“The only way that we can live, is if we grow. The only way that we can grow is if we change. The only way that we can change is if we learn. The only way we can learn is if we are exposed. And the only way that we can become exposed is if we throw ourselves out into the open. Do it. Throw yourself.”― C. JoyBell C.
The world has greatly changed since the emergence of the Internet. Since then, changes have continued at an alarming speed which has affected various parts of our lives. Now with COVID-19, the changes have moved many steps even ahead of human expectations so that what was considered normal before is now becoming obsolete. For example, we now have new phrases such as “social distancing”, “Lockdown”, “Self-isolate” etc, to name only but a few of them. In the same way, it is likely going to create new jobs such as Covid-19 testers, Contact tracers, Covid-19 enforcement officers, etc.
The Impact of COVID-19 on the Nature of Work
A combination of the impact of changes brought by the Internet and Covid-19 are going to be felt more in the nature of work. According to Forbes (Arruda, 2020), COVID-19 will change the workplace forever in many ways, but the following are the most important ways these changes will affect work.
The Impact is Global
Based on the World Health Organisation (WHO) definition, a pandemic is “an epidemic occurring worldwide, or over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries and usually affecting a large number of people”, (Kelly, 2011). So, this means that no nation or person is spared irrespective of political, status, or economic position. The majority of people work for businesses whether private or public enterprises or government departments. COVID-19 has affected every one of them. It does not spare any type of business and so every business has to make changes to adapt to what might happen in the future as this might even be a sign of things to come.
One inevitable consequence of changes is that you either adapt or perish and the Internet has taught us this lesson very well where some of the companies that were slow to adapt are now out of business.
Enduring and Disruptive
COVID-19 has these two characteristics of being enduring and disruptive. We do not know when it is going to end. Similarly, it has changed our lives in so many ways. For example what was regarded as normal is now abnormal such as, we can no longer shake people’s hands, as usual, we cannot gather with our friends and neighbours as we used to do, we have to wear a face mask which even sometimes makes people not to recognise us.
E-learning and Work-ready Homes
A lot of lessons have been learned from COVID-19. However, despite the changes, many companies, and people will ignore the trend of things. The same thing happened with changes in technology. The technology to work from home has been there but it has been ignored. For example, even now not many people know their internet performance. We all know that learning is now front and centre, and many organizations realize that upskilling and right-skilling are essential not only for innovation and strategic advantage but for survival. Before COVID-19, many corporate learning programs were mainly concerned with workshops and seminars. But after COVID-19, e-learning will become the most part of ongoing learning. Not that learning in a physical environment will go away, but such programmes will become less common. Many companies have been quick to adapt by making e-learning an essential part of their employees’ development.
Is teaching English Online a Good Job?
We have written in our previous posts about the growth of online education, the importance of the English Language in a global world and the continuous growth in demand for learning and teaching English online.
What constitutes a good job will vary depending on the context and the country. However, many people would say that a good job is one with good pay, a good pension, and other good working conditions such as pension, holidays, etc. Then again, what is a good salary?
According to Inc., a survey by Business Insider of workers from all generations shows that though salaries and benefits were important, what matters most to most people is personal fulfilment. So, in this context, a good job can be defined as a job that gives a person satisfaction and fulfilment.
So, whether a job is worth it or not, is not solely dependent on the financial rewards, but also on what you want to get out of it.
How Much Can You Expect to Make?
Can you make a living teaching English online? The answer is you can because many people are doing it. However, it depends on a variety of factors such as where you live because of differences in time zones, currency and cost of living differences, the companies you work for, your lifestyle, how smart you work, experience and your qualifications, and how many hours you are willing to work
According to Prospects, a UK leading expert in graduate career and postgraduate study recruitment that works in close partnership with Higher Education and Further Education as well as professional bodies and government, the salaries for online English teachers can vary as stated below.
- Though starting salaries range from £14,000 to £25,000. This depends on the country you’re working in and your employer.
- Salaries can range from £27,000 to £33,000, depending on experience and qualifications.
- Salaries can be over £35,000 for those regarded as experts, especially those in higher education.
These salaries are in British Pound Sterling (£). You can use the equivalence where you live or if you want to go abroad, the equivalence in the country that you intend to go to.
Premier TEFL
In conclusion, your decision to become an online English teacher depends on your goals. Like everything in life, you need to weigh the pros and cons of becoming an online English teacher to enable you to decide whether doing so aligns with your goals.
Premier TEFL is a reputable company that specializes in providing courses, jobs, resources, guidance, and everything that you may need to know to help you decide whether teaching English online is for you and how you can start. You can learn more from Premier TEFL by following this link below.
Follow this Link to Premier TEFLReferences
Arruda, W., 2020. 6 Ways COVID-19 Will Change The Workplace Forever. [online] Forbes. Available at: <https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamarruda/2020/05/07/6-ways-covid-19-will-change-the-workplace-forever/#12b3fab1323e> [Accessed 21 September 2020].
Garnett, L., 2019. What Does A Good Job Mean Today? According To Research, This Is Currently The Most Important Factor. [online] Inc.com. Available at: <https://www.inc.com/laura-garnett/what-does-a-good-job-mean-today-according-to-research-this-is-currently-most-important-factor.html> [Accessed 27 September 2020].
Kelly, H., 2011. WHO | The Classical Definition Of A Pandemic Is Not Elusive. [online] Who.int. Available at: <https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/89/7/11-088815/en/#:~:text=A%20pandemic%20is%20defined%20as,are%20not%20considered%20pandemics.> [Accessed 3 October 2020].
Prospects.ac.uk. 2020. English As A Foreign Language Teacher Job Profile | Prospects.Ac.Uk. [online] Available at: <https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/english-as-a-foreign-language-teacher> [Accessed 27 September 2020]
