Gen Z who want to globe-trot by teaching English overseas can have a great career but must beware of threats

Gen Z are looking for positions that provide a healthy work-life balance and opportunities for advancement. Picture: Pexels

Gen Z are looking for positions that provide a healthy work-life balance and opportunities for advancement. Picture: Pexels

Published Aug 21, 2024

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Gen Z, which will account for 40% of the workforce by 2030, is shunning traditional employment. Instead, individuals are looking for positions that provide a healthy work-life balance and opportunities for advancement.

By choosing career options with transferable abilities, new graduates can receive the flexibility they seek. This is according to the TEFL Academy.

“A teaching English as a foreign language qualification is a smart investment in your future. Foreign language English teachers learn sought-after skills that can make all the difference to corporate success, all while soaking up the priceless experience of living in a different culture,” said Rhyan O’Sullivan, the managing director at the Academy.

However, when going internationally, one should anticipate some pitfalls or even threats, for example, cultural shock and in extreme cases, racism and discrimination.

This was the case of South African woman Nolusindiso Hleko who claimed that she had a hellish experience in her job as an English teacher when her manager allegedly punched her in the face.

“The HR manager punched me in my face during a disagreement. After he punched me and I was screaming trying to get out of his office, he grabbed my phone and said he did not have my phone anymore,” she said on YouTube.

Yet, teaching overseas is an option for many job seekers who have to face the country’s gruelling unemployment rates. So, these young people must brace themselves that it may not all be sunshine and rainbows.

O'Sullivan went on to say that for many, TEFL certificates are more than simply a passport to self-funded adventure; they are the beginning of a successful career in education, which includes teaching, adult education, and more.

He highlighted the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs report, which predicts that an additional 10 million jobs in education will be required globally over the next five years.

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