Figuring out this ESL teaching thing is not easy when you’re somewhat above the median age of “right out of college.” I have done my dues, taught for over twenty-five years at a higher level (University) than most, plus made the effort to get my TEFL certification. My plan is to actually show up in-country (Siem Reap, Cambodia) and pound the pavement to look for a job. I have already, via email, reached out to several schools, and even have a lead at a local Pannasastra University branch. But there are pitfalls along the way that most will not be aware of unless you do the research.
When you start looking and try to make inroads you may be told: “just show up and start looking, many schools will hire on the spot.” That may be true, but they won’t do so without some sort of guarantee that you are who you say your are, and you know what you say you know. So these things are necessary before you make the effort to fly to Cambodia and start looking, as they are time consuming and would be difficult to do if you are already there:
1. Make sure you have digital and hard copies of your teaching credentials. If you claim to have a degree (or more than one) you will need to have copies of your diplomas and transcripts. If you have them authenticated and legalized-better still. This includes your TEFL certification and if you, like me, got that certification from a provider not in your own country (I got mine through The TEFL Institute, which is based in the UK) then it will need to be authenticated and legalized through that countries state department system.
2. Get a criminal background check done (in the US that means an FBI check) and make sure it is authenticated as well.
You can do these things they hard way, but there are multiple steps and the bureaucratic cogs of the government turn slowly so it will take multiple weeks, even months to do so. While it will cost a pretty penny, I highly suggest using a “channeler” service who has contacts with the necessary government entities, and can get these things done much quicker. For the USA a good company to use is Monument Visa. I am using them for my back ground check. For the UK Vital Consular is a good one. If you have degrees and are in the US you will need to have, at the very least, your diploma(s) notarized by the school from which they came and then sent to the each individual states state department to have it authenticated. You can also then have them sent (best via a channeler) through the federal state department and Cambodia consulate for authentication and legalization (though this step may not be necessary until you actually land a job (or so I have been told)).
It must be noted that these channeler services are expensive, to the tune of several hundred dollars, so plan and budget accordingly.
Like I said it is best to get all this done prior to leaving, because once you’re in Cambodia it will be quite difficult. The good news is, that for most ESL situations a college degree is not required, only a minimum 120 hour TEFL certification.