Search Associates Fair not recommended

[Jimmy]

Here are my 5 cents on what I have found useful in terms of getting a teaching job overseas through my own trials and errors =

1) I agree.....Search is a TOTAL waste of time. Especially the June Fair.
Here is what happens...they will have a list that tells you which schools are "tentatively" attending the June Fair....
BE CAREFUL...by the time the fair rolls around I was stunned by how many schools had mysteriously "cancelled"....
It left me with few options....Also the consultants are not that great.

2) ISS seems to work with alot more schools and you can check to see who will be attending their fair on their ISS website for free....but you will not be able to see what are the actual teacher positions....Also, the winter fair is a killer for singles as the "teacher couples" seem to have more advantages. and get first pick in being hiring (same goes for Search)...There are just too many people at the Winter Fairs and it can feel like a zoo. I bet the ISS June Fair is better but again you have to figure out if there will be any positions that fit your needs.

***Also many schools are desperate in June and will meet you outside these fairs in June so think about arranging a meeting time well in advance.

3) ISS and Search are about the same in cost....ISS has fees you pay to apply and toattend the fair ....Search makes YOU pay a fee if you are hired (unless the school is willing to cover that hiring fee)....

4) Both ISS and Search consultants stay at very expensive hotels and that is where the fairs occur ...Why ? Because they use part of the money you paid to attend their fairs to treat themselves to such luxuries....(Check other postings in here that talk about the yearly profits these recruiters make--it is HUGE !!) I was lucky to have been able to find a roommate at the ISS Fair so we could share the cost of the 5 star hotel they used...in this case ISS was helpful in teaming me up with a teacher to share a room....

In conclusion, ISS works with more of the kind of schools I want to work at but I am not going to sit here and say that ISS or Search is better. They both have some serious issues in terms of costs.
When all is said and done....I got an excellent job through TIE = The International Educator which is about a 23 dollar per year investment...
That is it folks !! They have a website....google it !
And I can tell you that often (not all) the same jobs are posted with ISS/Search....
You get to see which school is looking for teachers,details about salary packages, etc...on "The International Educator" website and then you just have to be assertive and fax your letters and whatever else it takes to get the job.
Here is another tip:google each school you want to work at and look at their website. Often, the school's website will have an employment section where you can click on to see what teaching jobs are available. From there you can fax your resume to the school or email it. (Faxing usually gets their attention more.)
Best Wishes !

[pete]

There is nothing wrong with applying to schools personally I agree. However, I have taught in eight international schools, and as a person with four dependents I would strongly recommend SEARCH to do the initial screening of schools. I'm afraid individual schools can pretty much say what they like to get you there. Once there, it may be a different story! If you use SEARCH, I think you reduce (but do not eliminate entirely) the risks somewhat.

[Helium]

I supose it depends a lot on which side of the pond you are on and who your associate is.
I have dealt with Harry Dealman and David Cope. I have found their help and advice excellent. The fairs can be excellent and a dissapointment with some having heaps of postions that are just right and others only having one or two. The bigggest problem is that many schools don't know which possitions that they will have available right up until the first day of the fair.
The advice and help I have recieved from both of these men have been excellent. They are honest about the schools and will point out its faults and its good points as they are relevent to you. I found that they got to know my needs and my wants as a person and a teacher and advised me accordingly. Although their fairs are not as big as some of the others I feel that they are a good size with an excellent ratio of teachers to Schools.
I would recomend Search associates from a UK point of view all the way.

[John Magagna Blackballs !]

That is interesting because it seems more people have better experiences with Search in the UK than in the USA....

In any case, BEWARE (in the USA) now that John Magagna has employed his daughter !!! If you look at her bio on the website she has no experience in this area (recruiting).....
She has worked as a teacher for her dad was he was a headmaster of her school....
And John Magagna WILL try to BLACKBALL you if you report to him that your directors were unprofessional or broke contracts....He takes the side of the director no matter what..... (just like ISS !)
Good Luck !

Go with TIEONLINE.com !!!

[Magagna BLACKBALLS]

Sorry for the typo...should read "for her dad WHEN he was a...."
_____________________________________________________

That is interesting because it seems more people have better experiences with Search in the UK than in the USA....

In any case, BEWARE (in the USA) now that John Magagna has employed his daughter !!! If you look at her bio on the website she has no experience in this area (recruiting).....
She has worked as a teacher for her dad was he was a headmaster of her school....
And John Magagna WILL try to BLACKBALL you if you report to him that your directors were unprofessional or broke contracts....He takes the side of the director no matter what..... (just like ISS !)
Good Luck !

Go with TIEONLINE.com !!!

[guest2]

John Magana isn't after anything except the money, cares not at all about doing a good job or the teachers he is exploiting. STAY AWAY!

That is interesting because it seems more people have better experiences with Search in the UK than in the USA....

In any case, BEWARE (in the USA) now that John Magagna has employed his daughter !!! If you look at her bio on the website she has no experience in this area (recruiting).....
She has worked as a teacher for her dad was he was a headmaster of her school....
And John Magagna WILL try to BLACKBALL you if you report to him that your directors were unprofessional or broke contracts....He takes the side of the director no matter what..... (just like ISS !)
Good Luck !

Go with TIEONLINE.com !!!

[Search Associates= GREED]

AMEN to that

John Magana isn't after anything except the money, cares not at all about doing a good job or the teachers he is exploiting. STAY AWAY!

[not blackballed]

I agree that Magagna is not a barrel of laughs, but I had a different blackballing experience with him several years ago. I went to the Feb. fair and had about 10 1st interviews. Only a couple called me back for 2nd interviews and I walked away with nothing. My administrator stabbed me in the back. He screwed three of us that year, which must be over the blackballing limit. Magagna took me in for the June fair and told me that I'd get something. Sure enough, I got 2 good offers.

[Nepal]

Question: Did you tell John Magagna about what happened with your past director stabbing you in the back ?
If you had, he would NOT have taken you on as a candidate.
If you did, maybe he was a more relaxed person years ago ???

I agree that Magagna is not a barrel of laughs, but I had a different blackballing experience with him several years ago. I went to the Feb. fair and had about 10 1st interviews. Only a couple called me back for 2nd interviews and I walked away with nothing. My administrator stabbed me in the back. He screwed three of us that year, which must be over the blackballing limit. Magagna took me in for the June fair and told me that I'd get something. Sure enough, I got 2 good offers.

[not blackballed]

[quote="Nepal"]Question: Did you tell John Magagna about what happened with your past director stabbing you in the back ?
If you had, he would NOT have taken you on as a candidate.
If you did, maybe he was a more relaxed person years ago ???

No, I did not say a word to Magagna about what happened at the Feb. fair or about the Director who stabbed me in the back. I figured that because he admitted me to the June fair, he had drawn his own conclusions. Current and former school heads never ever want to hear criticisms of other school heads from teachers.

[Nepal]

"No, I did not say a word to Magagna about what happened at the Feb. fair or about the Director who stabbed me in the back. I figured that because he admitted me to the June fair, he had drawn his own conclusions. Current and former school heads never ever want to hear criticisms of other school heads from teachers. "

Well played....had John Magagna even smelled a wisp of something fishy about you and your problems with your director, you can best believe he would not have admitted you to the fair.

The recruiters at these fairs (ISS, Search) will not allow to attend a fair if they ever find out about your problems at a school even if "the director stabbed you in the back". They will side squarely with the school.

However there are always ways to get around that. Congratulations !

[enchiladas]

go to a fair as if you have never had a bad experience before, or, if you have, you are completely over it (even if you are not). no school wants to hire anyone with baggage, especially if she or he is still talking about it 24 seconds after it's over. go to a fair like this: be happy every minute. if something goes wrong, such as someone's daughter screwing something up, do this: most of all, be future-oriented and forget about the past, especially if you were treated badly. when you are talking about contracts, read very carefully and ask lots of questions while doing this: the job fair is the easiest part of international education. if you are unhappy being romanced by thirsty recruiters who are showing you nothing but love and devotion, just wait until the welcome dinners are over and you are essentially trapped for two years. learn to put on a happy face while it's easy. if you were a search associate or the director of search associates, would you want to help find a job for someone still in mourning? if you need to be honest, just tell your associate: wow, the last school i was at was really, um, interesting, while doing this: and tell him/her that you can't wait to do it again with all your newly gained wisdom. and do this:

[wherenext]

Personally, I reallyprefer to meet with the people I'm going to work with for at least 2 years.
Tie is OK, but this year, really, they don't have as much as the DB on Search. Plus, you don't get the details on schools, like you can get with Search (3 years ago, I went with CIS, they didn't have it, think they do now)

I find Harry, Margaret and Glynn of Search very supportive, friendly, etc. This is the scary part of the job search, when you freak out because there are not many ads you like, where should you go, is your file ok, etc. Right now, the moral support and the information they provide by personaly answering every email, is precious.
I'll tell more after the fairs (going Bangkok and London)

Why do all you good folks get so wound up about this? Why not apply directly to a school in a country that you want to live in. Then the school knows you are not someone in the fair cattle market. TES of the Uk has 100s of ads where you can directly apply to the school for free. I have got all my jobs by personal contact.
I like Harry D but he and Search never got me a job.
Try the personal letter folks. I just did. And I am short listed for a job at the age of 57.