“The only way that we can live, is if we grow. The only way that we can grow is if we change. The only way that we can change is if we learn. The only way we can learn is if we are exposed. And the only way that we can become exposed is if we throw ourselves out into the open. Do it. Throw yourself.” – C. JoyBell C
The world has greatly changed since the emergence of the Internet. Since then, changes have continued at an alarming rate, affecting various parts of our lives. Now, with COVID-19, the changes have moved many steps beyond human expectations. What was considered normal before is now becoming obsolete. For example, we now have new phrases such as “social distancing”, “lockdown”, “self-isolate”, to name only a few. In the same way, it is likely to create new jobs such as Covid-19 testers, Contact tracers, and enforcement officers.
The Impact of COVID-19 on the Nature of Work
The impact of changes brought by the Internet and COVID-19 is felt more in how work is done. According to Forbes (Arruda, 2020), COVID-19 will change the workplace forever in many ways, but the following are the most important ways these changes will affect work.
The Impact is Global
Based on the World Health Organisation (WHO) definition, a pandemic is “an epidemic occurring worldwide, or over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries and usually affecting a large number of people” (Kelly, 2011). So, this means that no nation or person is spared irrespective of political status or economic position. The majority of people work for businesses, whether private or public or government departments. COVID-19 has affected every one of them. It does not spare a particular type of business, and so every business has to make changes to adapt to what might happen in the future, as this might even be a sign of things to come.
One inevitable consequence of the changes is that you either adapt or perish, and the Internet has taught us this lesson well, as some of the companies that were slow to adapt are now out of business.
Enduring and Disruptive
COVID-19 has two characteristics of being enduring and disruptive. We do not know when it is ending. Similarly, it has changed our lives in so many ways. For example, what was regarded as normal is now abnormal; we can no longer freely shake people’s hands; we cannot gather with our friends and neighbours as we used to; we have to wear a face mask, which sometimes even makes people not recognise us.
E-learning and Work-ready Homes
Lessons have been learned from COVID-19. However, despite the changes, many companies and individuals will ignore the trend. The same thing happened with technological changes. The technology to work from home has been there, but it has been ignored. For example, even now, not many people know their internet performance. We all know that learning is now front and centre, and many organisations realise that upskilling and right-skilling are essential not only for innovation and strategic advantage but for survival. Before COVID-19, many corporate learning programs had mainly concentrated on workshops and seminars. But after COVID-19, e-learning has become the most common form of ongoing learning. Not that learning in a physical environment will go away, but such programmes will become less common. Many companies have been quick to adapt by making e-learning an essential part of their employees’ development.
Is teaching English Online a Good Job?
We have written in our previous posts about the growth of online education, the importance of the English Language in a global world and the continuous growth in demand for learning and teaching English online.
What constitutes a good job will vary depending on the context and the country. However, many people would say that a good job is one with good pay, a good pension, and other good working conditions such as pension, holidays, etc. Then again, what is a good salary?
According to Inc., a Business Insider survey of workers shows that though salaries and benefits were important, what matters most to most people is personal fulfilment. So, we can define a good job in this context as one that gives one satisfaction of personal fulfilment.
So, whether a job is worth it or not is not solely dependent on the financial rewards, but also what you want to get out of it.
How Much Can You Expect to Make?
Can you make a living teaching English online? You can because many people are doing it. However, it depends on a variety of factors such as where you live because of differences in time zones, currency and cost of living differences, the companies you work for, your lifestyle, how smart you work, experience and your qualifications, and how many hours you are willing to work
According to Prospects, a leading publication in graduate careers in the UK, and postgraduate study recruitment that works in close partnership with Higher Education and Further Education as well as professional bodies and government, the salaries for online English teachers can vary as stated below.
- Starting salaries vary considerably, depending on the country you’re working in and your employer – they range from £14,000 to £25,000.
- With experience and usually further qualifications, salaries can range from £27,000 to £33,000.
- For those with considerable experience and expertise, salaries can exceed £35,000. Higher-end salaries are usually for those who work in further and higher education institutions.
References
Arruda, W., 2020. 6 Ways COVID-19 Will Change The Workplace Forever. [online] Forbes. Available at: <https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamarruda/2020/05/07/6-ways-covid-19-will-change-the-workplace-forever/#12b3fab1323e> [Accessed 21 September 2020].
Garnett, L., 2019. What Does A Good Job Mean Today? According To Research, This Is Currently The Most Important Factor. [online] Inc.com. Available at: <https://www.inc.com/laura-garnett/what-does-a-good-job-mean-today-according-to-research-this-is-currently-most-important-factor.html> [Accessed 27 September 2020].
Prospects.ac.uk. 2020. English As A Foreign Language Teacher Job Profile | Prospects.Ac.Uk. [online] Available at: <https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/english-as-a-foreign-language-teacher> [Accessed 27 September 2020].
Turner, C., 2020. Pros And Cons Of Teaching English Online – Bridgeuniverse. [online] BridgeUniverse. Available at: <https://bridge.edu/tefl/blog/pros-and-cons-teaching-english-online/> [Accessed 1 October 2020].
