Great guidance and TEFL were EXCELLENT

Because I am far beyond my college years and didn't know where to even begin, CIEE was a tremendous help in guiding me through the process of finding a job and obtaining my TEFL certification. Ally was my little angel providing me with support and answering all my questions in a professional and timely fashion - everything from serious stuff to ridiculously trivial stuff!
The TEFL course was excellent and our instructor was fabulous! It was challenging in that I worked a full-time job so I had to do a bit of juggling but I managed to complete everything. Likewise, it got my brain thinking as a teacher again after being out of education for 12+ years. I will admit that the class could be a bit unrealistic compared to what you are thrown into in "real life" but at least it gives you an excellent foundation. For example, almost all the teaching scenarios in the class were something like - "you have a class of 8 students with intermediate-advanced English skills". In actuality, at least in the teaching placement I am in, I have classes of 45-50 college students with barely any English skills...and I have 12 of those classes, so around 500 students! Needless to say, it is absolutely necessary to be flexible, adaptable, creative, and willing to laugh at yourself and the situation you may find yourself in.
Now that I have been in China for a year, I have been able to secure a new job for next year that pays considerably more than my CIEE placement at a school with amazing facilities. But I am so happy for my current experience because I have learned a ton about myself and what I am capable of when placed in a new and strange environment. CIEE and the TEFL program helped me along the way and I always knew I could reach out to them with questions or concerns should anything arise.