What inspired you to work for ITT International TEFL and TESOL?
It's a great company and the owner respects me. I have been working with ITT International TEFL and TESOL LTD for four years now and I have never had any issues with them. I was inspired by them because I shared their love for teaching and growing as a company. It's a great feeling to watch this company grow and to be a part of it.
Beach life is the best life. Traveling to any beach while on vacation never gets old.
Describe a typical day at work.
I create Facebook and LinkedIn posts, create templates on Canva, and answer questions from customers on social platforms. Also, I write ad copy to perform on Google and Facebook. Often, I will write one to two articles and post them as a blog article on the ITT International TEFL and TESOL website.
Why do you do what you do?
Being from the Philippines, a third world country, you need to support your family and this is my main objective of doing what I do and I love supporting my family. I am very lucky to be in a job that I love doing. Interacting with students and helping them throughout their course is very fulfilling.
What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part is helping the students with any issues they may have with the course. Watching the students complete their course and receive a certificate of completion is very rewarding. I also really enjoy creating templates for advertising on Facebook. I'm very proud of completing these tasks
How do you use your education and international background in your current role?
I have a bachelor's degree in business at the University of Cebu. I use the skills I learned at university to maximize my daily tasks. I can speak English fluently, which helps when talking to students and writing ad copy. Also, I have used my education background in my everyday working tasks. My skills have kept me in a job for the last four years.
What challenges do you often face and how do you overcome them?
I often have challenges with the main website domain. This is usually due to wordpress plugin updates that sometimes conflict with the website. This can be quite challenging as I need to create backups for the website. I also find creating ads challenging as it's very risky if you write bad ad copy.
Another photo of me traveling while relaxing and enjoying paradise one evening.
What are some current projects you are working on?
I am currently creating Facebook post templates via canva. I usually spend around three hours per day doing this task and at the same time replying to current students via the Facebook messenger app. Thanks to Chat GPT, writing articles has become much easier which lets me concentrate on other projects.
What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?
Before traveling, do your research. This helps a lot. It really helps when you about the country before traveling there. I would also recommend joining various expat Facebook groups in the countries you wish to travel to so you can ask questions and receive answers from experienced travelers.
What makes ITT International TEFL and TESOL special?
Our organization truly helps people that want to travel the world and teach English online or abroad. We are special because we get results. We have helped many people with their dreams and with getting teaching practice. Also, we have many videos on YouTube for our future students to see.
Why should someone choose ITT International TEFL and TESOL over competitors?
There are many TEFL course providers out there that claim to help students in the same way that we do. However, we know that many of the future teachers are on tight budgets and that is why we give the same service as all the other competitors. However, we give these services at a cheaper price.
What hopes do you have for the future for your organization?
I hope that the company continues to grow in the same way that it has for the last four years. I hope that ITT International TEFL and TESOL LTD continue to find new partners that will help us grow. We always get great feedback from our students. Showing this positive feedback to potential future students will only help us.
Are there any developments with your organization that you would like to share with us?
Yes, we have recently found a new partner with an online teaching company! Because of this new partnership, we are now able to refer our students for either teaching practice or actually working part time for the company. We can also share videos on our YouTube channel of our students teaching English online.
What makes ITT International TEFL and TESOL easy to market to potential participants?
It's very easy to market our company online because we have great reviews from actual students in videos. We also market our company as a budget friendly TEFL course provider and this really helps because students can now get TEFL/TESOL certified for a cut price. This makes our company very attractive.
Who says working can't be fun? This is me and two others working while at an English speaking restaurant.
What is your organization's mission and how do you continue to work toward it?
Our overall mission is to help anyone that wants to travel and teach English. However, this will also help the one billion students out there who want to learn English too. English is the world language and knowing that we are involved in helping these kids of the future learn English is a great achievement.
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
Teaching English in a classroom setting or an online setting can be daunting for new teachers. With our help, we can make this experience for the new teachers feel more confident with gaining teaching experience through our program. Our students also learn the importance of lesson planning and classroom management.
How do you help support participants?
I am the person that is there to help our students if they encounter any issues. This includes technical issues with the course platform or general issues with the course questions or assignments. I will also give students advice on how to get started with finding a job in their dream destination. I also confer with our partners on the teaching practice.
If you could participate on one of ITT International TEFL and TESOL's programs, where would you go and what would you do?
I would love to work in Dubai. Our organization does have contacts in Dubai so I would complete one of the TEFL/TESOL courses and ask for job placement support in Dubai. I would also like to work in Thailand one day so this would also be on my mind. Online teaching is also attractive to me so I would consider this too.
What questions do participants often ask you, and how do you typically respond?
There are many questions but the most popular ones are can you help me find an online teaching job or please can you help me with the lesson planning assignment. I always respond with topics that they can base their lesson plans on. I will also send them lesson plan examples to help them. For online job support, I refer them to our partnered school.
Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
It's very important to travel abroad and experience new cultures as it allows you to grow as a person and find yourself. This is especially important for younger adults but also important for the older adults too. Traveling around the world is really important for life changing abilities and I will always highly recommend doing it.
Why do you think learning a new language is important?
If for example you want to live in China, it is really important that you learn the language so that you can engage in local activities or talking to locals. You also feel a great sense of achievement by learning a new language. It’s a great feeling being able to talk to other people from around the world in their native language.
I did it! I finally graduated after all that hard work and determination!
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel refers to a style of traveling that goes beyond simply visiting tourist attractions or checking off destinations from a list. It emphasizes engaging with local cultures, fostering connections with people, and gaining a deeper understanding of the places visited. It involves immersing oneself in the local community, learning about their traditions, customs, and way of life.
To some, meaningful travel means having authentic and meaningful interactions with locals, such as participating in community projects, volunteering, or engaging in cultural exchanges. It can also involve learning about and respecting the environment by engaging in eco-friendly practices and supporting sustainable tourism initiatives.
For others, meaningful travel may involve personal growth and self-discovery. It can be a transformative experience that broadens horizons, challenges perspectives, and fosters empathy and understanding towards different cultures and lifestyles.
Ultimately, the concept of meaningful travel is subjective and can vary from person to person. It depends on individual interests, values, and goals. Some may seek spiritual or religious experiences, while others may focus on adventure and exploration. The key aspect is that meaningful travel goes beyond superficial tourism and aims to create a positive impact on oneself and the communities visited.
