If you want to join the thousands of working adults who teach English to non-native speakers of the language, you’ve probably checked out the international job boards. Accepting a teaching position overseas, once you get an offer, is a huge decision.

Photo by Artem Beliaikin

Unlike most other jobs, you’ll be doing all the contract negotiation, interviewing, and much of the orientation before you leave home for the assignment location, which could be thousands of miles away.

Get Your Degree First

Getting the relevant degree or TEFL Certificate for an international position is vital. Many employers, particularly those in Asia, India, and Europe, require that you hold at least a bachelor’s diploma in English or a liberal arts subject. Some are a little more lenient with the education requirement, but be certain that you are honest and open with prospective employers about your background. If they suspect you mislead them, they will not hesitate to send you back home for breach of contract.

The lesson here is to get your degree first. That means being able to pay for a college education as a basic first step to overseas teaching positions. Fortunately, even if you have no financial resources to speak of, you can take out a student loan through a private lender. That way, it’s easy to shop for a low-interest rate, check out competitive terms, and pay for college in the most efficient way possible.

Extensively Research the Employer

This step is another must before you travel to your new job. Most of the large and medium-sized corporations that hire plenty of language instructors are well-known, reputable names in the industry. Check them out online and see how big they are, where they place instructors, how long they’ve been in business, and if there are any complaints about abusive work environments or problems with payment.

If you see anything that makes you feel the least bit uncomfortable, consider rejecting the offer. Be aware that there are some scam artists out and about. Their main gimmick is to get you to pay an upfront administration fee before the job can start. Any potential employer that asks for such a fee is almost certainly not legitimate.

Pay Someone to Review Your Written Contract

If you can afford a hundred dollars or so on attorney fees, it’s worth the money to have an experienced employment lawyer look over your contract. Call a firm that operates does that kind of work and as what they charge for a job contract review. Fees tend to be reasonable, and you’ll get some peace of mind knowing that your contract is on the level.

Get Detailed Information About Texts

Whether you’ll be using hard copy texts or digital versions, find out what the names of the books are, where you can get hold of them in advance, and whether the cost will come out of your pay. Companies have widely differing policies on this point, so ask about it during the interview. Beware of any company that is going to hit your paycheck for the cost. That’s a bad sign. Additionally, if they want you to pay in advance for the texts, say goodbye.