How to Market Yourself for Teaching English Online

With the recent shift from in-person jobs to remote jobs, teaching English online has become extremely popular for its time flexibility and ability to work from almost any location. Also, since classes have switched to online learning, students are in need of extra online help from tutors and teachers. Due to this increased demand for teachers and wanting to capitalize on it, many are stuck wondering how to get online teaching jobs.

Ready for your first online teaching job?

After earning your TEFL certificate, the first step is to market yourself. Marketing yourself is an essential step for getting hired. Especially in the education field, it is crucial to show and demonstrate your skills and expertise.

In addition to this, talking about your international experience and the teaching you’ve done in the past are great facts to share with potential employers and/or students. Additionally, an online portfolio and a customized teach English online resume are essential items needed to get a job teaching English online.

What should be on your teach English online resume?

• TEFL certificate. While this isn’t exactly necessary for some jobs, most companies want their teachers certified. If you don’t have this yet, there are plenty of high quality online TEFL courses to choose from.
• Language learning and global experiences. Proof you have gone through the process of learning a second language will be very appealing to your employers and your students. You can try taking in-person language courses or online language courses. Then put that on your resume to prove your diverse set of language skills. Also, make sure to add your international experience on your resume to show that you are a global citizen.
• Teaching experience. Any past experience you have teaching should be put on your resume. This could be traditional teaching, tutoring, student-teaching, and so on.
• Relevant past work with the age group you want to teach. This can be local or international volunteer experience, or maybe your TEFL practicum hours. Working with the age group you want to teach is important for proving your competency of interacting and working with children and/or adults.
• Degree(s). Not every job demands a bachelor’s degree or even an associate’s degree, but you definitely have a better chance of getting hired if you have a degree. Even so, if you are determined to teach English without a degree, there are job opportunities available.

How to market yourself for teaching English online

1. Create an online portfolio

Aside from your teaching English online resume, an online portfolio is a great place to market yourself online. This is the chance to tell potential students and recruiters more about yourself and why they should hire you as their teacher. While creating your portfolio, continue to think about your target audience. Are you trying to appeal to young students, parents, adults, and/or teaching recruiters?

A strong portfolio is the first step to teaching English online!

After you have your target audience in mind, add photos of yourself in action! This could be photos of you teaching, working, or volunteering. Also, a classic professional headshot is a great way to give off the impression that you’re ready to work.

Next, after collecting and taking photos, include a summary of yourself. Make this light and quick to the point, but still professional. Sharing a little about yourself will make your students and their parents more comfortable choosing you to be their teacher. Also, make sure to design your portfolio in an esthetically pleasing way that doesn’t overwhelm or underwhelm your viewers.

Bonus tip! Include a portfolio link on your resume so your potential employers have direct access to your portfolio and don’t have to go searching for it online.

2. Provide samples of teaching materials

Materials and samples of your teaching methods are crucial for marketing yourself to future students and recruiters. This could include PowerPoints or slideshows you use, pictures, videos, or even physical objects.

A syllabus or a document outlining typical tutoring sessions are great ways to give people a sneak peek into your teaching methods and practices. Showing off your creativity and innovation by adding illustrations and examples of a typical teaching session will make businesses, parents, and students eager to hire and work with you.

Coming up short on what to include? GoAbroad can direct you to the best ESL resources for teachers for some ideas and extra help.

3. Talk about your international experience

Have you gone abroad? Talk up those intercultural communication skills!

Since teaching English online is an international job, it’s important to market yourself as a global worker. Past trips abroad teaching, volunteering, studying, or working are great for proving your intercultural competence.

Even mentioning recreational trips and vacations abroad are great ways to show your excitement and appreciation for other cultures. In addition to this, your language experiences, whether learning or teaching, should be mentioned and highlighted when marketing yourself to potential employers and/or students.

Not only should you be talking about your international experiences in interviews or trial sessions, but you should also include this in your resume (as noted earlier) and in your online portfolio. Include pictures and videos you took while traveling the world to visually tell your global story.

Don’t have much international experience? Start looking for ways to become a global traveler now and get some help picking the best program for you.

4. Create content

Creating content regularly is sure to put you at the top of the list for companies and students looking for online teachers. This is another great way to show your personality and passion for teaching online. Ideas include starting a teaching blog or creating teaching videos.

Furthermore, posting on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and so on will make you more accessible and relatable to people. Other options could involve creating vlogs to show your online teaching experiences, or you could start your own podcast to create a community of online teachers.

Feel free to get creative with your marketing tactics.

Creating content online is an excellent tool for networking to meet more recruiters, students and fellow online teachers. There are immense possibilities for creating useful content online to market yourself. Now get to it!

Talk to our FREE Online Advisor & Get Matched with Teaching Jobs Online

You’re ready to snag teaching jobs online!

Because of the huge push and move to online learning recently, online teaching jobs are very much in demand. The first main step to getting hired as an online English teacher is to craft a resume detailing your exceptional skills and teaching experiences.

After this, you’re ready to market yourself! Discuss your international travels, content creations, samples of teaching materials, and your online portfolio itself. You’ll be hired and teaching students in no time!

Discover More Online Teaching Opportunities on GoAbroad.com