Frustrated Rant
I found an ad for a job that sounded really exciting quite by accident. I was browsing the Tefl.com database, looking for a job for a friend, and I found this job in Morocco just for 2 months, with the British Council! It sounded great! Short term, interesting place, good school etc, etc. So I applied. And then, three days after they said they would get back to me, I got a polite rejection letter, which included an invitation to ask what was lacking in my application and the reason for my rejection. So I did - I figured I should know for next time, right?
I got a reply today - I was rejected because I didn't have a CELTA or CELTA equivalent qualification. I thought 'Oh! is *that* all!' and quickly sent of a reply saying that I'm sorry it wasn't clear from my application, but I do have a CELTA equivalent, with the required number of teaching hours and observed prac hours and that I had previously had it approved by the British Council, so it was all ok, and if it wasn't too late, I'd love to still be considered for the job.
A few hours later, I got another reply, saying that the only equivalent that he would recognise without having to call central recruiting (or something) was the Trinity certificate. So basically, he can't be bothered doing this tiny bit of work required to check if my certificate is ok. And their advertisement of 'CELTA *or equivalent* required' should really read 'CELTA or Trinity Certificate required'. I've written a response but I'm going to wait until tomorrow to send it, just so I can re-read it and check it isn't too insulting.
Basically, I feel needlessly discriminated against. This has happened before - I have received rejection emails from BC affiliated summer schools in the UK that were actually rude - how dare I waste their time by applying when I only have a "sub-standard" qualification. Luckily, when I applied for Lines, they were nice enough to take a second look, or something, and willing to fill out the ONE form with TWO questions on it (form 4.7 of the BC handbook, I think) and approve my qualification.
Yes, that's right, MY CERTIFICATE IS *ALREADY* APPROVED BY THE BC, so it's not like I'm just trying my luck.
And, anyway, I thought getting my Masters degree in TESOL would solve this problem, and mean that my old cert TESOL didn't matter so much.
Apparently I was wrong.
Yay for bureaucracy and narrow mindedness.
I got a reply today - I was rejected because I didn't have a CELTA or CELTA equivalent qualification. I thought 'Oh! is *that* all!' and quickly sent of a reply saying that I'm sorry it wasn't clear from my application, but I do have a CELTA equivalent, with the required number of teaching hours and observed prac hours and that I had previously had it approved by the British Council, so it was all ok, and if it wasn't too late, I'd love to still be considered for the job.
A few hours later, I got another reply, saying that the only equivalent that he would recognise without having to call central recruiting (or something) was the Trinity certificate. So basically, he can't be bothered doing this tiny bit of work required to check if my certificate is ok. And their advertisement of 'CELTA *or equivalent* required' should really read 'CELTA or Trinity Certificate required'. I've written a response but I'm going to wait until tomorrow to send it, just so I can re-read it and check it isn't too insulting.
Basically, I feel needlessly discriminated against. This has happened before - I have received rejection emails from BC affiliated summer schools in the UK that were actually rude - how dare I waste their time by applying when I only have a "sub-standard" qualification. Luckily, when I applied for Lines, they were nice enough to take a second look, or something, and willing to fill out the ONE form with TWO questions on it (form 4.7 of the BC handbook, I think) and approve my qualification.
Yes, that's right, MY CERTIFICATE IS *ALREADY* APPROVED BY THE BC, so it's not like I'm just trying my luck.
And, anyway, I thought getting my Masters degree in TESOL would solve this problem, and mean that my old cert TESOL didn't matter so much.
Apparently I was wrong.
Yay for bureaucracy and narrow mindedness.
Labels: British Council, job applications, Lines, qualifications
posted by Kat at 10:03 am
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