I applied to 6 schools in mid November, but didn't get any requests for interviews until Dec. 3. From Dec 3-7, 5/6 schools contacted me for Skype interviews. I was amazed how quickly they came after not hearing from any of them for a couple of weeks. I interviewed with 3 of them but 1 school was particularly aggressive, scheduling a 2nd and 3rd interview on consecutive days. I accepted the job on Dec 10 and am thrilled. I work in a specialist position, BTW, with lots of experience in good international schools.

Too bad! Always wanted to work in Istanbul.

joe30 wrote:
> Never lived there but it's obvious both countries absolutely suck, and taking a job
> there is for the insane only.


LOL! I think we can all agree that Joe is the "Howard Stern of ISR." Hilarious!

With the dollar strong against the ruble, it looks like a great time to work in Russia compared to years past. In fact, it appears that out of all the CEESA schools in central or eastern Europe, the schools in St. Pete and Moscow currently pay the most and you can save the most. It's just the weather that will be an issue for some.

Reisgio- Why would you prefer Saint Petersburg over Moscow? Just curious since there is a branch of AAS in Saint Petersburg. Is the quality of life in Petersburg better?

Joe- Says on Search that you can save 20k USD a year at the schools in Moscow and S. Petersburg.

Another thing to keep in mind is that many schools (in particular the very good Tier 1 schools) post jobs because of protocol when, in reality, they have someone in mind all along. It could be an internal shift or a recommendation of a current staff member or an ex-colleague or friend of one of the Administrators. I've been there many times. It's frustrating when a position opens up at an attractive school that seems "perfect" for your experience, training, and background and your application isn't even acknowledged and then it disappears or is filled within a couple of days. But you have to have thick skin in this international game.

This is a great question that I have asked myself. Would love to get some feedback from the forum members.

Let me put it to you this way- I would take a job in Venezuela before I took a job in Egypt.

I would agree with Joe that money and benefits are (by far) the #1 indicator of Tier 1 status; however, other variables such as for/non profit status, % of host country students, school's commitment to PD, quality of curriculum, staff support, and commitment to Halloween celebrations (ha!) are in the mix as well.

I loathe educators whose mantras are "we didn't get into this for the money" and attempt to shame other educators for trying to live an above average life and perhaps someday be able to retire. My experience with educators who say things like this is that the majority are passed over for the better jobs. I would bet that at least 90% of ITs would jump at any school (outside the ME) that pays 100k tax free. It may drop to 75% for a school in the ME.

While you should have everything ready by now just in case, it's still early to hear back from the vast majority of schools. Some schools seem to advertise now, but not start calling back candidates on the short list for another couple/few weeks. Like someone said earlier, most schools seem to have the November 15th deadline for their final decision.

A few years ago I was at an elite school in Asia and had my sights set on a Tier 1 school in Europe. I really wanted this job and my Principal at the time even knew the Director of the school, personally. I applied in November and even mentioned the connection but heard nothing from the school until 3 months later at a job fair, where they went after me aggressively. I was quite surprised because I hadn't heard a peep from the school and figured they weren't interested. In the end, I ended up with the job. Each international school seems to work at their own pace. You never know if they are going after preferred choices first, trying to hire for other positions first, or they simply haven't started the process yet.

Updated List of International Schools that pay FICA for those Americans interested (Some of these are by "word of mouth" so please let me know if inaccurate):

1. Taipei American School, Taipei, Taiwan

2. American Nicaraguan School, Managua, Nicaragua

3. International School of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya

4. Istanbul International Community School, Istanbul, Turkey

5. International College of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon

6. American Overseas School of Rome, Rome, Italy

7. American Community School, Beirut, Lebanon

8. American Community School of Amman, Jordan

9. WBAIS Israel

10. Schutz American School in Alexandria, Egypt.

11. International School of Islamabad

"The counselor position at most international schools - and ALL domestic schools - is pretty much a do nothing job that will allow you to spend most of your day planning/preparing for the next position that you want."

My experiences are completely different than Senator and much more in line with Walter. Most of the counselors with whom I've worked internationally have quite a lot to manage and usually fill many roles that can be fluid from year to year depending on the needs of the school. They usually get paid on a regular teaching salary scale, with perhaps a few days extra for additional days worked at the beginning and/or end of the year. Although they are not usually considered administration, I would say that administrators often rely on counselors as important resources in most school and as a result some teachers consider them "admin." Quality counselors are usually in great demand and tend to get hired early in the recruiting season.

A teaching credential is very important if you hope to move to a top international school. You might be an excellent teacher without, however, you won't get an interview with the vast majority of quality schools without a teaching credential. No way around this- just do it and get it done.

Pretty simple, folks (Youtube tutorial about how to open a Vanguard acoount):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY_qIgt_SCA

Sid- This is how I understand it: In order for US citizens overseas to contribute to US Social Security and Medicare, they must be employed by a US entity. Schools that wish to do this will create a US foundation [a 501(c)(3)] and their US employees will have a contract with the US foundation and be seconded to the school. In this way the employees can contribute to US Social Security and Medicare. Keep in mind that the foundation is also required to contribute a matching amount to both US Social Security and Medicare. ISS (International Schools Services) does this for many schools and they also manage their foundation for them.

Those international school teachers (like me) who have not contributed to US Social Security and Medicare for the 40 minimum quarters would need to top up our quarters to be eligible to draw on these benefits when we retire. Many of us are not concerned so much with Social Security, as we have taken steps individually to secure our financial future (although any extra cash in retirement helps!). Many are more concerned with the remarkably high cost of health insurance and medical care in the US and would feel more confident handling retirement with Medicare. I'm surprised that the international schools who do pay into SS and Medicare don't market this more when recruiting.