CVs and Interviews

You've decided on the country and you've selected some schools that like that might meet your requirements. Now it's time to apply! Two things that we should be thinking about here are CVs and interviews.

Your CV

Make sure your CV is relevant – include details of any TEFL certificate teacher training qualifications you might have. You should also include information on your educational background – make sure you include time spent at university and degree earned and your secondary (high) school qualifications. If you got a transcript with your degree, make sure you include a copy with you CV.

Apart from your educational achievements you will also need to include details about any previous employment you might have had. This is especially important if you've had any previous teaching experience. Include details of where you taught, what levels or types of classes you taught and the type of student you taught (adults, teenagers or children). If you attended workshops, training or other professional development sessions, include details of these as well.

If you speak a foreign language, include details of this and the level to which you speak it (beginner, intermediate, fluent, etc.). It is also a good idea to include a current photograph so that schools can put a face to the name.

Make sure your CV is free of grammatical, punctuation and spelling mistakes. Check that there are no gaps in your employment history. When you have your CV ready, make sure it is relevant for each position you are applying for.

Lastly, think about the length of your CV. Keep the information concise but to the point. As a guide try not to let your CV run over two pages.

Interviews

Depending on the school and where you are, the interview could either be fact-to-face or by telephone.

• Face-to-face

Make sure you are dressed appropriately. Smart casual is usually okay – don't turn up in your beachwear. First impressions count for a lot particularly in Asian countries. Think about body language – look confident, give a firm handshake (if offered) and maintain eye contact when speaking or being spoken to. Smiling is also a good idea!

Make sure you have done some research about the position being offered and the school you are employing to. Make sure you have some relevant questions to ask and have a copy of your CV with you.

• Telephone

First things first – make sure you know what time the interview is going to be at, your time or the interviewers! Try to make sure that the phone you use for the interview is in a quite area and preferably a land line to avoid issues with interference.

The person interviewing you might not be a native English speaker. If this is the case grade your language appropriately. The interview might not be conducted in a fashion you're used to, don't be thrown by this. Again, have a copy of your CV with you and some relevant questions written down to ask.