TESOL Career Options

After finishing your TESOL Certificate course and starting your first job teaching English overseas, you can look forward to a future full of exciting opportunities and new challenges.

Many English teachers choose to teach for only 1 or 2 years. Teaching English overseas is a great way to see the world, experience new cultures, learn another language, and meet new friends. In addition to these benefits, you will also find that TESOL is a great stepping-stone to a variety of other jobs – both in your home country and throughout the world. The public speaking skills, maturity, and international perspective you gain teaching overseas will make you a desirable candidate for a wide range of businesses.

If you plan to teach English for longer periods of time and want to keep increasing your skills and earning potential, you can continue with your TESOL education. Some possibilities are listed below. The minimum requirement for each of these options is completion of a recognized TESOL Certificate Course (see Teach English Worldwide’s “TESOL Training Courses” section).

Young Learner Certificate – A supplementary certification covering specific English teaching techniques for children and adolescents
Business English Certificate – A supplementary certification covering specific English teaching techniques and terminology for business professionals
TEFL / TESOL Diploma Certificate – An advanced certification covering all aspects of teaching English as a foreign language
Masters Degree (MA) in TEFL / TESOL – A professional degree program for advanced study and research of TESOL methodologies and practices

Finally, the TESOL industry has other options besides classroom teaching that you might want to explore. Some of your possibilities are listed below. A TESOL Diploma or MA degree will be necessary for the majority of these positions.

Director of Studies, or other administrative positions within schools
New Teacher training
Creation of teaching materials and texts