ISS RECRUITMENT SERVICE

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Cooldude
Posts: 31
Joined: Fri Jan 14, 2011 5:42 am

ISS RECRUITMENT SERVICE

Post by Cooldude »

I recently registered with ISS - met all their requirements etc and expressed interest in a number of positions. A red do not enter sign appeared next to all the positions I had applied for. On querying it ISS claimed it meant that I was no longer interested... which was not the case and a techincal error on their part. Due to incompetency on their part I have wasted a considerable amount of time and money and lost potential interest from employers. Their service is atrocious. Some ISS schools don't advertise their vacancies online and merely recruit at the Fairs. Have been advised SEARCH is much better and have found TIE useful. Any feedback on these services?
wrldtrvlr123
Posts: 1173
Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:59 am
Location: Japan

ISS vs. Search

Post by wrldtrvlr123 »

When we were starting out and trying to decide between ISS and Search, ISS wouldn't even write us back (so that was an easy decision).

Search has been good. Strong points are the searchable school/job database (great detailed info. on students, faculty, package, savings etc) and being in a candidate database that schools can search (we just got an unsolicited inquiry from a top school a few weeks ago).

Job fairs are also plentiful and attract great schools. Whether it pays off for you is hit or miss.

Weak points are their supposedly helpful associates. They make a big deal of choosing who your associate will be but ours never did anything to actually promote our candidacies beyond cashing the check and forwarding our emails onto whomever is in charge of the fair.
swachel
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 4:06 pm
Location: Texas, USA

Post by swachel »

My fiance and I started our search for our first international position this year through ISS. Thus far, it has been a positive experience. We have had many conversations over the phone with the ISS office asking for advice and information. Each question resulted in a pleasant and very informative response. We are scheduled to go to the job fair in San Francisco, so I guess we'll see if our experience with this company remains an enjoyable one.
Cooldude
Posts: 31
Joined: Fri Jan 14, 2011 5:42 am

Post by Cooldude »

Two weeks later and still no positive response from ISS headquarters. When you are sitting in a remote location calling them up is not that simple. They ought to respond to email queries in a professional manner but simply do not. Refused a refund even though they have done nothing.

Awful. Will try SEARCH next.
nthornton
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2011 10:43 am

Post by nthornton »

Just got back from my 1st ever fair- ISS San Francisco, and I know my impression is biased because I landed my DREAM JOB, but I thought it was really well done. The events were more or less on time, the staff were very helpful to me, and while I was expecting this super dog eat dog environment everybody I talked to was very pleasant and positive. It was like a dating service fair or something. I think I might have heard one snarky comment that had more to do with a really long line up than anything else. Only complaint was getting ripped off for $11 glass of local Chardonney at the closing reception. Same wine was selling for $8 (I think) right across the lobby. I mean reallly...

The whole process with ISS was pretty good. I had a parallel Search Associates deal going on as well and I can say I got more emailed job postings from them. But like the earlier comment, I'm not too sure what the associate's role is in the deal. I got a bit of good advice right at the beginning (sign up with my wife!) and that was pretty much it. At the ISS fair, the prez of ISS came up to me and asked how the whole process could be improved- I had a couple of small suggestions which he wrote down. Nice touch I thought.
lisagyokery
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri May 20, 2011 4:07 am
Location: United Kingdom

Search Associates TERRIFIC but CIS incredibly INCOMPETENT!

Post by lisagyokery »

I thought Search Associates was amazing in answering all my questions and getting back to me promptly. They even had an associate who would email me really late at night which made it quite convenient for me.

I can't say the same for Council of International Schools in the UK. They were not as personable or helpful and basically stopped me from attending their fair because they say I was missing a reference letter and the date had expired for entry. I had all my documentation in 2 months before the cut-off date; they had even given me a "login" to check job updates, so I "thought" I was registered and I "thought" they could just add this letter to the file; they never once said that if I didn't produce this letter than I wouldn't be going to the fair; it was really BAD COMMUNICATION. They never made it clear that I had a deadline because I thought I was already in the system. This letter was from a retired principal from 9 years ago in Canada after I had been teaching in HK for 8 years (so it was almost impossible to track him down), and when I finally found him and he emailed CIS, there were technical errors with a new site, they claim. Then, when he finally got through, the cut off date was gone, so I was NOT registered. When I queried this, they made it all look like it was MY fault and that the "website" clearly stated the cut-off date was April 22. I was furious. When I wrote back to them telling them how disappointed I was in their service and how much they had let me down as a recruitment agency, not ONE person (I wrote to 4) returned my email. I don't know how these "high and mighty" companies stay in business. I will NOT do business with them again!
Open Communication
Posts: 117
Joined: Thu Feb 25, 2010 3:53 am

Post by Open Communication »

I have experience with ISS, CIS, Search Associates.
ISS was the worst, an absolute money making machine with no concern for teachers. Once they have your fee, that's it, they have no interest in you at all.
CIS was just kind of, there. Okay I would say.
Search Associates was the better of the three and in some cases very good, (for my colleagues, not necessarily me).
DCgirl
Posts: 151
Joined: Fri May 27, 2011 5:01 pm

Post by DCgirl »

I had similar problems with CIS. I really did not like the way that they communicated. I have experience with UNI, AASSA and Search. I was thinking about trying ISS next time just to make comparisons but as of now, Search has been the best. My associate is great and was so helpful at the job fair. She helped me make valuable decisions at the fair and what she didn't know, she pulled in another associate who did. She - each of my potential schools and gave me reasons why she would or wouldn't suggest them for me. For example, she pointed out that my children may have certain difficulites adjusting to a certain school that was primarily host national children. At the fair, I was so excited about possibly going to this country that I hadn't thought of it from this angle. I think that I made the best decision for my family after consultation with my associate.
WiseTeach
Posts: 69
Joined: Sun Jan 15, 2012 4:09 pm

Post by WiseTeach »

I personally am on a tirade against ISS. I would suggest that as other posters have said... TIE and Search are better by far. I signed up with ISS because their site seemed at first more user friendly. I never recieved anything more than a couple of "thank you for your application" notices via e-mail from any of the schools who are members. I paid $180 to access their data base of listings and salaries, then another $290 to attend the hiring fair in Boston. I also joined Joy Jobs and TIE. I sent a dossier to every school I was interested in. I recieved an invitation to interview via Skype after several back and forth e-mails with a school I found on TIE. They made an offer, I accepted. No fair for me. ISS refuses to refund my hiring fair fee. Search on the other hand - 2 of their people called me to advise me with some of my queries, in spite of the fact that I wasn't a paying client. Speaks volumes of both agencies.
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