Make A Self-Introductory Video

Nowadays, every job in the market is overloaded with an insane amount of applicants. Your resume, photo, degree, and TEFL certificate are not enough to make you stand out in the intense competition. However, making a fantastic self-introductory video will help you to get hired as an English teacher! The video can prove your capabilities to schools by showing your English skills and your teaching experience. It also builds a personal rapport with schools and creates a bond with your soon-to-be students.

Some schools may not demand a self-introductory video, but you will earn an extra point with a simple video. It also makes them remember you easily!

What to Insert in a Self-Introductory Video

You only need to record a short video of one to three minutes duration. Be concise and accurate!

Here are some essential points that you should mention in your video:

• Your full name
• Your nation of origin (address)
• Your educational background
• The reason why you love teaching English
• Your relevant experiences
• Previous teaching jobs, experience with the age of students and subjects, etc.

The video is not difficult to make if you plan it out correctly. You can write a script beforehand to help yourself talk smoothly without stuttering in front of the camera. It would help if you did not glance at the paper while recording yourself. It would be best if you practiced a couple of times so that you can speak naturally.

Do not be afraid to let your personality and strength shine through the video. You do not have to follow a specific structure. Imagine that you are standing in front of a particular group of students and say something in a professional way that would make you stand out as a perfect teacher for them.

How to Make a Fantastic Self-Introductory Video for Teachers

1. Speak clearly and not too rush. Imagine yourself talking to non-native speakers with weak English listening skills. You have to speak with simple words to make sure they can understand you well.
2. Express your passion with confidence. Students usually prefer a teacher who can speak easily with a strong passion for the subject. You need to look happy, confident, and natural. Do not forget to smile as well!
3. Wear an impressive dress. Even though you are probably recording yourself at home, but you still have to look presentable. Choose an outfit that you would wear to teach a class in real life.
4. Record the video beautifully and decorate your background. Get rid of any background clutters so that the video would focus on you only without any distractions at the back. The video should be filmed from the waist up to make sure your face and hand gestures are visible to the audience.
5. Set up a bright environment. A high-quality lighting would be perfect for the teaching environment. Please do not place the light directly behind you and make sure it does not give a weird shadow on your face. You should not let the source of light point straight towards the camera because it would affect the interviewer’s view.
6. Film the video in a quiet place. The microphone will detect any background noises if you are filming in a noisy place. You can borrow a high-quality portable microphone or invest your money to buy it online. Keep in mind that your voice is the main factor of your video!

How to Set Up the Background for Self-Introductory and Online Teaching Videos

The video background is another crucial component that teachers need to keep an eye on while making a teaching video. A cluttered and messy environment can be a distraction to your students, and it is also a sign of unprofessionalism. Many ESL companies focus on teaching methodology, lighting, background, apparel, attitude, and overall teaching performance assessment.

• The ultimate teaching position is to use a white or light-colored wall as your background. If you do not have the layout type, you can place a whiteboard at the back.
• You may decorate the bare wall with some pictures, posters, or wall decals. The decoration can enhance the quality of your video and attract your students’ interest to get engaged in your lesson.

Analyze Your Self-Introductory Video

It is prevalent to record a video a hundred times until you get a perfect result. After you complete the recording, you should check your video beforehand to see if it suits your desires. Here are some important elements that you need to take note of in making a video:

• Did your voice sound clear and confident to the recruiter?
• Can the recruiter watch your teaching session without any distractions?
• Is the video stable and of good quality?
• Was the video filmed in full-width with high definition?
• Did you smile while teaching?

Share Your Self-Introductory Video

Once you recorded a fantastic self-introductory video, you should upload it on YouTube. If you apply for an online English teaching job in China, you need to find another platform or send the file directly to schools because YouTube is blocked in the country.

You may share your video’s link to the recruiter instead of sending the entire file because it tends to be very large. Gmail only lets you upload up to 25MB. Meanwhile, Microsoft Hotmail allows you to attach up to 10MB per email attachment.

• YouTube – Uploading a video to this platform is one of the most effective ways. If you only want to share your video with specific personnel, you can set the view of privacy to be unlisted.
• Cloud Storage – Another option for uploading your video is to share via Google Drive, Microsoft SkyDrive, or Dropbox.
• Youku – Since YouTube is blocked in China, it would be better for you to take an extra mile to upload your video to the Chinese YouTube equivalent sharing site called Youku. HR of the ESL teaching companies in China should use a VPN to access the video but at a slower speed.

Let the Video Shows Its Miracle

Now you are all prepared! It is time for us to guide you to find an online English teaching job!
Good luck and have fun!