I agree with @GLOBAL_TEACHER. If you're set on heading overseas then the Tier 3 schools would be the best bet.

Another thing to consider is to start your teaching career in the States and then go abroad after two years. I'm sure this isn't universal for everyone, but in my experience my first two years teaching were the hardest. I couldn't imagine going through that learning process and having to juggle all the issues of being in a new country at the same time. There's a HUGE learning curve when you first begin teaching. Most school districts in the States have new teacher support programs and/or mentor programs that you wouldn't have access to at an international school. Those programs were really instrumental for me as I was getting my footing as a teacher. Again, I can't claim this is a universal truth across the board, but it's been my experience.

Those are my two cents. Let me know if you have any more questions and I wish you luck in whatever avenue you pursue!

@usartteacher
I personally haven't reached out to schools without them posting a job I was qualified for so I can't tell you from experience if it's worth your time or not. I don't see how it could hurt, though. Sorry I couldn't give you a better answer. Let me know if I can answer anything else for you.

US art teacher that’s taught abroad and in the US for several years here. I can only speak from my experience so I don’t know how universal and/or applicable this is to your situation, but here are my two cents on your questions –

1.) I think the schools will still consider you a brand new teacher and treat you as such. I will say the schools that I’ve worked at abroad were interested in my professional experience in the art world and valued that I was a working artist/freelancer in addition to being a teacher. I would maybe even go as far as saying it’s expected, but that’s only from my experience. If you're able to connect your professional experience to your teaching/classroom practice, I would say it could be an advantage over someone fresh out of school, but more of a "this person is interesting..." thing. You still lack of two years teaching experience that many schools consider a minimum requirement and you're competing against those who have been doing this overseas for a long time. Teaching experience (particularly overseas teaching experience) is more valuable than anything else in this field I've found.

2.) I don’t have any personal experience with this, but from what I understand it’s very difficult for an American to get a job in a WE international school. The school would sponsor your visa if they brought you on, but given your level of experience I wouldn’t count on landing a job there. I’m sure it’s within the realm of possibilities, but not enough to pin your hopes on. Certainly keep your eyes open.

3.) I’ve only used Search, and the only time I attended one of their fairs was back on I was first starting out on international circuit back in 2010. I was able to land my other positions via Skype before the fairs. I was able to walk out of the fair with two job offers, and that was with just three years teaching experience in the US under my belt. From where I stand I think one fair is fine, but I’m sure more seasoned international school teachers will be able to give you a better answer.

4.) What’s nice about being an art teacher overseas is that every school (well I can’t say every, but all the schools I’ve come across) requires an art teacher – most of time several depending on the size of the school. It’s not like the States where you have in many places one art teacher that has to float between buildings or schools with no art teacher at all. There’s a decent market for us abroad. It’s also competitive, but I would say not as much as in the States, although there’s a shortage of qualified art teachers where I’m teaching in the US right now. The last fair I went to had maybe 10 openings and I only met one other art teacher there. If you want a job, you can find one. It most likely won’t be where you were planning on going, but generally you have to cut your teeth at one of the lesser schools is less than desirable locations to get your international/IB experience and move up from there.

5.) I've never had a problem landing something at an international school when I was overseas. It's a pretty straightforward process. Make sure you have a portfolio website with examples of student work, your own work, etc. Most heads won't look at it unless they're really serious about you, and the fact that you have one will put you a bit a head of the pack. I enjoyed my time overseas, but coming from an American art education perspective be prepared for a bit of a shock. Teaching styles and approaches are VERY different in international curriculums, such as IB, than what happens in the States. It took me a couple of years to get fully used to and good at teaching at those schools. Be prepared for a hefty learning curve. It's totally worth it, though. Students are fantastic for the most part, school admin shows interest in what you do and desire a strong arts program (unlike the States where they see you as a non-tested subject therefore you don't matter). It's also a great experience for you as an artist as well being around different visual stimuli, cultures, travel, etc. If you get the opportunity definitely take advantage of it. It's a good life.

I hope that helps you out a bit. As I said before this is all based on my experience which is a small piece of the pie. I'm sure the more seasoned international teachers on here will have a lot to add. If you have any more art teacher related questions feel free to shoot me a PM or whatever system they have on here.