Tips For Stateside IEP Teaching

Dorothy Zemach and Carlos Islam combine their own experiences with data collected from a survey of American Intensive English Programs (IEPs) to help teachers plan effective job hunting strategies from overseas

We surveyed 24 employers about the type of experience they value most in a candidate, the kind of experience an overseas candidate should emphasize, what has impressed them most in resumes, cover letters and interviews, particular concerns about overseas candidates that need to be addressed, and general advice to candidates applying from overseas.

When asked what kinds of experience they value most, all but two of the IEP employers rated teaching in a US IEP as their top choice with teaching a variety of levels and EAP (English for Academic Purposes) teaching experience sharing second place choice. Even if it means having worked temporarily during a summer session, substituting, or working part-time, IEP experience is clearly important. If you don't have the minimum requirements necessary for a full-time position yet, consider teaching in the US for a summer, as many IEPs lower their requirements when filling summer posts. Employers also valued experience in assessment and testing, materials writing, curriculum design, and fluency in another language.

The most impressive cover letters and resumes were, hands down, those without spelling and grammatical mistakes. An employer once told one of the authors that while he spends about 30 seconds looking over a resume, he goes through cover letters with a red pen, marking (among other things) typos and grammar problems. Says another: "One guy gave me a resume in which he stated he attended Northeastern Illinois University - twice!"

Resumes that show a breadth of experience found favor with the employers; here is where you can mention that private business English class you taught to adult factory workers or the multi-lingual TOEFL preparation class you taught once a week while you were studying for your MA. Resumes that impressed included those that clearly described experience rather than just dates, titles and institutions; here is where you can show that your responsibilities included testing and placement, curriculum development as well as teaching EAP.

Employers want cover letters that relate the applicant’s experience to the requirements of the position; for one thing, this can keep your application in the pile instead of having it tossed aside for not meeting minimum qualifications. One of the authors once had an application rejected for not meeting the required three-year minimum of IEP teaching; the problem was that one year had been at one institution, and two years had been at another. Don’t make the hiring committee total your years of experience: Clearly outline in your cover letter how you fulfill the stated requirements! "Directness, efficiency (never more than one page), neat appearance, proper balance between confidence and humility," are points highlighted one employer. Another said, "[N]o glorifying of experience, no padding, no self-promotion__the facts of the resume should tell me. Please no ‘Do you want a person who is culturally sensitive and can energize and motivate students?’ Of course, I do__that's a stupid question.’ "

Your cover letter would also be the place to mention when you plan to return to the US, whether you would be willing to pay your own interview travel expenses (some employers assume you won’t, and therefore don’t short-list you), and give an e-mail address and phone number where you could be reached quickly. If you are not responding to a specific posting, indicate also whether you could accept part-time position.

Those candidates that make it through to the interview impressed employers mostly with their confidence, but also by displaying some sense of humor, enthusiasm for the job, and creative teaching ideas. "One employer mentioned the ability to listen and respond to the needs of our program and students rather than to tell us why we should be doing things differently." Do some research before your meet your interviewers. At the least, check out the institution’s and the IEP’s websites and be prepared to explain how you would be able to fit into and benefit their program; also learn the names of the people you will be meeting, and investigate their areas of interest and publications.

The employer’s overriding concern about recruiting someone from overseas is scheduling and the expense of a face-to-face interview. A few employers expressed concerns about overseas applicants’ attitudes and efforts at self-promotion: "I'd say [overseas applicants] tend to think their overseas experience makes them uniquely qualified, more sensitive etc. than other applicants. This might be true if everyone here didn't have at least as much or more overseas experience themselves. So my advice would be to assume that those interviewing have done something very similar."

Another problem that needs to be addressed by the overseas applicant is the attitude that ESL programs in overseas schools and institutions are somehow not as serious or intense as US IEPs. Make sure your resume and/or cover letter stress the quality of the programs where you have taught; consider offering or sending sample course outlines and syllabi.

The main advice offered by employers to overseas applicants was to have realistic expectations about salaries and the possibility of having to work part-time for a few years. Jobs are scarcer, applicants more numerous, and salaries comparatively lower than in some other areas of the world. Still, with advance planning and perseverance, the return home (or venture out) can be achieved, and for us it has been more than worth the time and effort. Best of luck with your pursuits!