Students Turn to TEFL to Escape Fierce Competition for Graduate Jobs

By Erin Critchley
from i-to-i.com

With the number of unemployed ever increasing in the UK, the amount of job vacancies lessening rapidly  and Universities churning out fresh graduate’s year on year it’s no wonder many are finding themselves knee deep in ‘dear john’ letters, struggling to earn a living and  turning to the overseas job market for a lifeline.

The heavily documented cuts  in public spending have resulted in graduates feeling disillusioned and in many cases years of hard work and studying have failed in helping  to break into the job market, despite having sights set firmly on professional careers.

“Graduates are facing the most intense scramble in a decade to get a job this summer, as a poll of employers reveals the number of applications for each vacancy has surged to nearly 70 while the number of available positions is predicted to fall by nearly 7%” An investigation by The Guardian warned.

“If I was asked before I graduated where I saw myself in six months time, I would have described myself as on my way to the top of the world. Little did I know that the reality would in fact see me as the road kill of the employment industry,” One graduate jobseeker shared.

The lack of opportunities in the UK has resulted in many graduates shunning unemployment or low skilled jobs in favor of teaching English overseas-providing warmer climates, higher wages, and often lucrative bonus schemes. Not to mention generous accommodation and holiday packages thrown in for good measure.

It’s easy to see why many are taking advantage of the huge demand for English Speaking people to teach worldwide, using it as an opportunity to use their skills and channel their energy and enthusiasm into a more rewarding position whilst helping non English speaking people gain valuable and life changing skills.

Rachel Marriott, 23, from York St John University, decided to teach in Asan, South Korea  after she found her 2:1 degree wasn’t enough to find a job she was passionate about after graduation.

“Teaching overseas is a great opportunity to travel, make lifelong friends and do something that can really change a child’s life, no matter whether it’s a Korean student or an African orphan,” she explains.

“Being a TEFL teacher is a rewarding job and something I never thought I would be so passionate about.”

Rachel is one of many who are enjoying the benefits of teaching English as a foreign language, these graduates are living proof of how securing teaching work can provide an outlet for those hard earned skills, qualifications and specialist knowledge gained throughout three long years at University not to mention being a valuable addition to C.V’s and helping to accumulate impressive life-skills future employers will welcome.

If you’d like some more information on how you can kick-start your TEFL Career contact one of our advisors on 0113 205 4623 or visit i-to-i’s website