If you have the travel bug, 2020 is a tough time. It's hard to give yourself a good reason to travel, but teaching English abroad is one great reason to get on a plane and cross oceans. You can give yourself more career options, explore other cultures, and meet many adventurous people like you. But first, you will need a TEFL certification.

Where should you go to get your certificate? Find a TEFL course in Thailand that can open doors for you in Thailand or any other country where you want to teach. Here are some guidelines to help you find the best course for you.

Decide what you want from your TEFL course experience. There are many places that offer certifications, but not all of the courses will truly prepare you for the rigors of teaching. You might know English, but do you really know how to teach it? Are you ready to manage a classroom of 20 first graders? If you want to become a truly professional teacher, find a TEFL course in Thailand that delivers on that promise.

There are a lot of resources available that offer reviews of programs online or around the world. To be honest, skip programs if you can't find much information on them. The program you choose should be well-recognized because your future employers will also care about the quality of your training.

Once you've identified a few programs that interest you, find out more about the nuts and bolts of what they offer. Their websites should clearly and quickly give you an overview of the program with upfront pricing available to compare. This is a competitive market, so you hold a lot of power. Use it to get the best training at a fair price.

The best training needs to be accredited and internationally recognized. Programs should also offer you help with getting your visa and work papers all sorted. This can be a big barrier to figure out on your own, so a really good agency should use their experience in this area to help you.

You also need an agency that works in the real world. They should offer observation-based training within their own academies or in conjunction with local schools. You can learn the theory of teaching anywhere. A worthwhile program will prepare you through in-class teaching opportunities with real students. You can guarantee employment after your training through TEFL internships that place you in a school or academy as soon as you finish your training too.

Once you narrow down your top programs, contact the programs that interest you. You should receive a quick response. If you don't, take that program off of your list. A good indication of a program's quality is their office organization. If you have any difficulty getting responses or answers to any reasonable questions, choose a different program. You will probably save yourself a lot of trouble by using this filter.

Most good programs have a long history and a lot of graduates. You should be able to find some of them on forums or social media. If you can't, ask for some contacts from the programs. These graduates should give you an honest take on their experience. Find out more regarding the actual program experience, plus its effects after graduation. Were they able to quickly find work in a well-paid position? Did the training program offer a job-placement guarantee? Find out what is important for you straight from those who have gone before you.

2020 is a strange year, and you might not feel like it's the right time to head out on a round-the-world trip just to hang out on the beach or see some sights. Move your career forward and recession-proof your credentials by joining a TEFL course in Thailand. You can have your adventures and make a difference in the world at the same time.