Application for a TEFL Position

If you are planning to apply for an English teaching job abroad or in your home country, you will need to write:

1. Application e-mail
2. Covering letter
3. CV

What to Include in Your Application E-mail

• Salutation (e.g., Dear HR/Recruitment Team) • Short self-introduction (your name and where you come from) • Opening statement (purpose why you are writing) • Job title you are applying for • Why you want to work in that organisation (and country) • Relevant experience • Relevant qualifications • What you are able to offer the company • When you are available to start • Closing remarks (e.g., thanking for considering your candidacy) • Signing off (e.g., Yours Faithfully) • Your name (first name, surname)

What to Include in Your Covering Letter

• Opening statement (e.g., expressing your interest in working as a TEFL with this organisation) • Experience Snapshot in Teaching (and any other relevant work fields) • Motivation and Rationale • Signing off • Your name

A covering letter should be sent with a CV if you are applying for a job not through an application form.

It is important to highlight relevant key points that an employer is looking for. Showcase how your unique combination of skillset, experience, and knowledge meet the key requirements of the job description.

What to Include in Your CV

• Professional experience (include specific details, such as organisation names, how long you worked there, job titles, what your roles involved, what ages, levels, and class sizes you have taught, what types of English you have taught, e.g., General English, Business English, ESP, exam preparation, etc., and what coursebooks you have used) • Education and qualifications (include specific details, such as certificates, diplomas, degrees as well as organisation names, where and when you have obtained them, what marks you were awarded, and if you did them online or face-to-face) • Relevant skills (e.g., Google Workspace, Microsoft Office 365, Zoom, Canva, Figma, etc.) • Any other languages you know and levels • Interests/Hobbies • Contact details (one e-mail and one phone number is enough)

General Tips

• Your covering letter should not exceed one page and CV two pages
• Be succinct, precise, and honest
• Follow a formal register (style)
• Be consistent whether you use British English or American English
• Tailor everything (make sure that neither your covering letter nor CV is generic, use the organisation name, the exact title of the job you are applying for, and other details)
• Send your application individually, do not c.c. several companies into one e-mail
• Emphasise relevant skillset, experience, and knowledge (it’s OK to mention your previous non-teaching-related career roles, but don’t go into it in-depth)
• Do not include qualifications such as GCSE (the General Certificate of Secondary Education) and other similar details
• Arrange everything in a well-structured and logical way
• Insert your recent photo (a headshot)
• Do not be repetitive and do not duplicate the same information in your covering letter and CV
• Have a professional e-mail address
• Do not write your physical address or too many contact details
• Bear in mind that recruiters often look at your social media profiles, so be careful what you post there, or set your privacy settings high
• Choose a same-style template with a professional design for both covering letter and CV (e.g., font, letter size, etc.)
• Convert and submit both covering letter and CV in PDF format
• Proofread everything well (grammarly.com can greatly help with it where you can also adjust language preferences, such as AE, BE, CanE, or AusE)

Do Use for a Formal Register (Style)

• Grammar and vocabulary range
• Passive voice
• Indirect questions (Would you mind..? Is there any chance..?, etc.)
• Complex sentences (2 or 3 simple sentences in one)
• Coherence and cohesion (a logical connection between words and sentences)

Do NOT Use for a Formal Register (Style)

• Contractions (isn’t, won’t, etc.)
• Phrasal verbs (carry on, deal with, etc.)
• Idioms, slang, and proverbs (to make a long story short, aha moment, Rome was not built in a day, etc.)
• Chat abbreviations (asap, pls, etc.)
• Too complicated vocabulary and too lengthy sentences (irregardless, etc.)
• Imperatives (tell me what to do next, give me an answer, etc.)
• Exclamation marks (!)
• Fillers (well, you know, etc.)

*CV (British English)
*Resume (American English)