Types of Jobs

ESL is a huge worldwide industry. ESL jobs do not just start and end with teaching English. Serious ESL teachers can pursue full-time careers in school administration, curriculum development, training, publishing, and translation. In short ESL career potential really is unlimited.

ENGLISH TEACHER – ENGLISH INSTITUTE

Most English teachers around the world work in private language schools. These are the most common jobs and are usually the most sought after by recently-qualified teachers. Classes may consist of adults, or children, or both, depending on the institute.
Recommended Qualifications – Onsite TESOL/TEFL Certificate or Hybrid TESOL/TEFL Certificate

FREELANCE ENGLISH TEACHER

Freelance teachers often earn better money than teachers employed at schools and institutes; but freelance-ers must have the patience and tenacity to build their client list. Classes are often provided to learners in their homes or offices, and evening and weekend work is common.
Recommended Qualifications – Onsite TESOL/TEFL Certificate or Hybrid TESOL/TEFL Certificate

ENGLISH TEACHER – PUBLIC/PRIVATE SCHOOL

English is so prevalent that in many countries English is a required subject even at the primary school level. In some countries, like South Korea, these positions pay very good salaries, whereas in other countries, like Peru, national and even private schools do not have large budgets to pay English teachers. That said, ESL teachers in these environments enjoy less working hours, set schedules, and good job security.
Recommended Qualifications – Onsite TESOL/TEFL Certificate + Bachelor’s Degree

VOLUNTEER TEACHER

Orphanages and centres for abused women and street children throughout the world have a huge humanitarian need for volunteer ESL teachers. Whereas these positions rarely pay good salaries, some travelling ESL teachers exchange their services for room and board.
Recommended Qualifications – Onsite TESOL/TEFL Certificate or Hybrid TESOL/TEFL Certificate

UNIVERSITY ENGLISH TEACHER

Universities in many countries require students to study English. This has created a great deal of demand in Asian and Middle Eastern countries for experienced and mature ESL teachers. A university English teacher generally earns a similar salary to ESL teachers working in private language institutes, but may work only 2-3 hours per day.
Recommended Qualifications – Onsite TESOL/TEFL Certificate + Bachelors Degree + 1 year experience

BUSINESS ENGLISH TEACHER

An ESL Business English teacher generally teaches at a private language institute or in the business offices of the client-learners. Client-learners are normally executives and company employees who need English to advance their careers. Business English positions are growing all over the world and demand is quite high for this specialization. ESL teachers specializing in Business English also earn better salaries.
Recommended Qualifications – Onsite TESOL/TEFL Certificate + Bachelor’s Degree + TEIB Certificate

INTERNATIONAL ENGLISH EXAM TEACHER (TEST PREPARATION)

ESL teachers with sufficient training in the most common international exams (TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge) are EXTREMELY limited and are in very high demand all over the world. These highly-specialized positions require teachers to know and understand test design and strategies for each type of exam. Teachers are generally employed by private language institutes or are freelance specialists.
Recommended Qualifications – Onsite TESOL/TEFL Certificate + Bachelor’s Degree + Certificate in TIEEP

TEACHER-TRAINER

Strong ESL teachers, after they have gained a few years of experience, can move into positions as teacher-trainers – teaching other ESL teachers who are just starting out with their initial TESOL/TEFL certification course. As the ESL field continues its rapid growth and TESOL/TEFL certification programs increase in number, there will be ongoing demand for qualified teacher-trainers.
Recommended Qualifications – Onsite TESOL/TEFL Certificate + Diploma in TESOL + 5 years experience

DIRECTOR OF STUDIES (DOS)/ACADEMIC DIRECTOR

Director-level positions at schools and private language institutes are also increasingly in demand. These career-minded jobs require teachers to be experienced, mature, and capable of managing other teachers and the operations of busy schools. Curriculum, course, and materials development are also very often part of the job responsibilities.
Recommended Qualifications – Onsite TESOL/TEFL Certificate + Diploma in TESOL + Bachelors Degree + 3-5 years experience