Q and A

[fpb]

E-mail from possible employer:
Dear Fabio,

Thank you for sending us your CV. We will consider your application and contact you if we would like to meet up and discuss any teaching opportunities.

For the avoidance of doubt, can you please confirm if you have an official teaching qualification?

Regards

Response:
Why do I even bother.

NO, dammit, I do not have a teaching qualification. I am only a native Italian speaker with a couple of degrees, fluent English and about ten years' experience teaching the language to adults on an individual basis and twice as much experience translating. What should I know.

Forget it. Just go for the guy with the piece of paper, I can't be bothered. If you find it more important than a lifetime of experience and knowledge that ranges from marketing to Dante, it's your funeral.

Sincerely,

F.P.Barbieri

P.S.: I do not in fact have "a couple of degrees". That was only intended to make him feel worse. The rest is true.

Comments

[izhilzha.livejournal.com]

Is there some reason why it's too complicated to get certified? I know it's rather a chore here in California, USA, but if I was actually looking into jobs I think I could spend the time.

Maybe it's tougher where you are?

[fpb.livejournal.com]

It's a degree. And it involves doing high school teaching practice, not to mention spending money. And I do not see why I should need it when my experience tells me that the people who want individual tuition in Italian are nearly always adult businessmen who need to learn the language and can afford the rather steep rates involved.

[redcoast.livejournal.com]

You're grumpy. *Giggle*

[seph-hazard.livejournal.com]

WSS.

[redcoast.livejournal.com]

What's that?

[seph-hazard.livejournal.com]

'What she said'

[rfachir.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't send that response. As a non-advanced-degree person, with "a couple of inferior degrees" (on paper and everything!) it only serves to make people defensive, especially people with useless advanced degrees. The ones with real smarts are not threatened by people who know things without the paper trail.
The trick is to make them rewrite the posting to fit you, because they absolutely must have you. Desperation is your friend. Smart people always want calm, capable helpers who know enough to listen and not argue with them. (Else I'd be unemployed - but I enjoy the life of a cog.)

[privatemaladict.livejournal.com]

I agree with rfachir. So you don't have an official qualification - that's a disadvantage, but it might not necessarily mean you won't get the job if they're impressed enough with your other credentials. Instead of getting pissed off and defensive, make them want to hire you, regardeless of your pieces of paper (or lack thereof).