Attend a fair or apply directly?
Attend a fair or apply directly?
Has anyone had much success applying directly to schools and not through a fair?
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Crgallen22
- Posts: 74
- Joined: Fri Jan 01, 2010 10:43 am
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Zsejanko
I've had very good luck this year. The schools are mostly top tier...some are a little bit below...and a couple are just plain bad. I'm off to one of the best schools in Asia. It was very hard to choose from one offer in Europe to this one ( the European one is also a top school but the costs of living deterred me ). I did mostly direct contact. But then again, it all depends on the following that is presented on your CV....even on the very initial e-mail you send to attract the Head's attention :
- Subjects you can teach ( English-Language Arts, Math, Science, Physics seem to be top subjects )
- Qualifications
- Personal background ( extensive travels? family or no family? single or couple? Most schools prefer teaching couples...and then unattached singles )
- Character / Personality ( how effective can you network from afar? )
- Something " special " ( do you have something that stands out to an international head or director, other than your credentials of course? It could be anything that would be particularly positive or helpful in international teaching or living in another country etc )
- Subjects you can teach ( English-Language Arts, Math, Science, Physics seem to be top subjects )
- Qualifications
- Personal background ( extensive travels? family or no family? single or couple? Most schools prefer teaching couples...and then unattached singles )
- Character / Personality ( how effective can you network from afar? )
- Something " special " ( do you have something that stands out to an international head or director, other than your credentials of course? It could be anything that would be particularly positive or helpful in international teaching or living in another country etc )
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Zsejanko
I think that for a " first timer " on the international education field, it's really good to do all of the following first :
1) Research as much as possible ( Journals, books, websites like ISR, clandestine teacher blogs that sprout up, review websites, expatriate forums, IB websites etc )
2) Join a reputable fair the first time around.....and watch and learn quite carefully. You will learn a lot from the heads, directors and principals who interview you ( some good, some bad ). You will also learn what they are looking for. You get offers ( depending on how good your CV is and providing that your personality shines ) and you get to play the negotiation-bargaining-decision game. It's like playing chess...and you learn a lot.
However, I think that for the next time around, after you've gained some good experience ( 2 - 4 years ), you can forego the costs of the fair and be able to obtain jobs directly. I did it on my own after my first 4 years of teaching and I got offers from top tier schools ( not all top tier schools require a face to face at the job fair when they have access to Skype and your CV speaks for itself. Think about it : Why on earth would they wait until the fair to see if someone is better if your CV is already extremely attractive to them and they have access to SKYPE to interview you? They will try to snag you before another school .)
As I mentioned before though, IT ALL DEPENDS on what you have on your CV / experience / what you are offering them :
1) SUBJECTS
a) English-Language Arts : A LOT of positions available for this subject. If you have some experience in ESL too, heads and directors are attracted to that bc some schools will have a certain degree of ESL students ( or an ESL department ). Having experience and qualifications for both English and ESL will open not one, but THREE doors : English, ESL and interestingly enough, Primary ( after all, this is where some students are learning how to acquire the language formally ).
b) Math : A LOT of positions available for this subject, simply because it's hard to fill. Most of my luck in getting jobs directly is that I am qualified to teach both IB English and IB Math.
c) Physics and Science : Same with math. Difficult to fill.
d) Special Needs : Interestingly enough, it seems that only top tier international schools seem to invest on a special needs department / program etc. There are NOT a sleuth of jobs for Special Needs BUT if you are specialised, whatever is out there should be easy to get for there is a small pool of candidates....and you will most likely be guaranteed that you will go to a good school bc most international schools cannot even be bothred with a special needs program or assistance of any sort ( sad to say )....EXCEPT if it's a top tier one.
2) QUALIFICATIONS
a) " The more, the better ": Part of my luck has to do with the fact that I got my qualifications for all three divisions right after I graduated. I can teach from Pre-K to Senior High School. It added an extra year to my B.Ed program all up ( and a lighter wallet! ), but it was worth it in the end.
b) Master's degrees ( especially an M.Ed...but I suppose most people with an M.Ed would choose something other than teaching that is related to their field, like curriculum design, education administration, guidance or education consultancy ).
c) Primary : One of the top tier schools in Europe are expanding with a new campus because they have increased enrolment in Primary. This is also a trend in places in Oceania. In Asia, Primary needs a lot of teachers. When I went to the job fair, the Primary teachers I knew got many offers. Most of them had Early Childhood Education qualifications and experience as well....which really gave them a competitive edge over the senior high school teachers who were limited to their specific subjects. Having taught in all three divisions and interviewed for all three divisions at my first job fair, I find it amusing that senior high school teachers seem to assume that they are " superior " to others. In fact, senior highschool teachers who specialise in subjects like Law, Business, Geography and such fare badly. Why? Such subjects have very narrow doors. If it's at a top tier school ( and an IB school at that ), they will hire teachers who specifically have IB experience in such subjects. If it's at a lower-tier school ( esp. in China, places like Shanghai and Hong Kong ), the subjects will be taken over by local teachers. Why? Think about it : Why on earth would deep-pocketed students rely on the expertise of North American or European teachers of business, economics and law when they are the ones defining the economy themselves?
3) PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS
a) Teaching couples and singles fare well : Single teachers are easy to hire because they have no children, spouses to support and can usually pick up and go. Teaching couples are a "deal" for the school ( school can save on housing, certain benefits and get the hiring done for two positions ).
" Less desireable " : Those over a certain age ( approx. above 50 or near retirement years of age ), non-teaching spouse couples, non-married couples ( religious, cultural, social traditions of a country require that schools do not hire non-married couples ), those with over 2- 3 children ( expensive for schools ).
b) Previous international teaching experience : For newly graduates, if ESL is the only thing you have, they won't count it as highly but you will get considered above candidates with little to no experience.
c) Well-traveled or not? Heads and directors like people who are accustomed ( and like ) traveling because they want people who can handle culture shocks well. Teaching is a difficult enough profession and they need someone to stay "sane" amidst the culture shock.
d) Additional languages : If you are actually fluent in a few languages, this attracts the interviewers. Top tier international schools have such a diverse cultural student body and it would help to communicate with students who are having difficulties with English.
e) Health : If you are an active person who likes to exercise, eat healthy and genuinely proactive with your well-being, the heads will be interested. They want someone healthy so they don't have to pay a great amount for sick benefits. They also want to make sure that you are healthy so that you can handle the pressures of the job....AND.....run a sports club after school activity. When I was being interviewed, a few heads actually asked about my hobbies ( which I thought was an archaic question ). When I mentioned my hobbies ( which are athletic and focus on health and well-being ), the questions proceeded to " So what type of clubs would you be interested in promoting? ". Additionally, if you are talented in media arts, computers, the arts and culinary arts, this would attract heads bc these are interesting club activities for students.
4) PERSONALITY
Everyone is an individual in their own right. This part is entirely up to you. Most successful interviewees usually have the following qualities :
- Modest in the right doses
- Has integrity
- Hard working
- Team Player
- Adaptable
- Highly resourceful
- Quick, logical thinker
- Interesting / fascinating.....can carry the interview well with personal anecdotes, examples and stories that RELATE well to the answer to the question
- Has a sense of humour
- Creative or innovative
- Has great negotiation, diplomacy skills
- Well-spoken ( people are obviously more eager to listen to someone who is articulate and precise rather than boring, mumbling and all over the place with ideas and answers ).
But most importantly : An amazing portfolio and CV that actually matches the answers.
1) Research as much as possible ( Journals, books, websites like ISR, clandestine teacher blogs that sprout up, review websites, expatriate forums, IB websites etc )
2) Join a reputable fair the first time around.....and watch and learn quite carefully. You will learn a lot from the heads, directors and principals who interview you ( some good, some bad ). You will also learn what they are looking for. You get offers ( depending on how good your CV is and providing that your personality shines ) and you get to play the negotiation-bargaining-decision game. It's like playing chess...and you learn a lot.
However, I think that for the next time around, after you've gained some good experience ( 2 - 4 years ), you can forego the costs of the fair and be able to obtain jobs directly. I did it on my own after my first 4 years of teaching and I got offers from top tier schools ( not all top tier schools require a face to face at the job fair when they have access to Skype and your CV speaks for itself. Think about it : Why on earth would they wait until the fair to see if someone is better if your CV is already extremely attractive to them and they have access to SKYPE to interview you? They will try to snag you before another school .)
As I mentioned before though, IT ALL DEPENDS on what you have on your CV / experience / what you are offering them :
1) SUBJECTS
a) English-Language Arts : A LOT of positions available for this subject. If you have some experience in ESL too, heads and directors are attracted to that bc some schools will have a certain degree of ESL students ( or an ESL department ). Having experience and qualifications for both English and ESL will open not one, but THREE doors : English, ESL and interestingly enough, Primary ( after all, this is where some students are learning how to acquire the language formally ).
b) Math : A LOT of positions available for this subject, simply because it's hard to fill. Most of my luck in getting jobs directly is that I am qualified to teach both IB English and IB Math.
c) Physics and Science : Same with math. Difficult to fill.
d) Special Needs : Interestingly enough, it seems that only top tier international schools seem to invest on a special needs department / program etc. There are NOT a sleuth of jobs for Special Needs BUT if you are specialised, whatever is out there should be easy to get for there is a small pool of candidates....and you will most likely be guaranteed that you will go to a good school bc most international schools cannot even be bothred with a special needs program or assistance of any sort ( sad to say )....EXCEPT if it's a top tier one.
2) QUALIFICATIONS
a) " The more, the better ": Part of my luck has to do with the fact that I got my qualifications for all three divisions right after I graduated. I can teach from Pre-K to Senior High School. It added an extra year to my B.Ed program all up ( and a lighter wallet! ), but it was worth it in the end.
b) Master's degrees ( especially an M.Ed...but I suppose most people with an M.Ed would choose something other than teaching that is related to their field, like curriculum design, education administration, guidance or education consultancy ).
c) Primary : One of the top tier schools in Europe are expanding with a new campus because they have increased enrolment in Primary. This is also a trend in places in Oceania. In Asia, Primary needs a lot of teachers. When I went to the job fair, the Primary teachers I knew got many offers. Most of them had Early Childhood Education qualifications and experience as well....which really gave them a competitive edge over the senior high school teachers who were limited to their specific subjects. Having taught in all three divisions and interviewed for all three divisions at my first job fair, I find it amusing that senior high school teachers seem to assume that they are " superior " to others. In fact, senior highschool teachers who specialise in subjects like Law, Business, Geography and such fare badly. Why? Such subjects have very narrow doors. If it's at a top tier school ( and an IB school at that ), they will hire teachers who specifically have IB experience in such subjects. If it's at a lower-tier school ( esp. in China, places like Shanghai and Hong Kong ), the subjects will be taken over by local teachers. Why? Think about it : Why on earth would deep-pocketed students rely on the expertise of North American or European teachers of business, economics and law when they are the ones defining the economy themselves?
3) PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS
a) Teaching couples and singles fare well : Single teachers are easy to hire because they have no children, spouses to support and can usually pick up and go. Teaching couples are a "deal" for the school ( school can save on housing, certain benefits and get the hiring done for two positions ).
" Less desireable " : Those over a certain age ( approx. above 50 or near retirement years of age ), non-teaching spouse couples, non-married couples ( religious, cultural, social traditions of a country require that schools do not hire non-married couples ), those with over 2- 3 children ( expensive for schools ).
b) Previous international teaching experience : For newly graduates, if ESL is the only thing you have, they won't count it as highly but you will get considered above candidates with little to no experience.
c) Well-traveled or not? Heads and directors like people who are accustomed ( and like ) traveling because they want people who can handle culture shocks well. Teaching is a difficult enough profession and they need someone to stay "sane" amidst the culture shock.
d) Additional languages : If you are actually fluent in a few languages, this attracts the interviewers. Top tier international schools have such a diverse cultural student body and it would help to communicate with students who are having difficulties with English.
e) Health : If you are an active person who likes to exercise, eat healthy and genuinely proactive with your well-being, the heads will be interested. They want someone healthy so they don't have to pay a great amount for sick benefits. They also want to make sure that you are healthy so that you can handle the pressures of the job....AND.....run a sports club after school activity. When I was being interviewed, a few heads actually asked about my hobbies ( which I thought was an archaic question ). When I mentioned my hobbies ( which are athletic and focus on health and well-being ), the questions proceeded to " So what type of clubs would you be interested in promoting? ". Additionally, if you are talented in media arts, computers, the arts and culinary arts, this would attract heads bc these are interesting club activities for students.
4) PERSONALITY
Everyone is an individual in their own right. This part is entirely up to you. Most successful interviewees usually have the following qualities :
- Modest in the right doses
- Has integrity
- Hard working
- Team Player
- Adaptable
- Highly resourceful
- Quick, logical thinker
- Interesting / fascinating.....can carry the interview well with personal anecdotes, examples and stories that RELATE well to the answer to the question
- Has a sense of humour
- Creative or innovative
- Has great negotiation, diplomacy skills
- Well-spoken ( people are obviously more eager to listen to someone who is articulate and precise rather than boring, mumbling and all over the place with ideas and answers ).
But most importantly : An amazing portfolio and CV that actually matches the answers.
Zsejanko,
Thank you for the insight. I feel better about my chances after reading that. I do have a non-teaching spouse that works online, however, I also have 6 years of experience teaching 1st grade at a title one school with lots of ESL children.
In addition I have my ESL, Math, and Reading endorsements. Over the past 3 years I fulfilled various leadership positions within the district, and have great reference letters. My husband and I are in great shape and are well traveled internationally, so hopefully there is a position out there for us.
I'm worried about my husband not being a teacher as well. Although he does have a BFA in graphic design, so maybe he could help out somehow.
Again, thank you for the insight. I appreciate it.
Thank you for the insight. I feel better about my chances after reading that. I do have a non-teaching spouse that works online, however, I also have 6 years of experience teaching 1st grade at a title one school with lots of ESL children.
In addition I have my ESL, Math, and Reading endorsements. Over the past 3 years I fulfilled various leadership positions within the district, and have great reference letters. My husband and I are in great shape and are well traveled internationally, so hopefully there is a position out there for us.
I'm worried about my husband not being a teacher as well. Although he does have a BFA in graphic design, so maybe he could help out somehow.
Again, thank you for the insight. I appreciate it.
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Zsejanko
Oh, I believe your husband was on the forums earlier. He may have been the one who posted a topic about website design for certain schools since he is a non-teaching spouse. All the best to the both of you. It sounds like you have excellent credentials and hopefully, the heads will offer you the opportunity you want. Good luck!
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buffalofan
- Posts: 350
- Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2010 11:08 pm
I also have a non-teaching spouse that works online. It was not much of an issue except for a few schools in China that wouldn't even talk to me.
I got hired (at a fair) with less experience than you have. I do not think you will have any issues getting good offers (unless you are really focused on China...)
I got hired (at a fair) with less experience than you have. I do not think you will have any issues getting good offers (unless you are really focused on China...)
Just to offer a different perspective, I have had very little luck with applying directly. I teach a hard to fill subject (physics), have international experience and good qualifications, but found that I received no reply at all from most of the schools I tried to apply to directly. When I signed up to go to the job fair, some of these schools then did suddenly take notice, interview me, and offer me jobs. So for me, going to a job fair ended up being a much better experience.
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Zsejanko
Rutabaga : I think that job fairs are good to go to, once in a while. I don't go for frugal reasons. Usually every 4 years, I have my eyes set on specific ( handful ) of schools. I focus on them first. If there is an offer ( which there usually are ) from the handful, then I don't bother with the fair. If not, then I prepare myself for a fair.