Many TEFL institutes and recruiters engage in unethical practices that cost teachers hundreds and even thousands of dollars. Here are the most common TEFL job scams in the industry:

#1 Paid Internships Scam! – TEFL Scams

A paid internship in China or Thailand can cost a naive teacher up to $2,000. These TEFL internships include a $300 TEFL course, which is not internationally recognized, and the internship pays less than half of the lowest teaching wage in these countries. Teachers earn $300 per month in places where the lowest wage goes for around $800! Do your research and take an accredited TEFL or TESOL course to qualify for a paid teaching job.

#2 Guaranteed Jobs Scam! – TEFL Scams

Have you ever CELTA, TESL Canada, or Trinity CertTESOL course providers post a ‘guaranteed job’ ad? No, that’s because accrediting organizations are well recognized worldwide and they do not need to mislead applicants. Many unaccredited TEFL institutes (especially the ones offering poor weekend courses) guarantee jobs when they do not even have a network of recruiters and schools to place teachers after the course is completed. These unaccredited TEFL courses offer very poor quality training; they only offer an introduction to the TEFL industry rather than providing proper training in lesson planning. Few language programs accept their graduates because they are not ready to stand in front of a classroom.

#3 TEFL Recruitment Myths – TEFL Job Myths

Never pay a recruitment agency! Many language schools outsource their HR departments and pay recruitment agencies from North America, UK, and Australia to recruit teachers for a small fee. Every one of these recruiters works for the same school, so shop around. You can always get the same free service at another agency! Recruitment services for real TEFL/TESOL jobs are only available in a few countries from East Asia and the Middle East, so watch out for internship and volunteer programs elsewhere. Something very important you should know before committing to one of these agencies is that none of these recruiters have a final say on your job prospects. They only get paid to process applications, hold short interviews, and send your package to the school so you can get a real interview with the program coordinator or Director of Studies. If you are accepted, the school will make arrangements with the recruitment agency to process your work permit and other documents.

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