8 TEFL Jobs That Aren’t Teaching English

So maybe you’re considering teaching English BUT you’re not too thrilled about teaching. Or maybe you think that teaching could get a bit boring after a while and you’re not sure if it’s worth the change. Getting your TEFL certificate is just the first step. Today I’m going to share other TEFL jobs that you can do besides teaching English online!

Since I’ve been living abroad one of the really surprising experiences for has been meeting people who are supporting themselves in really unique and interesting ways!

Of course, if you’ve been reading this blog for some time you know that I really think that teaching English is a great way to support yourself and have more freedom.

However, I have received some messages from readers asking about other options for teaching. For example, one person wrote:

What if I get bored with teaching? How do I know it’s worth the effort and something that I want to do long-term?

Well, it’s a valid question. But it’s not unlike any other profession. There are many jobs that are related to teaching English that aren’t actually teaching English.

Examples of TEFL jobs other than teaching

Let me explain. For example, if you work for a company as an English teacher there is a whole team of people that are working for the company as well.

• There will be customer support for students.
• There’s IT support to help teachers and students with technical issues.
• Also, you have teacher support to help teachers with any issues they may have in the classroom or with students.
• There are people working with pedological content, writing and creating classroom materials for teachers to use.
• You have people who work in testing to grade students’ tests.
• Also, people are needed to work in HR that help with hiring teachers and other workers.
• You have people working in administration as well as teacher trainers.
• Don’t forget the people working in sales and marketing to find new students

So as you can see there are many other roles that could be connected just with an online teaching company!

I’m going to share some other jobs that you can consider if you don’t want to teach or to consider after getting some experience teaching English. Most of these can also be flexible and offer some of the same benefits of teaching English online, although not all may be available to do from home.

Academic Coordinator

This job is often offered with language academies or online teaching schools. This position can include helping and advising other teachers. You may also be involved in planning and running TEFL development workshops or continued training for teachers. You may also specialize in certain types of classes like Young Learners or Business English and be involved in the administration and management of these classes.

TEFL Teacher Training

This role can often involve getting additional training and you will need to have some experience teaching. However, it could be a fun way to pass on your knowledge and experience to future teachers! In this position, you would be training new teachers to be TEFL certified. This could be in person or online.

ELT Publishing

As a teacher, you may have used coursebooks, handouts or other materials to help you teach your students. Well someone had to write and create these materials and this could be you! You could work writing or developing teaching materials or as a sales rep delivering these materials to different schools and organizations. Having experience as a teacher will definitely be needed to do this job. You can even do this to build a passive income using sites like this.

Create Your Own Courses

After having some experience teaching for an online school or company, maybe you want to create your own course to teach English. You would create the course and market it to potential students. It will be some work upfront but could free up your time in the long run.

Translation

If you know a second language this could be a great option! Translators are highly sought after around the world and it’s very easy to work as a freelancer. This could give you flexibility and freedom with your time. I know several friends who do this as work and work from home!

Copy Editing/Proofreading

If you have a passion for writing and reading, this could be another option to consider. You can use your skills with the English language to work when and where you want. You must be detail-oriented and know your grammar well. What does a proofreader do? They:

• check for spelling mistakes, typos, punctuation errors and also for correct grammatical and vocabulary usage.
• re-word sentences for clarity and conciseness, eliminate repetition and ensure a consistent style/register.
• suggest reorganization if it will improve coherence.
• check formatting so documents look crisp and professional.

Work for a travel or study abroad program

There are many organizations from the US or UK that work with different countries to organize work or study abroad programs. You could work on the organizational side of this by advising students, organizing their homestay accommodations, etc. Here’s a great list of some study abroad agencies in the UK.

Work in immigration

This could be another area where you can use your TEFL skills in the field of immigration. In many countries, there are immigrants who move for various reasons and local governments or NGOs need people to advise these ones and help them to resettle and find work. In some countries, this can include language teaching or coaching.

TEFL Recruitment

This is number 9! I know! I’m giving you an extra 🙂

In many countries, there are language academies or international schools who use recruitment agencies to find suitable teachers. You could work as a recruiter for one of these agencies, helping them to find teachers and prepare them for interviews. This can be done from home and could be another flexible job option. In fact, my wife did this job when we first moved abroad and enjoyed it.

So as you can see, getting your TEFL certificate doesn’t just limit you to teaching English online! There are many different directions you could go depending on your goals and objectives.

I really hope you got value out of this blog post as you continue your journey towards teaching English online! If you want to keep learning why not subscribe to this blog by clicking here.

You can also check out and subscribe to my daily podcast called You Can Teach English Online by clicking here, available on iTunes, Spotify and more.

What are your thoughts? Were you surprised at the different jobs you could do with a TEFL certification? Comment below!