Many schools seem to favour teachers / instructors from English speaking countries, like the UK and the US, with a Native level of English proficiency. Even though I am not from a country where the native language is English, I personally speak it as a first language and I have been speaking English since birth. Would I be considered a Native speaker? Would having a CELTA certificate carry any merits to help me in this area?

Also, I do not have a degree. Instead, I have a Diploma in Sound Engineering and I've spent 5 years working as a sound engineer. Would I still have a harder time finding a job teaching English than Degree holders?

If you are thinking of ESL as a serious career move, you should probably get a certification..If it is something you're just trying to do for a little while then you should be okay with out it.

Also, a lot depends on where you want to teach..If you're teaching at a school in Japan or Korea they usually want someone from an English speaking country.

I taught ESL in Japan for over a year a there were many people there from non-English speaking countries who taught English privately. This can be very lucrative and you can earn more money than you'd earn working for a school.

I also knew people who taught their own native languages (other than English) and didn't have a degree.

So you need to narrow down where you want to go and start researching schools there. See if you're able to go there for a little while and feel the place out. You may be able to get a tourtist or student visa and get private students if you can't get hired by a school.

Although this is mostly true a lot of serious tutors have never taken a course. I think that a TEFL course is like taking a driving test (in the UK at least). You learn some things and you are prepared, but you really learn when you are out there on your own.

The things you learn on the course prepare you for teaching, but this could also be done by reading a book or two. TEFL courses really stand out when you have some teaching hours and get some good feedback.

Don't have doubts! Tis is one of the best professions in the world! But...you must be passionate about it.The first step in becoming a teacher is to get your professional teacher certification. Although there are many schools that are desperate for good teachers, the best school districts and more sought after schools are difficult to get jobs at. Here are some tips for landing a teaching position. Therefore, you need to be aware that the better education you have the less competition you will enconter. I would like to recommend you a book 'The Passionate Teacher' by Robert L. Fried. This is a book that, I think, everyone who would like to become a teacher should read. This book underline five different aspects of being a passionate teacher. These are the passion, the game, the stance, the students, and the course. All of these aspects are equally important to help teachers become passionate about their profession. This book helps beginning teachers know what passion looks like in the classroom, as well as, more experienced teachers learn how to find the passion they might have lost. Good luck!

For sure it depends on where you are from and where you want to teach. Here in Canada, It is not really possible to teach in schools if you do not have a degree in education. To teach English, it is 4 full years of university. Also, since I am in Quebec, my first language is French. However, I have heard several times that a Native speaker is not obviously a better ESL teacher because he/ she does not know how to explain all the grammar points. It is hard for a Native speaker to understand some difficulties or even to anticipate some learning problems from their students. In my opinion, what could be great for you would be to teach English to students speaking your own first language. If it is not possible, it is not that bad since a lot of teacher prefer not speaking at all the first language in their classes.
Maybe you should only see what degree you need in the country you want to teach in. Then , if you still want to teach English it is a good idea as Ania wrote to read some books about the realities of today's teachers. then you will be able to take a descision.
Good luck to you

The first challenge you would likely be faced with would be your country of origin. Some countries will only hire English teachers if they were born in and/or have citizenship in the United States, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa. Some countries do make exceptions, however, schools want to know that as an English teacher you can teach the required curriculum without a heavy accent.

China at present would be your best option. They are less concerned with citizenship in an English speaking country and in the smaller city centers consider non-BA applicants.

In order to highlight your English proficiency, I would suggest that you create a You Tube video clip introducing yourself and stating your objectives, and put a link to this video in your resume or cover letter. One of the big issues for recruiters and schools is having to evaluate a candidate based on the written text of the resume and cover letter alone. Including access to a link of you 'face to face' would help them to evaluate you based on your English abilities and upon your first impression.

I hope this helps.
Lyndsey Pratt
Oxford Seminars
http://www.oxfordseminars.com