Search found 1167 matches

by Heliotrope
Mon Dec 26, 2022 10:13 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: HR Recruitment Manager- Asking Salary Expectation Before an Interview
Replies: 3
Views: 5853

Re: HR Recruitment Manager- Asking Salary Expectation Before an Interview

Spawnboy99 wrote:
> when they go straight into asking what your expected salary is, I feel very
> uncomfortable answering this before an actual interview happens. I ask if
> they have a salary scale and if are they willing to share it but also
> responded by saying, I think I should be paid according to my skill sets
> within leadership, years of experience and what I can bring to the school.
> Now you don't want to shoot for the stars and be too high, but then again
> don't want to shoot too low. I have asked recruiters and Heads what my
> current market value is due to the above experiences, so base my answers on
> that.
>
> What techniques or responses do you give when getting asked this question?

I've never been asked this question, but not sure if that's normal or if that's the exception. I've only ever worked at schools with a fixed salary scale, where every teacher just got paid what the scale dictated.
At one school a candidate could try to negotiate what experience would count towards the entrance step, as they were a bit flexible on counting years before certification (although at best you could enter with one extra year), but that's all the wiggle room on salary I've seen during my career.
I have heard teachers say that the absence of a salary scale (and the schools abiding by them) would be a red flag for them, and I'm not sure if there are great schools without one that would disprove that.

If I were you I would think about what salary would be fair and acceptable (considering the school, location, your experience and your savings goal), and then add 25% or so. Not so much that they'll drop you because it's ridiculous, but an amount that a truly great teacher would definitely be worth to a school. They can then always negotiate.
by Heliotrope
Mon Dec 19, 2022 7:03 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Morals and Contracts
Replies: 48
Views: 204638

Re: Morals and Contracts

interteach wrote:
> I'm in almost full agreement on honoring a contract, but for the first time
> backed out when it was clear I wasn't going to get the help I needed to get
> a complicated visa. Silence, wrong answers, repeated wrong answers, taking
> it up the line didn't do any good - and this was a not-for-profit school. I
> finally decided days before the stated deadline and nearly zero meaningful
> assistance that if this was how they treated my attempts to get there, I
> didn't want to know the rest. It is, ultimately, a two way street. Both
> sides need to show good will and due diligence.

If you need the school's help for a visa and they don't help you in a meaningful way, you're right to back out.
Helping a teacher with their visa should be boilerplate stuff for a school. In situations like yours it can just be a burned out person at HR who's not functioning, but you took it up the line so there's really no excuse for failing to help you.
by Heliotrope
Tue Dec 13, 2022 6:06 am
Forum: Forum 2. Ask Recruiting Questions, Share Information. What's on Your Mind?
Topic: I resigned from a job early in the contract, how bad does that look for my future prospects?
Replies: 3
Views: 17279

Re: I resigned from a job early in the contract, how bad does that look for my future prospects?

If you want to reach more people, it's better to post it on ISR forum 1: viewforum.php?f=1
This forum (forum 2) gets almost no traffic, so very few people will see this post.
by Heliotrope
Fri Dec 02, 2022 6:02 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Living On Campus
Replies: 14
Views: 28402

Re: Living On Campus

I'm with @PsyGuy on this one.

You don't mention if it's a boarding school. If it is, that would be an immediate 'no' for me.

If it's not a boarding school, it would still be a 'no' for me, but I do know that some teachers who live on-campus at a non-boarding school sometimes actually quite like it. These are almost all young & single teachers though, who actually think it's a plus that their co-workers all live in the same building, so they can go drinking together and have the benefit of being able to wake up later and still be on time to teach.

The way you describe it makes me think that you would not be the kind of teacher who would enjoy it though. If you have other options or think you will have other options this recruiting season, I would pass on this opportunity.
by Heliotrope
Wed Nov 30, 2022 6:46 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Morals and Contracts
Replies: 48
Views: 204638

Re: Morals and Contracts

expatscot wrote:
> The location might have been fine at the time of the interview, but much less
> appealing now. I reckon there are many teachers, for example, who accepted jobs in
> China at the start of last year who now regret it, and there will be some who might
> have accepted a few weeks ago who are now having second thoughts.
>
> Generally, though, I take your approach - if you accept, you stick with it
> regardless. However there has to be flexibility to allow for an allegedly Keynsian
> approach if the facts change.


I agree, if there's a big change in terms of safety, or another major change like a family member back home gets seriously ill and needs care, I would back out.

People taking jobs in China might have been carelessly optimistic though, as nothing that is happening there right now should have been a huge surprise, or was at least not something that was very unlikely to happen.
by Heliotrope
Tue Nov 29, 2022 1:48 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Morals and Contracts
Replies: 48
Views: 204638

Re: Morals and Contracts

Spawnboy99 wrote:
> Thanks for your feedback @Hellotrope, but the location is an important factor when
> considering a move for a single or a family. location and area need to be seriously
> considered for a number of reasons let alone your or your family's mental well-being
> and what the location has to offer to make that transition work. If we are looking at
> the UAE or even China location and the area does play a factor. You did mention a
> family in tow, but one can't at times judge a location from Google Search and a
> school website, one needs to also speak to teachers in the school or try and reach
> out to people living in the area that can give a first hand experience.

I totally agree with you that location is important, especially with a family (for example, air pollution hits kids a lot harder than it does adults).
That's why I assumed the location of the school that offered you the contract is ok, otherwise why even interview with them if the location isn't acceptable? (that's why I said: "I assume you wouldn't have considered the school in the first place if that was the case.")
by Heliotrope
Mon Nov 28, 2022 10:44 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Morals and Contracts
Replies: 48
Views: 204638

Re: Morals and Contracts

I agree with @shadowjack

The answer is to your question is of course yes, but whether or not that stops you is up to you.
My point of view is that the more teachers back out of agreements, the more schools will do the same, and vice versa. It's already happening too much on both sides unfortunately. It's always interesting to see how some teachers complain about schools not honoring contracts and then they themselves advice others to back out if something slightly better comes along, just as there will also be recruiters who complain about teachers reneging, while regularly cancelling contracts themselves as well.

I've often told a school that I needed more time before deciding because I was still interviewing with another school, and every time I was given more time. To be fair, usually the extra time I asked for was a week tops, since I will stop looking or interviewing once I've signed a contract.

If there's a legitimate reason to back out (civil war breaks out, family member back home gets seriously ill, etc.) I would back out, and the earlier in the hiring season it is, the better I'd feel about that. Personally I wouldn't classify the location not being too thrilling as a legitimate reason, unless safety is an issue there, but with a family in tow I assume you wouldn't have considered the school in the first place if that was the case.
Seeing how you phrased parts of your post, I suspect you'll like @PsyGuy's and @milesaway's answers better than @shadowjack's and mine.
by Heliotrope
Mon Oct 17, 2022 6:08 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: chances of landing a teaching job in W Europe
Replies: 6
Views: 6114

Re: chances of landing a teaching job in W Europe

There are a few international schools outside the 'Randstad' area (which covers amongst others of Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, Utrecht). International teacher will prefer schools that are in this Randstad area, so your chances will improve if you give schools in other parts of the country a shot.
I know there's one in Arnhem called 'Rivers' and probably one in Eindhoven (since it's a Brainport area with lots of expats), and Maastricht might have one as well (there's a UWC there, but maybe another 'regular' international school as well).
The pay will be a lot lower though, maybe about the same as what local teachers are paid, and be sure to do your research into the quality of the schools.
There's also a boarding school in the East of The Netherlands, but I heard it's crap, so I'd avoid that one for sure.
by Heliotrope
Sun Oct 16, 2022 5:29 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: SA Bangkok Fair - Still worth it?
Replies: 23
Views: 74505

Re: SA Bangkok Fair - Still worth it?

Might be worth it.
There are around 10 schools on this list that I would consider if I was looking for a job, but it'd depend on how many of those would have a vacancy that suits me.
by Heliotrope
Tue Oct 11, 2022 6:03 pm
Forum: Forum 2. Ask Recruiting Questions, Share Information. What's on Your Mind?
Topic: Resume website or creative CVs: helpful or harmful?
Replies: 5
Views: 23551

Re: Resume website or creative CVs: helpful or harmful?

I'd urge you to post this question on forum 1: viewforum.php?f=1
It gets a lot more traffic than this one (forum 2).
by Heliotrope
Mon Oct 03, 2022 5:58 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Virtual Video Exchange with a high school in Denmark
Replies: 3
Views: 4748

Re: Virtual Video Exchange with a high school in Denmark

You probably already saw this topic, but just in case you didn't:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8001&sid=f342c47a7d ... 0480c8dd9b
It's not everything you're looking for, but a good start perhaps.
by Heliotrope
Tue Sep 20, 2022 6:25 am
Forum: Forum 2. Ask Recruiting Questions, Share Information. What's on Your Mind?
Topic: International teacher Marc Fogel in Russian prison - please help!
Replies: 46
Views: 141960

Re: Reply

PsyGuy wrote:
> @Heliotrope
>
> Thats not true, sometimes a bad regime also has bad people.

I've visited many countries with terrible regimes, but in 100% of them the overwhelming majority of the locals were decent people, like in every country.


> Thats not true either, @CeeCee1 thinks Fogel should get to return home
> before finishing his sentence. That he should be part of a prisoner
> exchange or have his sentence commuted.
> The sentence does fit the crime. His crime called for a sentence of up to
> 15 years he got 14 years which is below the maximum for his offense.
> So again, you dont know Fogel has suffered actual human rights abuses.
> Potential abuse does not warrant actual release from Fogels accountability
> for his crime. Fogel may have a defensible position when he actually
> suffers human rights abuses that are unaligned with general prisoner
> treatment in Russia, but until then hes a convicted drug smuggler whos
> whining about his punishment.

Nope, he should return home after he finishes a fair term, meaning the same sentence that other people who committed a similar offense have received in the past, so NOT 14 years of hard labor. I'll still take the word of experts over your Google result.

As said, we disagree.
by Heliotrope
Tue Sep 20, 2022 5:51 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Hong Kong: Exodus & Hiring
Replies: 23
Views: 29194

Re: Moderation

> While tier ranking includes salary and comp it is not the only factor in
> determining tier status. ISs can not buy their way into a higher tier.

Totally agree. That's why I didn't say they can. And as said, there are HK schools that pay more. Salary alone is also not the only reason why some teacher rank it the way they do.
For most teachers salary is a big factor though, more than I think is smart as there are indeed many more factors that will determine your happiness should considered, but I do understand people worry about their self-funded retirement.


> The list of @Heliotrope is over inflated.

I'm not referring to a list. So when commenting about a school organisation that I myself haven't worked at I'll only say what I've read/heard teachers that have worked there wrote/said about it.
by Heliotrope
Mon Sep 19, 2022 10:07 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Hong Kong: Exodus & Hiring
Replies: 23
Views: 29194

Re: Hong Kong: Exodus & Hiring

Ntmya5 wrote:
> Also, are ESF schools comparable in package and benefits to that of tier 1
> or 2 international schools?

Yes, there are schools that pay more, but there are plenty of tier 2 schools that pay less than ESF and offer similar or worse benefits.
ESF has been mentioned by a good number ITs in Hong Kong as tier 1, while others leave it off their tier 1 lists. Even if it's not tier 1, it's definitely tier 2, although there will be differences between the different ESF schools, so some might be good (upper tier 2) where other will be average.
When you look at salaries of HK international schools, be sure to also check what they offer as housing allowance. Some schools will pay very high allowances, others will not give you one although usually the salary will be higher to attempt to make up for that. Don't be dazzled by a high salary if a housing allowance isn't provided, as rents are VERY high. Do the maths to see what disposable income you'll have left after paying rent and taxes.
by Heliotrope
Mon Sep 19, 2022 8:52 pm
Forum: Forum 2. Ask Recruiting Questions, Share Information. What's on Your Mind?
Topic: International teacher Marc Fogel in Russian prison - please help!
Replies: 46
Views: 141960

Re: Reply

PsyGuy wrote:
> @CeeCee1
>
> So you dont even know if hes being treated inhumanly and his human rights
> are violated, but he should still get a pass on his crimes.
>
> Lived there, and I do support the people of Russia, lovely people.


Nobody is saying anything bad about the people of Russia, we're talking about the regime.
In any country, no matter how corrupt and fascist the regime is, the actual people there will be lovely.

Both @CeeCee1 and I have clearly stated that he did commit a crime and should be punished, so I'm not sure where this whole "should get a pass on his crime" is coming from. We're saying this particular sentence doesn't fit the actual crime, echoing legal experts familiar with the Russian justice system who did more than a simple Google search.
Also, with so much documented proof of systematic and widespread human rights abuses in Russian prisons against both foreigners and Russian citizens, it's not unreasonably to expect Fogel will suffer these as well.