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EF Education First

Everything you need to know to get a job at EF.

Important Update (Nov. 2023)

This company is no longer hiring through this channel.

Please check out our Online Teaching Jobs page where you can be connected with companies that are currently hiring:

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Teachn English online with Education First. EF has placements for native speakers from the U.S. or U.K. and offers up to $20 U.S. dollars or £11.80 per hour.
 

EF Overview

  • Open to US and UK citizens

  • Teach students aged 5 - 10 years old

  • Choose your own schedule

  • Requires a Bachelor's degree from a US or UK University

  • Applicants must reside in the US or UK

  • No minimum hours required

  • Requires a TEFL certificate

  • No mandatory teaching props or backdrops needed

 
 
 

About EF

EF is an international education company that specializes in language training, educational travel, academic degree programs, and cultural exchange. Today, EF has over 32,000 employees, teachers and volunteers around the world, with schools and offices in 54 countries.


EF Class Type

  • One-on-one lessons

  • Teach the same students each week

 

EF Age range

  • Children aged 5-10 years old 

 
 

EF Requirements

  • Native English speaker from the U.S. (excluding certain states) or U.K. with a bachelor’s degree in any field

  • Applicants must reside in the US or UK

  • TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification: Teachers can apply now and submit their certificate at the start of their contract term. Get one here.

  • Experience in early childhood development, teaching, coaching or mentoring is preferred, not required. 

  • Excellent cultural awareness, communication and motivational skills

  • For U.S. applicants: an online background check (at no cost to you)

  • For U.K. applicants: an online Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, reimbursed after the successful completion of 3 months.

  • No mandatory teaching props or backdrops needed

 
 

 

EF Minimum Hours

  • No minimum hours required

  • EF’s booking system is setup so that students can book with the same teacher, in the same time slot, for multiple weeks in a row.

    • (Booking with the same student for multiple classes in a row may increase your chances of filling your schedule.)


EF Pay

For U.S. Teachers:

  • up to $20 USD/hour to start

    • Base Pay = $13.20/hour (Typical starting pay. Offers may vary)

    • Surge Hours Bonus: $2.80/hour

      • Paid on top of base pay for Monday through Friday classes with start times from 6:00 to 8:30 A.M. EDT and Friday and Saturday evenings from 9:00 to 10:30pm EDT

    • Student Services Bonus: $2.00

      • Paid on top of the base fee for all classes in a calendar month if you don’t cancel any classes within 24 hours of lesson start time during that month.

    • The ‘45’ bonus: $2.00

      • Paid on top of the base fee for all classes in a calendar month if you teach 45 or more classes in that month.

    • Class Milestone Reward:

      • 200 classes taught = $100

      • 400 classes taught = $200

      • 1000 classes taught = $500

      • 2000 classes taught = $1000

For U.K. Teachers:

  • Offers start at £8.50 per hour plus bonuses and holiday pay (with opportunities to earn up to £11.80 per hour).  

 
 

EF Peak Teaching Times

  • For U.S. Teachers:

    • Available teaching hours:

      • Weekdays: 4:00 AM to 8:30 AM (EDT)

      • Weekend: Friday 9:00 PM to Saturday 9:00 PM and Saturday 9:00 PM to Sunday 9:00 AM (EDT)

    • Peak teaching hours:

      • Weekdays: 6:00 AM to 8:30 AM (EDT)

      • Friday and Saturday, 9:00 PM to 10:30 PM (EDT).


  • For U.K. Teachers:

    • Available teaching hours:

      • 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM (GMT/UK time)

    • Peak teaching times:

      • 10:00 AM to 12:30PM (GMT/UK time)

EF Application Process

  1. Submit qualifications online

  2. Initial Call – This stages features a call with EF, as well as an exclusive virtual tour of the EF Classroom

  3. Contract Offer – Discuss your contract and next steps for getting you started on the platform.

  4. Paid Training/Induction

 
 
 

Our Review

EF is for:

  • teachers who want to develop a relationship with repeat students. (same student, same time, several weeks in a row)

  • teachers who prefer to teach without props and backgrounds. (great for travellers or those who don’t have a dedicated teaching room)

  • those who can’t commit to minimum teaching hours

  • teachers who like the blended learning approach (students take group lessons at physical locations in China before taking online, one-on-one classes with EF teachers)

  • people with little-to-no teaching experience

  • teachers seeking 24/7 support from local staff

  • people who want to be paid for their training/induction

  • those seeking paid holiday leave and pension participation (for U.K. teachers only)

Things to consider about EF:

  • While there are no minimum number of hours required, EF’s booking system is set up to encourage students to book teachers in the same time slot, week after week. If you need the flexibility of being able to open your schedule the night before, or even just a few days before, you may have difficulty filling your schedule with this type of booking system.

EF Technical Requirements

  • personal computer

  • headset

  • reliable WiFi connection

 
 
 
 

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