I'm still getting a feel for what's typical in a recruiting season.. just out of curiosity, who's had interviews here and what's your teaching area?
Any elementary teachers (not attached to a higher demand teacher) had any interviews or landed any jobs yet?
Who's had interviews?
My wife and I have had 3 interviews so far via Skype and are scheduled to have second round interviews with two of the schools this week and early next week.
My wife is an elementary teacher and I am a MS/HS History/Social Studies teacher. Not high demand areas, though we have been teaching internationally for 6 years in elementary schools (I've been teaching either G5 or G6 during this time, not secondary). We also both have extensive ESL experience prior to becoming teachers. My wife has been in leadership roles for 4 of her 6 years teaching.
With that background, we have been surprised with having had three interviews before the Search Fair in January. Two of the schools have interviewed me for both middle school social studies and Grade 5 at the same time.
Fingers crossed something comes of the interviews.
My wife is an elementary teacher and I am a MS/HS History/Social Studies teacher. Not high demand areas, though we have been teaching internationally for 6 years in elementary schools (I've been teaching either G5 or G6 during this time, not secondary). We also both have extensive ESL experience prior to becoming teachers. My wife has been in leadership roles for 4 of her 6 years teaching.
With that background, we have been surprised with having had three interviews before the Search Fair in January. Two of the schools have interviewed me for both middle school social studies and Grade 5 at the same time.
Fingers crossed something comes of the interviews.
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Cheery Littlebottom
- Posts: 207
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shadowjack
- Posts: 2140
- Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am
Newchapter - don't be. There are a few reasons schools are interviewing now.
A. They have a candidate application that is stellar, or hits all their ticky boxes for a particular position. They want to lock that candidate in.
B. They are a school where the director hates recruiting and just wants it done.
C. They are a school that finds it hard to attract candidates at fairs, so hits up the applicants that seem decent ASAP and locks them in to avoid having not enough teachers show up on arrival day.
Lots of schools wait until the fairs and positions come and go even at the fairs. In Bangkok last year, at least 10 unposted positions were posted up.
Don't despair!
A. They have a candidate application that is stellar, or hits all their ticky boxes for a particular position. They want to lock that candidate in.
B. They are a school where the director hates recruiting and just wants it done.
C. They are a school that finds it hard to attract candidates at fairs, so hits up the applicants that seem decent ASAP and locks them in to avoid having not enough teachers show up on arrival day.
Lots of schools wait until the fairs and positions come and go even at the fairs. In Bangkok last year, at least 10 unposted positions were posted up.
Don't despair!
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newchapter
- Posts: 155
- Joined: Wed Aug 21, 2013 5:03 pm
Thanks, Shadowjack. Appreciate all the support.
Litgal - sounds like I'm in same boat as you. I'm elementary...lots of experience at a good private school...I also lived in Tokyo many many years ago and taught English as a Second Language...kinda sorta counts maybe for something. I'm single with no dependents...that should count in my favor...good luck to you!
Sorry, Litgal, I think I'm confusing you with someone else...it's late! lol
Litgal - sounds like I'm in same boat as you. I'm elementary...lots of experience at a good private school...I also lived in Tokyo many many years ago and taught English as a Second Language...kinda sorta counts maybe for something. I'm single with no dependents...that should count in my favor...good luck to you!
Sorry, Litgal, I think I'm confusing you with someone else...it's late! lol
My wife and I have had a couple of interviews and going to accept a job in the next week at our first choice of schools. We are both experienced international teachers with no dependents which I think helps.
A lot of it is luck and having the right combination of jobs come up to the right schools at the right time.
We are no longer going to the Jan job fairs. Good luck to everyone!
A lot of it is luck and having the right combination of jobs come up to the right schools at the right time.
We are no longer going to the Jan job fairs. Good luck to everyone!
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justlooking
- Posts: 118
- Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2009 1:02 am
My thought (hope) is that interviews are going to people that are applying to many schools. This time around, I am applying only to a few selective schools where I really want to work.
So, the people that are garnering these early interviews, and thus jobs, are hopefully getting them at schools that were not on my radar.
In actuality, that's kind of what it sounds like. I have no desire to work in Southeast Asia (it's a great area, but I have already been there, so I am setting my sights elsewhere) and it seems that some people who are having success getting interviews are doing so in just that area.
Really, it works in my favor. When the jobs/interviews do become available at the schools I want to work at, people who have already accepted jobs at the schools they want to work at will not be competition.
So, the people that are garnering these early interviews, and thus jobs, are hopefully getting them at schools that were not on my radar.
In actuality, that's kind of what it sounds like. I have no desire to work in Southeast Asia (it's a great area, but I have already been there, so I am setting my sights elsewhere) and it seems that some people who are having success getting interviews are doing so in just that area.
Really, it works in my favor. When the jobs/interviews do become available at the schools I want to work at, people who have already accepted jobs at the schools they want to work at will not be competition.
Last edited by indogal on Thu Nov 21, 2013 7:59 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Cheery Littlebottom
- Posts: 207
- Joined: Sat May 11, 2013 8:32 am
Hi All
I think the situation is simply very variable. We are both in the sciences, with IB/AP/MYP/IGCSE/A level experience, admin experience, and a track record in good IS's so we are very fortunate.
We applied to a total of 7 schools, from a shortlist of about 12. We only applied to the schools on our list that had vacancies, so again, fortunate. We learnt early on that one of our top faves would be unlikely to have vacancies in our area so we were initially disappointed by that.
Many schools are "opportunistic" recruiters who will keep their radar up for new staff more or less year round, others prefer the hurly burly of the fairs.
The key thing is that many vacancies are not even determined yet, so don't get miserable......the onslaught really begins after 1st December, then another rush after about Dec 17th when schools finish for Christmas, any then yet another surge for the later ones where staff don't have to declare til January.
At each and any moment, your personal purview could change radically over the period of mere hours - misery to elation!
Jobs tend to be like buses - none for ages, then three come along at once! We had nothing, then within the space of a few days, two HUGE skype interview requests came in from key schools, and the day after we accepted our positions, we had a direct and unsolicited contact from another great school whose jobs we hadn't even known about!
Chins up! Good luck!
I think the situation is simply very variable. We are both in the sciences, with IB/AP/MYP/IGCSE/A level experience, admin experience, and a track record in good IS's so we are very fortunate.
We applied to a total of 7 schools, from a shortlist of about 12. We only applied to the schools on our list that had vacancies, so again, fortunate. We learnt early on that one of our top faves would be unlikely to have vacancies in our area so we were initially disappointed by that.
Many schools are "opportunistic" recruiters who will keep their radar up for new staff more or less year round, others prefer the hurly burly of the fairs.
The key thing is that many vacancies are not even determined yet, so don't get miserable......the onslaught really begins after 1st December, then another rush after about Dec 17th when schools finish for Christmas, any then yet another surge for the later ones where staff don't have to declare til January.
At each and any moment, your personal purview could change radically over the period of mere hours - misery to elation!
Jobs tend to be like buses - none for ages, then three come along at once! We had nothing, then within the space of a few days, two HUGE skype interview requests came in from key schools, and the day after we accepted our positions, we had a direct and unsolicited contact from another great school whose jobs we hadn't even known about!
Chins up! Good luck!
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shadowjack
- Posts: 2140
- Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am
Last year recruiting, I had no real nibbles at all - just confirmation and a couple of contacts - until December, when I was contacted by a school and subsequently interviewed and was offered a position prior to the BKK fair. Went to the BKK fair - still no real nibbles, and got a bunch of interviews and a solid job offer, which I took.
It is still early days. As I said, there are quite a few reasons why job offers are being made now - but that doesn't mean you won't get a job offer.
Stay positive, keep an open mind, and don't be afraid to consider schools that were never on your radar. I am really enjoying my current position - and yet I had no intention of coming to this school until I had an open spot on the presentation schedule, went, and was intrigued...and here I am.
Good luck to you all as your future path unfolds. Early days still - don't give up so easily!
It is still early days. As I said, there are quite a few reasons why job offers are being made now - but that doesn't mean you won't get a job offer.
Stay positive, keep an open mind, and don't be afraid to consider schools that were never on your radar. I am really enjoying my current position - and yet I had no intention of coming to this school until I had an open spot on the presentation schedule, went, and was intrigued...and here I am.
Good luck to you all as your future path unfolds. Early days still - don't give up so easily!
I think of in terms of suck. There are 2 times that "suck".
1. November. You decided a long while back this was your last year, so you pay your money, book tickets, get hotels reserved, gather up all of your references, etc. A huge amount of energy has been spent. Nothing, crickets, so quiet you feel the air sucking in and out of your lungs. Oh my, I hate to wait on other people! Yes I am that guy who always has his grades done first. The November suck can end at any time, or draw out until you hit the floor at the fair. We are all suffering this particular time suck right about now. It the kind of pain that no matter how much you want to be happy for those whippersnappers who just got a job, you aren't really. They aren't your drinking buddies, so their pleasure brings you misery. You can tell them congrats after you sign your contract... (Sorry cheery, but you know the score ; )
2. The spring. The outlay for shipping, the tickets for the summer bought, selling all your aquired junk, seeing some people for the last time ever. Uggg, just get it over with!!! let it be July,August... let me into my new house, my new job, my new life, start already...
Time, it sucks the life out of you. Best to just sit back, watch it unfold, and don't worry, it always works out somehow. It better!!!
1. November. You decided a long while back this was your last year, so you pay your money, book tickets, get hotels reserved, gather up all of your references, etc. A huge amount of energy has been spent. Nothing, crickets, so quiet you feel the air sucking in and out of your lungs. Oh my, I hate to wait on other people! Yes I am that guy who always has his grades done first. The November suck can end at any time, or draw out until you hit the floor at the fair. We are all suffering this particular time suck right about now. It the kind of pain that no matter how much you want to be happy for those whippersnappers who just got a job, you aren't really. They aren't your drinking buddies, so their pleasure brings you misery. You can tell them congrats after you sign your contract... (Sorry cheery, but you know the score ; )
2. The spring. The outlay for shipping, the tickets for the summer bought, selling all your aquired junk, seeing some people for the last time ever. Uggg, just get it over with!!! let it be July,August... let me into my new house, my new job, my new life, start already...
Time, it sucks the life out of you. Best to just sit back, watch it unfold, and don't worry, it always works out somehow. It better!!!
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expatteacher99
- Posts: 73
- Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2012 4:46 am
As others have said, it's still very early. Lots and lots of schools haven't reached their contract due date yet. I know people who have had interviews and a few who have had offers. They were all in very specialized positions or they were teaching couples who were both specialized or in very high demand.