Question about recruiters
Question about recruiters
A friend of mine told me about a recruiting agency called Teach Away. Can anyone give me any information about this agency or any other reputable agencies that help people find work abroad?
Sure
I'll start with the easy question: the big reputable recruiting companies are 1) International School Services (ISS) and 2) Search Associates (Search or SA). ISS is smaller and only handles ISS schools (even if all they are providing a school is Recruiting Services) ISS has the "better" schools, as they have a higher bar/standard on what schools they will represent. Search has a much larger datatbase (almost a 1,000 schools compared to ISS's 150), as they accept pretty much all of the tier 1 and tier 2 schools (and some of the tier 3 schools), so they have more opportunities available (although you have to tolerate all the job vacancies coming out of schools in the middle east, which never seem to end). ISS also has higher standards for what teachers they will accep. ISS works a little more personally to help you find a job, where Search recruiters may or may not do anything for you. Cost is also an issue. Search is $200 for three years of database access, and one free fair (additional fairs are $50 each). ISS is $185 for two years (2 seasons, it use to be one year), and the conference fee is $290 (which covers all conferences, but most people cant afford to go to more then 1 a year anyway). I'm a member of Search, and use to be a member of ISS. The really elite schools list with both companies, and the big fairs for each agancy kind of run back to back of one another (the Big fairs for Each are the Cambridge/Boston fair, and the Bangkok fair).
CIS is another organization that does teacher recruiting though they arent as international, they primarily cater to UK schools (and the brittish school curriculum), and to a lessor extent european schools. Their big fair is in London (there is no cost to attend), and they dont accept teachers who arent currently employed. Their standards are pretty high though.
In the smaller recruiting agencies (and cheaper) you have Joy Jobs and TIE-Online (The International Educator), they have small fees about $40 each. They get the smaller schools, and some last minute positions, but they have pretty small databases. I've never subscribed to either one, and have heard mixed reviews about them. One person on this board found a DREAm job in Japan on them, one person hasnt gotten them to take down his profile for years, and keeps getting messages from them (honestly other people on this forum, are in a better position to comment).
Below that you have all the "free" web sites, though these mostly are for ESL positions, sites like: TES, Daves ESL cafe, Gaijinpot, Ajarn, Footprints, are free and occasionally have non ESL positions advertised. Back in the day when I first got into education I got my first teaching job (in Thailand) through one of those sites. if your a real educator/teacher though they wont have the caliber of schools youd be interested in.
Lastly, you can always do a very successful job search without a recruiter on your own. Many members of this forum, have and continue to be successful this way. It depends how much time you have, and what your focus is. Agencies like Search and ISS certainly provide bennifits (your references are all in one place), and they make the search easier, as well as provide contract information such as salaries, and other compensation information. You also get to go to the fairs where the hiring really happens (especially if your new). That being said, if you have a specific region that your interested in such as france, its very easy to just google that and get a list of schools, and just keep checking their HR site for vacancies. If your interested in only the DOS schools (Department of State supported schools) you can go to their website and just click on the schools websites and bookmark their HR pages. Of course this also requires more time on your end, but for people who have specific focused (narrow) interests it could be worthwhile. For instance Search only lists 3 schools in france in their database, and their are 11 International Schools in france, so even if you were a Search member youd have to do your own updateing with the other 8 schools on your own anyway. $200 for 3 schools isnt a whole lot, especially for schools in Eastern Europe where there is only 1 or 2 search Schools in their database. For some people its more important where they are, then how much money they are making.
Teach Away is a recruiter that works mostly with the public school system in various locations. If your really really new, are looking for an internship, or an exchange type of program, they may be able to help you. For seriously credentialed (real) teachers, they arent very helpful.
CIS is another organization that does teacher recruiting though they arent as international, they primarily cater to UK schools (and the brittish school curriculum), and to a lessor extent european schools. Their big fair is in London (there is no cost to attend), and they dont accept teachers who arent currently employed. Their standards are pretty high though.
In the smaller recruiting agencies (and cheaper) you have Joy Jobs and TIE-Online (The International Educator), they have small fees about $40 each. They get the smaller schools, and some last minute positions, but they have pretty small databases. I've never subscribed to either one, and have heard mixed reviews about them. One person on this board found a DREAm job in Japan on them, one person hasnt gotten them to take down his profile for years, and keeps getting messages from them (honestly other people on this forum, are in a better position to comment).
Below that you have all the "free" web sites, though these mostly are for ESL positions, sites like: TES, Daves ESL cafe, Gaijinpot, Ajarn, Footprints, are free and occasionally have non ESL positions advertised. Back in the day when I first got into education I got my first teaching job (in Thailand) through one of those sites. if your a real educator/teacher though they wont have the caliber of schools youd be interested in.
Lastly, you can always do a very successful job search without a recruiter on your own. Many members of this forum, have and continue to be successful this way. It depends how much time you have, and what your focus is. Agencies like Search and ISS certainly provide bennifits (your references are all in one place), and they make the search easier, as well as provide contract information such as salaries, and other compensation information. You also get to go to the fairs where the hiring really happens (especially if your new). That being said, if you have a specific region that your interested in such as france, its very easy to just google that and get a list of schools, and just keep checking their HR site for vacancies. If your interested in only the DOS schools (Department of State supported schools) you can go to their website and just click on the schools websites and bookmark their HR pages. Of course this also requires more time on your end, but for people who have specific focused (narrow) interests it could be worthwhile. For instance Search only lists 3 schools in france in their database, and their are 11 International Schools in france, so even if you were a Search member youd have to do your own updateing with the other 8 schools on your own anyway. $200 for 3 schools isnt a whole lot, especially for schools in Eastern Europe where there is only 1 or 2 search Schools in their database. For some people its more important where they are, then how much money they are making.
Teach Away is a recruiter that works mostly with the public school system in various locations. If your really really new, are looking for an internship, or an exchange type of program, they may be able to help you. For seriously credentialed (real) teachers, they arent very helpful.
Last edited by PsyGuy on Sun Oct 30, 2011 2:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
Play Nice
Daisy can you refrain from vulgar commentary.
In regards to daisy's claim's in 1-3, her and I will just have to disagree. Daisy tends to think that her experiences have more "weight" because they are hers.
You can look at the attendees for the COIS fair at (http://portal.cois.org/WCM/CIS/fairs/sc ... nding.aspx), as a majority of them offer GCSE/IGCSE (the British curriculum), and these schools do span to a lessor extent European schools (a majority of these schools also offer IB as well). At least that is my past experience.
Their is some merit to Daisy's ISS opinion, ISS has seen some decline lately (they increased their previous membership from 1 year too 2 season) to offer better value. Search does have all the big (elite) schools. They just also have a lot more (Search has almost a 1000, and ISS 150 schools). ISS has ONLY the top schools though. So when you go to their fairs Searches will be huge with a somewhat overwhelming number of schools. ISS's will be smaller, and you dont have to weed through all the undesirable schools. That being said ISS simply has a smaller database
What works in theory doesnt often pan out in real life. I cant really comment on available help at the fairs as i never really needed it. Im a member of Search, and a past member of ISS. I prefer Search, that said my Search Associate doesnt do a thing for me, and i received more attention when I was an ISS member. Some people with Search have a GREAT associate, who really helps them. I'm just not one of those people. My associate takes weeks to respond to an email, and I think an agencies "service" needs to go beyond just that supplied at the fairs.
This was all in my original post response, but I want to thank Daisy for giving me an opportunity to elaborate.
In regards to number 4, "that I just totally made up", here is the teacher recruitment link (http://www.cois.org/page.cfm?p=251), the 6th bullit point down clearly reads:
"All candidates are required to be currently teaching full time within either the USA, UK, Australian, New Zealand, Canadian or IB curriculum, teaching grades K-12"
In regards to daisy's claim's in 1-3, her and I will just have to disagree. Daisy tends to think that her experiences have more "weight" because they are hers.
You can look at the attendees for the COIS fair at (http://portal.cois.org/WCM/CIS/fairs/sc ... nding.aspx), as a majority of them offer GCSE/IGCSE (the British curriculum), and these schools do span to a lessor extent European schools (a majority of these schools also offer IB as well). At least that is my past experience.
Their is some merit to Daisy's ISS opinion, ISS has seen some decline lately (they increased their previous membership from 1 year too 2 season) to offer better value. Search does have all the big (elite) schools. They just also have a lot more (Search has almost a 1000, and ISS 150 schools). ISS has ONLY the top schools though. So when you go to their fairs Searches will be huge with a somewhat overwhelming number of schools. ISS's will be smaller, and you dont have to weed through all the undesirable schools. That being said ISS simply has a smaller database
What works in theory doesnt often pan out in real life. I cant really comment on available help at the fairs as i never really needed it. Im a member of Search, and a past member of ISS. I prefer Search, that said my Search Associate doesnt do a thing for me, and i received more attention when I was an ISS member. Some people with Search have a GREAT associate, who really helps them. I'm just not one of those people. My associate takes weeks to respond to an email, and I think an agencies "service" needs to go beyond just that supplied at the fairs.
This was all in my original post response, but I want to thank Daisy for giving me an opportunity to elaborate.
In regards to number 4, "that I just totally made up", here is the teacher recruitment link (http://www.cois.org/page.cfm?p=251), the 6th bullit point down clearly reads:
"All candidates are required to be currently teaching full time within either the USA, UK, Australian, New Zealand, Canadian or IB curriculum, teaching grades K-12"
Yeah Yeah
Im sure you have a story, about how they made an exception for someone you know, everybody knows someone who knows someone who was/is special. Its the recruiting page of CISs own website, I guess i just make things up, and the agencies find my comments so compelling they adapt them as part of their own candidate recruitment process. I suppose someones supposed to believe you over official published information from the company themselves.
For what its worth, I KNOW there are people who exceptions are made for, but this forum isnt a personal journal for myself or anyone else. I'd hate to claim something was totally true or totally fabricated, just to be called out, and shown that I'm wrong when its in black and white.
P.S. I hit 10 before getting done with China (those Dulwich schools really did it)
For what its worth, I KNOW there are people who exceptions are made for, but this forum isnt a personal journal for myself or anyone else. I'd hate to claim something was totally true or totally fabricated, just to be called out, and shown that I'm wrong when its in black and white.
P.S. I hit 10 before getting done with China (those Dulwich schools really did it)
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wrldtrvlr123
- Posts: 1173
- Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:59 am
- Location: Japan
Re: Yeah Yeah
PsyGuy is an acquired taste and does occassionally shoot from the hip (and misses). On the other hand, I agree with Search associates being hit or miss. Mine is completely and utterly useless except when asking for her check. And no, this is not a reflection on me. I've gotten good jobs in 4 countries, some with Search, some on my own, but none through any efforts that my associate has made.
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Crgallen22
- Posts: 74
- Joined: Fri Jan 01, 2010 10:43 am
My Search associate was also no help to me. I ended up obtaining my current position on my own by applying directly to the school after seeing the opening on the school's website. However, my associate still got paid. After I accepted my new position I notified my associate. He told me he had been trying to get me on at a school in SE Asia. That was the first I had heard about it.
As for PsyGuy, he is not all bad. Definitely a bit of a know-it-all, but sometimes shares helpful and accurate information. I do wish that he would try harder with his grammar.
As for PsyGuy, he is not all bad. Definitely a bit of a know-it-all, but sometimes shares helpful and accurate information. I do wish that he would try harder with his grammar.
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internationalgirl2011
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2011 4:38 am
In terms of recruiters I definetly recommend search. You need to pick the right fair to go to if you are considering going otherwise use tie, joyjob, tes. As for psyguy I thought he posted an open letter that he won't contribute any more .. wishful thinking Come on Psyguy! Don;t you get bored! Admin you got to do something about it. The guy is monopolizing the forum. If you really are an admin in Denmark, why dont you start doing your job! Admins in my school do not have THAT much free time to invade the forum with the blah blah blah
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wrldtrvlr123
- Posts: 1173
- Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:59 am
- Location: Japan
[quote="internationalgirl2011"]In terms of recruiters I definetly recommend search. You need to pick the right fair to go to if you are considering going otherwise use tie, joyjob, tes. As for psyguy I thought he posted an open letter that he won't contribute any more .. wishful thinking Come on Psyguy! Don;t you get bored! Admin you got to do something about it. The guy is monopolizing the forum. If you really are an admin in Denmark, why dont you start doing your job! Admins in my school do not have THAT much free time to invade the forum with the blah blah blah[/quote]
He OBVIOUSLY meant he wouldn't contribute to Forum 2, and he has been true to his word. :D Of course, no one else seems to be contributing over there either. Could there be a correlation? Nah!
He OBVIOUSLY meant he wouldn't contribute to Forum 2, and he has been true to his word. :D Of course, no one else seems to be contributing over there either. Could there be a correlation? Nah!