hand during the interview! They may be looking to see how you will use the materials they have given you.

* Thank them for their time and the opportunity.

You’ve done all that you can. I wish you all the success in your new ESL job!

http://www.inesljobs.com
http://www.simplyesl.com

Tags: asia, China, EFL, ESL, in, japan, job, jobs, korea, teach, teaching, TESOL, Travel, worldasia, China, EFL, ESL, in, japan, job, jobs, korea, teach, teaching, TESOL, Travel, world

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Jiuzhaigou Valley is located in the north of Sichuan Province, China. It is called “fairyland”, and this is not over rated.

Its attraction lies in its simple, idyllic beauty; with majestic and unrivalled emerald (sometimes multicolored) lakes, layered waterfalls, colourful forests and snow peaks. It is also the homeland of the giant panda.

The main scenic area, which covers at least 80 km, is full of scenery that are just breathtaking. It composed of three valleys arranged in a Y shape. The Rizegou and Zechawagou gullies flow from the south and meet at the centre, then form the Shuzheng gully, flowing north to the mouth of the valley.

Jiuzaigou is most famous for its water. There is a saying in China: No mountain is worth seeing after you have seen Mount Huangshan, and no water will interest you after you’ve visited Jiuzaigou.

It is dotted with many gorgeous lakes. They are notable for their high concentration of calcium carbonate, to form different shades of blue, green and turquoise-colored lakes according to their depths, residues, and surroundings. The carbonic calcifications between the lakes and waterfalls dazzle with color in the sunshine. The water is so clear that the bottom is visible despite depths of several dozen meters.

Waterfalls are the essence of the scenery in Jiuzhaigou. The most famous is Pearl Shoal. It is a huge fan-shaped calcium beach. The stream rushes down, splashing water about like millions of bouncing silver pearls, and then goes down to form
fantastic waterfalls of various shapes with a thunderous roaring echoing throughout the deep valley.

Jiuzhaigou is magnificent throughout the four seasons. But the best of all is in Autumn. The breeze is intoxicating, while the leaves turn colorful, and are beautifully reflected in the sparkling translucent lakes. However, this is also the most crowded time of the park.

For our family trip, we chose to visit Jiuzhaigou in Summer. With a six years old boy in tow, and 70+ years old parents, this seemed to be the best time of the year. The weather was comfortable, and relatively less visitors meant we need not rush through the scenic spots.

In fact, the weather was cooler than I thought. We stayed at Jiuzhai Paradise Hotel up in the mountains. Some mornings, we encountered wintry weather. Due to the rarefied atmosphere up in the mountain. We felt tired easily, and have to walk slowly around the hotel and even in the hotel room, sometimes feeling some sense of discomfort, and nauseous. We have to carry the oxygen tube around so that we can inhale some oxygen when we feel uncomfortable.

The air was a lot better in the town area and the Jiuzhaigou scenic area. We need not use the oxygen tube and can move around swiftly. In fact, in Jiuzhaigou scenic area, the air was great - clean and cool. The local authorities obviously place a lot of emphasis on keeping the place unpolluted. They use the “green” bus to travel around the area, and that is the only vehicle that is allowed in the park.

The scenery was simply magnificent. The water is in different shades of blue/emerald, and so crystal clear. Even my six year old would pause from his playing occasionally, too captivated by the beauty of Nature!

Remember the movie “Hero”, by Zhang Yimou. One of the unforgetable scene where the two male leads fought on the tranquil blue lake, dipping in and out of the water…… It was filmed right here.

For more family vacation getaway destinations and ideas, visit Family Vacation Getaway.
For tips on travelling with baby, please visit Baby Imprint - Baby Footprint and more.

Tags: China, family travel, Jiuzhaigou, Jiuzhaigou Valley, lake, nature, scenery, Travel China, waterfallChina, family travel, Jiuzhaigou, Jiuzhaigou Valley, lake, nature, scenery, Travel China, waterfall

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