Hi all! I have been a lurker on this board for a couple months now and I finally decided it was time to post. I am in my first year teaching and I somehow landed at what would be considered by many to be a top-tier IS (this ranking system isn't really my thing but I understand it can give some context). My posting was only ever for one year, and I am currently looking for another IS job. I have applied to six schools total with two schools filling those positions the day following my application. I have had two interviews at a Tier-2 (bottom or mid, perhaps) Western European school; I have an interview with a Tier-2 Middle Eastern IS; and I had an interview with a very top-tier IS (I seriously have no idea how this one happened) and received a form to fill out following the interview. I will try to send out at least five more applications.
Do you have any advice on where I should look? I would like to not have to attend a fair. I have had very few job interviews ever and I do not know exactly what to expect. Are there good IS that want to help grow new teachers? I love everything about living overseas, but I hope it doesn't hurt that I haven't actually taught in the US outside of education program.
Young, new teacher looking for advice!
-
eion_padraig
- Posts: 408
- Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2010 8:18 pm
Re: Young, new teacher looking for advice!
Send out more than 5 more applications. Having a one year contract even at a good school won't mean that much. You're still an inexperienced teacher.
The peak recruiting season is done. What jobs remain will be at less desirable schools or sudden openings or at schools that have to recruit late due to labor laws in their country. Getting an interview doesn't matter. Getting a job offer does. If you don't get another interview or a job offer from a school within a week of an interview, you're probably not likely on the top of their list. So you need to get moving on submitting applications.
Most IS are not set up to take inexperienced teachers and mentor them to at the start. That's why so many ask for 2 - 4 years of experience in teaching. It doesn't need to be in the US, but those first 5 years are critical.
When you ask "Do you have any advice on where I should look?" are you talking about job openings or specific schools? The later would be hard to do without more information and you're not likely to get that information. If it's the former, the databases for ISS, Search Associates, and TIEonline would be my recommendations. I suspect you are not a candidate with ISS or Search Associates due to your one year of experience. So TIEonline would be your best better. Also, looking on individual school websites. You can use different databases to fine schools like the IBO's database or CIS.
Good luck.
The peak recruiting season is done. What jobs remain will be at less desirable schools or sudden openings or at schools that have to recruit late due to labor laws in their country. Getting an interview doesn't matter. Getting a job offer does. If you don't get another interview or a job offer from a school within a week of an interview, you're probably not likely on the top of their list. So you need to get moving on submitting applications.
Most IS are not set up to take inexperienced teachers and mentor them to at the start. That's why so many ask for 2 - 4 years of experience in teaching. It doesn't need to be in the US, but those first 5 years are critical.
When you ask "Do you have any advice on where I should look?" are you talking about job openings or specific schools? The later would be hard to do without more information and you're not likely to get that information. If it's the former, the databases for ISS, Search Associates, and TIEonline would be my recommendations. I suspect you are not a candidate with ISS or Search Associates due to your one year of experience. So TIEonline would be your best better. Also, looking on individual school websites. You can use different databases to fine schools like the IBO's database or CIS.
Good luck.
Response
Some ITs lead gifted lives, you have been very fortunate.
1st and elite tier ISs are not the places that mentor new ITs/DTs well, they expect you to be at the top of your game coming in and that your meds/peds/asst is solid. Many ISs are not well resourced or with appropriate mentorship for a new IT to make their bones.
Why havent you reached out to your current IS and leadership, there isnt an opportunity for you to stay?
One year in a 1st tier IS is noteworthy, but a recruiter is going to think that after only one year you were really just in an unchallenged environment. You need to make a lot more than 5 applications unless you have some other kind of plan. Peak recruiting season has ended and while there is still recruiting going on, youre running out of time to be employed for next year and as you stated your appointment is terminal.
There arent any fairs worth going to anymore anyway. You need to join an agency like ISS or SA explain your situation to an associate, even though you have little experience you have tier 1 experience. Hopefully they will admit you. Second I would register with TIE as anyone can register with them regardless of experience. You need to apply to everything and anything, you want to have options going forward.
You also need to talk to your leadership/HOS and ask what options there are, especially if not with their IS if they would have any leads they could offer you. At the very least you want a very positive reference, and you want it very quickly.
1st and elite tier ISs are not the places that mentor new ITs/DTs well, they expect you to be at the top of your game coming in and that your meds/peds/asst is solid. Many ISs are not well resourced or with appropriate mentorship for a new IT to make their bones.
Why havent you reached out to your current IS and leadership, there isnt an opportunity for you to stay?
One year in a 1st tier IS is noteworthy, but a recruiter is going to think that after only one year you were really just in an unchallenged environment. You need to make a lot more than 5 applications unless you have some other kind of plan. Peak recruiting season has ended and while there is still recruiting going on, youre running out of time to be employed for next year and as you stated your appointment is terminal.
There arent any fairs worth going to anymore anyway. You need to join an agency like ISS or SA explain your situation to an associate, even though you have little experience you have tier 1 experience. Hopefully they will admit you. Second I would register with TIE as anyone can register with them regardless of experience. You need to apply to everything and anything, you want to have options going forward.
You also need to talk to your leadership/HOS and ask what options there are, especially if not with their IS if they would have any leads they could offer you. At the very least you want a very positive reference, and you want it very quickly.
Re: Young, new teacher looking for advice!
Thank you, eion and PsyGuy, for your responses! It has been a crazy last couple of days trying to figure out my next steps (and grading...lots of grading). I have only sent out one more application but I fear that it might be in vain as the school is incredibly well-known. Surprisingly, I was able to get a Search account. I'm almost positive I would have been turned down but leadership from my school wrote me excellent recs and my 'interview' with my now search associate went well enough that they thought I would be competitive enough. In my applications, I am not able to explicitly state, "Please don't think negatively that I only stayed a year. It was just for a year and I was covering a leave," but I hope I was able to convey that I'm leaving on good terms.
I'm very lucky that I have support from my school and if I tell them I'm applying somewhere they usually reach out for me. I had a second interview with the very good school who sent me a form to send out. The interview went well, I think, I got a positive response, but I haven't heard back from them. I had a first interview with another school. I think the biggest things that have helped me is the school I'm coming from and waiting until late February to start seriously putting out applications. I am see ing'good' schools adding positions on Search daily, so I hope that means school will be desperate–for lack of a better word–to hire someone that they won't care I'm a new teacher.
I'm very lucky that I have support from my school and if I tell them I'm applying somewhere they usually reach out for me. I had a second interview with the very good school who sent me a form to send out. The interview went well, I think, I got a positive response, but I haven't heard back from them. I had a first interview with another school. I think the biggest things that have helped me is the school I'm coming from and waiting until late February to start seriously putting out applications. I am see ing'good' schools adding positions on Search daily, so I hope that means school will be desperate–for lack of a better word–to hire someone that they won't care I'm a new teacher.
-
eion_padraig
- Posts: 408
- Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2010 8:18 pm
Re: Young, new teacher looking for advice!
That's good that you've been able to register for Search Associates. Access to that database is very helpful. It's wonderful that you have a supportive school too.
That's great you have a follow up interview and another interview, but my recommendation is to continue to send out applications to any jobs that you might be interested in. Typically well-run schools follow up quickly if they're still pursuing a candidate seriously. Good recruiters know they lose good candidates otherwise.
Good luck.
Eion
That's great you have a follow up interview and another interview, but my recommendation is to continue to send out applications to any jobs that you might be interested in. Typically well-run schools follow up quickly if they're still pursuing a candidate seriously. Good recruiters know they lose good candidates otherwise.
Good luck.
Eion
Reply
@Vret
Its not really that surprising, SA has an internship program (thats excepts those with less than two years experience and those with pending credentials) which gets you access to the same database as anyone else, and since all the fairs with utility are over, as long as you get access to the database its fine. The associate probably saw that you were going to make them some coin so they accepted you.
All of your deficiencies can be over come by right time and place, having the support of your IS and leadership is a big boon. You need to do more than an occasional application, far more than one a week or every ten days. You want options, so apply to those elite tier ISs in desirable locations but you have about 10 weeks before the end of year and term, and you dont want the summer arriving and still not having a job.
The rule is when a IS wants you they act like they really want you, they dont play hard to get.
Its not really that surprising, SA has an internship program (thats excepts those with less than two years experience and those with pending credentials) which gets you access to the same database as anyone else, and since all the fairs with utility are over, as long as you get access to the database its fine. The associate probably saw that you were going to make them some coin so they accepted you.
All of your deficiencies can be over come by right time and place, having the support of your IS and leadership is a big boon. You need to do more than an occasional application, far more than one a week or every ten days. You want options, so apply to those elite tier ISs in desirable locations but you have about 10 weeks before the end of year and term, and you dont want the summer arriving and still not having a job.
The rule is when a IS wants you they act like they really want you, they dont play hard to get.