Communities of Participation in TESOL The Knowledge, Experience, Skills, and Characteristics TESOL Employers Seek in Job Candidates CAPRICE L. BAILEY MARK W. TANNER LYNN E. HENRICHSEN DAN P. DEWEY Brigham Young University In a competitive marketplace, job candidates need to know what TESOL employers are seeking in new hires. A 12-month study of TESOL job announcements examined the types of work offered and the candidate knowledge, experience, skills, and personal characteristics TESOL employers were seeking in full- time hires. An analysis of 169 job advertisements indicates that employers prefer applicants with knowledge and experience not only in teaching but also in curriculum development, teacher education, and program administration. Regarding candidates’ personal characteristics, employers seek individuals who have strong interpersonal and teamwork skills, as well as effective oral and written communication skills and computer skills. Data are also reported by the jobs’ geographical location, type, degree required, hiring institution type, and salary. doi: 10.1002/tesj.110 While some teachers of English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) in the U.S. market prefer the flexibility of part- time employment (Tanner, 2003), others struggle to obtain consistent full-time employment (Pennington, 1995). The end result is that many TESOL professionals work several part-time jobs without benefits in lieu of full-time positions (Pennington, 1995; Tanner, 2003). Because obtaining full-time employment in TESOL is difficult, some professionals who enter the field with the 772 TESOL Journal 4.4, December 2013 © 2013 TESOL International Association