It definitely is the year to be applying for jobs! Heck, even U.S. President Barack Obama needs to find a new job when he leaves the White House this coming November. While you may not have much chance running for president, there is one job that is in demand today that you might be interested in.

Teaching English as a Foreign Language or TEFL will allow you to travel and earn money while teaching English in foreign countries. But in order for you to be a TEFL teacher, you must first enrol in a TEFL course and get certified which wouldn’t take that long to tell you honestly. Once you’ve done all that, you can start applying for TEFL jobs abroad.

When applying for TEFL jobs, here are some questions you should be asking in order to determine the desirability of the job.

1. How many hours does the teaching job include? You can work for a maximum of 21-24 hours per week but the recommended hours is 15-20 hours per week if you want to maintain a healthy and stress-free body.
2. How large will the classes be? The ideal number of students should be about 15 and a class with more than 15 students would definitely be hard to teach because you wouldn’t be able to carefully monitor each of the students and provide feedback. It would also be a challenge reviewing all of their work and performance.
3. What textbooks will the school provide? Or will they provide any? While you may even modify textbook lessons and make your own lessons, it’s still good to have a textbook to turn to.
4. What resources will be available for teachers? Preferably, the school should provide a library with good resources for teachers and computers with access to the Internet.
5. What benefits will the school provide? If you’re lucky, the school may even provide medical benefits, holiday bonuses and even paid vacations. Some schools would reimburse your travel expenses to and from the country and offer free language classes on local languages. Also check to see if the school provides housing for teachers or offer any assistance of some sort.
6. Who will be your students and what is their reason for studying English? University or college students often study English to fulfil a requirement. Adults study English mostly for competence and business purposes. Kids are often enrolled by their parents. When teaching English in Thailand, it is important that you know who your students are so you’d know what approach to take.