Ali is part of the Sales and Marketing team at The TEFL Org. Her day-to-day tasks as TEFL Advisor involve dealing with customer inquiries via email, live chat and over the phone and advising students on the best course to take.
What is your favorite travel memory?
During my third year at university, I took part in the Erasmus Study Abroad program. I studied in Seville for 6 months and loved learning about Spanish culture, traditions and obviously tying all the amazing food.
We had a few long weekends away but my favourite one was Morocco. We got the ferry from Tarifa to Tangier and visited a few towns and cities in the north of Morocco. I fell in love with one called Chefchaouen which had nearly all of its walls and floors painted different shades of blue. The local markets were also really cool and I got to try out my haggling skills!
How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?
I would say that I have definitely been inspired by our students!
I speak to people from all over the world on a daily basis and in most cases, I get to hear their stories, plans, and dreams.
Whether it's someone who has just finished university and is looking to try out teaching for a short while or it's someone looking to completely change their career and move abroad to teach, it's a big step to take!
I think I'm definitely more open to trying new things now and just saying...why not?
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
We have heard back from so many students that it's hard to pick one.
I have to say that my favorite one is from David, one of our graduates. After quitting his retail job and selling his property in London, he traveled for 12 months, visiting 24 countries! Towards the end of his trip, he realized that this was not a lifestyle he wanted to give up so he decided to complete a TEFL course. Since then, David has been living as a 'Digital Nomad' and teaching English online while traveling all over the world.
If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?
I am currently working through our 120-Hour Premier Online TEFL Course and have also attended our 20-Hour Weekend Course.
The classroom course sounded really intensive at first, but it was so fun and interactive. The tutor taking the course was really great at getting everyone involved and making us all feel confident enough to plan and deliver our own lesson at the end of the course.
If I was to use the qualification to teach, I would definitely consider our Vietnam Teaching Semester. I'd go for this as not only do you have a teaching position arranged for you, but you also have full in-country support for the duration of the program and you get to meet other newly qualified EFL teachers from other countries.
What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?
I think one of the things that make us unique is that we are a relatively small team so there is still that personal touch involved. Whether you are contacting us via live chat, email or phone, it's likely that the same person will respond.
I think the support that we offer not only prior and during the course, but also after completion also makes The TEFL Org unique. From tech issues to checking your CV and offering advice on finding work, we have a great team all willing to help.
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
I believe that a passionate team of people who are open to change and willing to try new things will always push a company forward.
It's great when you hear that someone you helped at the beginning of their journey has gone on to secure their dream teaching job. I think this keeps everyone in our team motivated to do our best every day.
