Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Interview Tips

A TEFL interview isn't the same as a traditional interview. In most traditional interviews, candidates are expected to dress formally, visit the place they intend to work, and meet someone face to face. As most TEFL jobs are abroad, it is a little bit trickier to do this. Luckily, we have collected our best tips from our most experienced recruiters to help you land your dream job.

Make sure that your email is looking good, meaning that it's not a weird name, like flower_gal.

If you have an old email from your school days that is inappropriate, make sure you change your email address to something that is a little bit more professional. It should just be your name or some variation that is easy to recognise.

You should also update your CV. Make sure it has been checked for spelling and grammar.

Once you send in your application, you might get some communication back. You might get a phone call; you might get an email. So you want to be making sure that you can pick up phone calls and keep an eye on your emails.

Check emails and look at them, but more importantly, check the junk! Often, these emails go into a junk folder, either because it's not a recognised sender or it has an attachment.

With email communication, you want to make a good impression. You should try and ensure that you check your spelling and your grammar. Remember, you're applying for an English teaching job, so they will be looking at that. Also, don't forget your CV or Resume, try and get someone to give it a quick read because it is easy to miss some errors in there.

We've talked about emails and phone calls, but there are other methods of communication that you will need to think about. WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams, WeChat, FaceTime- these are all ways that people might try to reach out to you for an interview. If you're interviewing for a job with someone who is in China, they're not going to fly over just for that interview; it's just going to happen using modern technology. Video calls are the preferred method of communication, and mostly via Microsoft Teams.

Just like anything, you'll probably want to prepare for it a little bit. So dress well, maybe not a bathrobe; I have encountered that before, which was a little strange. I think the candidate didn't expect it to be a video call or maybe didn't know the video was on. Also, take off the beanie, or take off the big scarf or the hoodie. Business casual is fine. You probably don't need to go to a full tux or anything like that. A tie never hurts, but perhaps a collared shirt. Dress like you would on your first day of work: it is a professional setting.

As well as what you are wearing, the interviewer is going to see what's behind you. So if you have some interesting posters, you might not want to be sitting in front of that. I had a guy interview in the bathroom once. That was very strange, just uncomfortable, I imagine, but also a car is kind of a weird place, too. If you have to squeeze in the interview in some way where you're not going to be at home, make sure it's a place that is quiet and you have a secure internet. Also, test the internet and make sure it works; log in 15 minutes before your interview. All of these things show that you are serious about this; it's your credibility.

You want to demonstrate that you are serious and you're going to see this all the way through. Keep in mind that the company that is considering hiring you will need to secure your visa, which has a large time and money investment, so you want to show them that the effort is worth it. It's a few things. Motivation, personal credibility, we like to hear about past experiences and how you react to changing work situations and things like that.

When you are interviewing for a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) position, you'll probably have to do a demo lesson; they are very common. You may have to pretend to teach a short lesson to the interviewer as if they were a student. You will be provided with information about this beforehand, so take it seriously and prepare for it. Don't worry too much about experience, or if you’ve done it before. I didn’t have any experience, but I researched extensively and brought a lot of enthusiasm to the lesson. I also accepted the feedback I was given and was willing to try again. There is a trial-and-error process, but as long as you show that you're willing to try again, that's a good sign. They might not expect you to know exactly how to teach for an entry-level position, but they want to see that you are willing to learn.

So, after the interview, the same rules apply as before. You need to keep checking your emails and look for a response. You'll probably receive a response within a week at most. If it goes past that and you haven’t heard anything, check your junk mail again, as it may have ended up there, which is the worst because you might just miss it. Alternatively, reach out to the recruiter—there’s nothing wrong with simply saying, `Hi, thanks for the interview. I just wanted to check in and see if you have any feedback or if you’ve made a decision'. It’s probably best not to do this the next day but maybe follow a three-day rule.