Jodi lives in Weston Super Mare with her husband, Dan, and 20 month old daughter, Indie. Jodi studied at the UWE, Bristol before making the move to London in 2007 to work in Sales and Marketing at the University of London. After completing her Post Graduate Diploma in Events Management with PR/ Marketing, Jodi made her return to the South West and has been working at TEFL Heaven since 2018.
What is your favorite travel memory?
My brother-in-law lives in Bangkok, Thailand, so I have been lucky enough to spend several months travelling around the country, including the Islands to the south of Thailand.
My husband and I spent 3 nights on Ang Thong National Marine Park, which is a very small and virtually uninhabited Island off the coast of Koh Samui. It was absolutely beautiful, with its towering limestone mountains, thick jungle, white-sand beaches, waterfalls and hidden coves and lakes. We stayed in a simple bungalow with no air conditioning or internet, which was challenging, but worth it! One of my best memories is of us eating our breakfast surrounded by the local wildlife every morning, including a group of cheeky monkeys who were always eager to share our meals with us!
How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?
I have learnt a lot about the world of TEFL since starting this role. Although not a TEFL Heaven alumni myself, I am an avid traveller with a love of working with young people, having previously worked at the University of London and Bristol Students Union.
Since working at TEFL Heaven, I have seen first hand that teaching abroad is an amazing life changing experience and I feel very privileged to be part of that journey. My current role entails conveying that experience to prospective candidates via our website, social media and partner sites. One of the ways I do this is by working closely with our Ambassadors, who are TEFL Heaven alumni living and working in their chosen destinations all over the world.
I have learnt so much about the TEFL experience through working with them; it is so rewarding and inspiring speaking to them each week and finding out their updates!
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
One of our TEFL Heaven alumni, Kailey, told me a story recently about how she came off her motorcycle in the first few weeks of being in Thailand. Feeling quite dazed and confused (and probably a little in shock), she was amazed by the kindness she received from the local Thai people, including passing onlookers and the local shop owner, who all came out to comfort her and attend to her wounds! She was even given a spare pair of shoes to wear home! It just goes to show Thailand really is the land of smiles!
If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?
This is a really tricky question because my heart lies with Thailand, having spent so much time there. Our program is taught on the paradise Island of Koh Chang (which I have been to several times) and it’s by far our most popular choice, so hard to resist! However, because I would want a new experience and to feel a little out of my comfort zone, I would say Mexico!
Having never been to Latin America, I think it would be an amazing to learn more about the local culture, not to mention the food! This would also give me the chance to brush up on my A- level Spanish skills! Hey, it’s never too late to start over! Sign me up (although I think the husband might have something to say about it)... Adios, amigos!!
What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?
Some of the best feedback I’ve seen is about the level of support and advice we give to our candidates. Their journey is really important to us and we want to make sure we find the best fit for every candidate. We are not in this to make a quick dollar, we understand that this is an important life changing decision for them. The majority of our staff are alumni, so have been there themselves! We go above and beyond to offer the best, most up to date information and resources available to equip our candidates to teach English in their chosen destination.
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
We believe in honesty and transparency in all that we do; we always have our customers at the heart of every interaction. We always try and put ourselves in their shoes by offering them all of the information which we would want if we were in their position. We go above and beyond to offer them the very best level of support and service in all that we do.
