The commercialization of English Teaching: When a University Degree Is No Longer Enough

[BlueLights]

I have been teaching English for years. I have been looking for a job recently, but I have noticed an unpleasant change in the job market: a university degree, regardless from which university you got it, is becoming insufficient to get one recruited.

Some experts argue that this is a normal phenomenon; the job market is dynamic, and teachers have to move along and get new requirements. This makes sense; it is a great to continue developing one's skills even when working. However, I believe international recruiters have gone crazy with their 'English Certificate' requirements, to the point that it has become equal or superior to a graduate university degree.

Most English teaching jobs (outside the USA) now require such certificates as CELTA and DELTA, which cost a lot of money. It is as if there is a secret agreement between the organizations giving these certificates and recruiters: only the candidates who paid will get recruited. And what on earth happened to a university degree? It doesn't guarantee a job anymore.

This is ridiculous, I believe. Those certificates may teach you certain skills to deal with students, but I heard from colleagues who are working on theirs that it's too much work and that they cannot apply most of those skills on real teaching situations. In fact, it is experience that makes teachers better in their work. There are so many types of students, situations and cultures that a certificate cannot contain.

What do you think guys?

[SkipStop]

I hate the way employment has changed.
You need experience to get a job but you can't get experience without a job. WTF? How stupid are employers these days? I barely got a volunteer job. And it required two professional references. Ummm... where am I gonna get "Professional" references when I've never worked? I ended up asking two college professors for help. Still. References to get a job that doesn't pay me a penny? Ridiculous. And if you don't have a college degree, there is almost no place to work. What if the person comes from a poor family and doesn't have money for college? You can learn everything you need for free online these days. Coursera, Edx are great sites. And free books too. I could be the smartest and best candidate of all. But just because I don't have a degree, my resume goes in the trash automatically. So unfair.

[BlueLights]

I totally agree with you. Most emloyers think they are smart and creative, but they ate not. The reference thing should be outdated, and it doesn't make sense: what if you never had the chance to work? What if your reference is your boss who hates you, or who wants to take revenge on you by providing a bad reference? What if the reference dies or disappears?

[BlueLights]

And about the degree: it's not essential to success in many jobs. I know people in my family who don't have a degree but they are successful in their jobs/busnisses. I am sure you will ultimately get something good, just keep trying☺

[brittslitt]

It's insufficient because of the career path you chose. If you were to have a medical degree , business, finance, or real estate, foreign language you wouldn't have a problem