Has anyone ever been denied an invitation to the Cambridge Search fair or placed on the waiting list even when there were still invitations left? If so, what happened?
Thank you to all who respond!
Invitation to Cambridge Search fair
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NicoleMarieSchreiber
- Posts: 32
- Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2010 2:12 am
Search Associates seems to be somewhat selective about the candidates they choose to go to the Cambridge fair. My girlfriend (at the time) and I wanted to go to the Cambridge fair last year, but we were told we'd have a better chance of landing jobs at the Toronto fair, due to the fact that she was fired from her last job and had no administrative recommendations. I'm going solo this year and I was invited to the Cambridge fair, although I asked to go to the Toronto one. I'm guessing it depends on your field, as well as your experience.
I'm a psychologist with four years on U.S. experience, but none overseas.
I'm a psychologist with four years on U.S. experience, but none overseas.
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NicoleMarieSchreiber
- Posts: 32
- Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2010 2:12 am
invitation to Cambridge fair
Yes, I know that they are selective, yet I feel that I am not even being given a chance to meet with my top school choices and interview with them this year. I was told that since I have a non-teaching husband and two children and looking only at Europe, I could not be given an invitation. It would be negligent on their part to do so.
I have had over ten years of teaching experience, seven years in 2nd and 3rd, two years in early childhood, one year of substitution. I have been a literacy coach and have lived overseas, but not taught there. I have a lot of overseas travel experience, even with my two children.
I feel like I am not even being given a chance to try and it is very frustrating to me. I did go to the London fair last year because I had a job interview in Europe at the same time anyway with another school, had some interviews at the fair, and was offered a job from another school not from the fair. It wasn't a good fit, so we decided to wait another year.
Now I feel like are chances are much smaller without the Cambridge fair.
I have had over ten years of teaching experience, seven years in 2nd and 3rd, two years in early childhood, one year of substitution. I have been a literacy coach and have lived overseas, but not taught there. I have a lot of overseas travel experience, even with my two children.
I feel like I am not even being given a chance to try and it is very frustrating to me. I did go to the London fair last year because I had a job interview in Europe at the same time anyway with another school, had some interviews at the fair, and was offered a job from another school not from the fair. It wasn't a good fit, so we decided to wait another year.
Now I feel like are chances are much smaller without the Cambridge fair.
Cambridge Fair
Perhaps you should try a different associate or solicit the help of John Magana or his daughter directly, including the information you have put in this post. We changed associates at Search years ago when we didn't feel that it was working well, and we had far greater success with our next associate - including being allowed to attend the fair we chose.
While your educational experience qualifies you as an excellent candidate, you no doubt realize you are also an expensive one to schools which include some pretty standard benefits to family. Combine that with your desire to limit the area of where you would consider employment, and Search likely feels that since space is competitive at Cambridge, they should fill it with candidates more likely to succeed AND meet the needs of the schools recruiting.
Regardless of Search's decision, however, there are still options - aggressive applications on your own, using as many resources as possible like Tieonline and Joyjobs to discover openings not to mention checking the schools' websites frequently, register with ISS and go to their Boston fair, register with CIS (free and most comprehensive listings of European schools), maybe bite the bullet and go to the London fair again....many possibilities remain, good luck.
While your educational experience qualifies you as an excellent candidate, you no doubt realize you are also an expensive one to schools which include some pretty standard benefits to family. Combine that with your desire to limit the area of where you would consider employment, and Search likely feels that since space is competitive at Cambridge, they should fill it with candidates more likely to succeed AND meet the needs of the schools recruiting.
Regardless of Search's decision, however, there are still options - aggressive applications on your own, using as many resources as possible like Tieonline and Joyjobs to discover openings not to mention checking the schools' websites frequently, register with ISS and go to their Boston fair, register with CIS (free and most comprehensive listings of European schools), maybe bite the bullet and go to the London fair again....many possibilities remain, good luck.
I was happy with my Search representative. He gave me this advice when I was trying to figure out which fair to go to: It's not just which fair has the most schools you're interested in, but which fair has the most schools with OPENINGS you're interested in. Bingo. That settled it for me. I made a spreadsheet of schools and which fairs they were going to and asked for an invite based on that.
It's been my understanding that the London fair is the one to go to if you're interested in Europe.
It's been my understanding that the London fair is the one to go to if you're interested in Europe.
To the OP: Someone needs to honest with you, and it sounds like Search tried to do just that. A teacher and a trailing spouse with 2 children is not very high up on the hiring preferences for a school. First would be a teaching couple (preferably with one or more of those being IB) where both teach, next would be teachers in hard to fill areas with IB experience (including trailing spouses). After that would be single teachers in general areas, and last would be a teacher with a trailing spouse with children, but not in super high demand area.
In Europe, most schools prefer EU citizens - this makes the competition pretty fierce for those few available openings at each school. I am also not sure that the Feb. fair in Cambridge is the 'go to' fair for Europe.
I sense you have a feeling of entitlement, and I'm not sure that will help you get an awesome job. Compared to other teachers, your category is very, very expensive for a school. They have to pay your salary, your family's rent, getting visas/housing/etc. for the whole family (sounds like 4 visas to get. A single teacher would be 1 visa), tuition for two children, and flights for the family, so they are going to be paying 2 to 3 times more than if they just hired a single teacher and doing a lot more work.
Put together the EU citizen issue, the extra hiring issue (not getting a teaching couple means hiring another person), huge extra cost of you over a single teacher (or a teaching couple), and the fact that Cambridge is not the fair to find the most/best European jobs means that the odds are very much not in your favor. You can get mad at them, but they are in the business of placing teachers. If they don't feel like they can place you, they will tell you that - they did tell you.
In Europe, most schools prefer EU citizens - this makes the competition pretty fierce for those few available openings at each school. I am also not sure that the Feb. fair in Cambridge is the 'go to' fair for Europe.
I sense you have a feeling of entitlement, and I'm not sure that will help you get an awesome job. Compared to other teachers, your category is very, very expensive for a school. They have to pay your salary, your family's rent, getting visas/housing/etc. for the whole family (sounds like 4 visas to get. A single teacher would be 1 visa), tuition for two children, and flights for the family, so they are going to be paying 2 to 3 times more than if they just hired a single teacher and doing a lot more work.
Put together the EU citizen issue, the extra hiring issue (not getting a teaching couple means hiring another person), huge extra cost of you over a single teacher (or a teaching couple), and the fact that Cambridge is not the fair to find the most/best European jobs means that the odds are very much not in your favor. You can get mad at them, but they are in the business of placing teachers. If they don't feel like they can place you, they will tell you that - they did tell you.
I agree with Specialed. My wife and I have more than 20 years of experience, taught overseas for more than decade, and our children have moved on and and we would love to teach in Europe, but I'm not sure we have a good chance of landing a job. The best advice we ever got from an administrator came at a job fair where he told us to broaden our search and look farther afield for those hidden gems. To his credit we have managed to find them.
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interteach
- Posts: 214
- Joined: Wed Nov 29, 2006 2:25 pm
I hope I did not sound too harsh in my comments. I totally agree that there are lots of gems out there - South America, Eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia.
I too am looking at this year's recruiting, but I'm pretty open as to where I'm willing to go. I've never been to Asia, Eastern Europe, or South America and would love to teach in any of those wonderful areas. I really think flexibility is the key to getting an awesome teaching position.
I just wanted to be blunt because job fairs can be very expensive and exhausting. I'd rather have someone tell me no thanks than spending thousands (as well as lots of time and stress) to go and get nothing.
I too am looking at this year's recruiting, but I'm pretty open as to where I'm willing to go. I've never been to Asia, Eastern Europe, or South America and would love to teach in any of those wonderful areas. I really think flexibility is the key to getting an awesome teaching position.
I just wanted to be blunt because job fairs can be very expensive and exhausting. I'd rather have someone tell me no thanks than spending thousands (as well as lots of time and stress) to go and get nothing.
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NicoleMarieSchreiber
- Posts: 32
- Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2010 2:12 am
Cambridge invitation
Thank you for all of your comments. I appreciate all of them, but I have to say that no, I don't feel a sense of entitlement. Not in the least. I do understand that I am more expensive than other teachers. We have offered to help pay for airfare and benefits for my family members to help with the costs since we do know that my experience and family make me a more expensive employee. And we would love Eastern Europe. It's actually our first choice in area compared to Western Europe.
Thank you all again for your time.
Thank you all again for your time.
Last Post....
While i agree with the substance of the previous posters, Im sorry you didnt get any actual advice. Im going to try to give you a deeper rational/explanation. I work in Denmark, and last year taught in Italy.
I dont know what your job search scenarios were last year, but to reiterate, your really an expensive candidate. Search associates (the actual associates) "buy" into the job. They make their living off of placing teachers directly, they dont work for someone at the company. So they have a very directly invested interest in placing teachers quickly and successfully.
Its the successfully part that is really the issue here. In europe the "bulk" of the teaching positions (everything except the elite schools) have very simple compensation packages: you get a salary, insurance, and a relocation allowance/stipend (maybe a laptop or something else) but thats it. In Italy/Rome my salary was €36K a year, €3K in relocation, insurance, use of a scooter and a laptop. Thats above average and about €3,000 a month (€2,700 after taxes).
You dont get a housing allowance or provided housing. Thats whats going to be very expensive for you. Housing would be very expensive for you. Depending on where you live, and how cozy you wanted to be, you could easily spend €2,500 a month on rent alone for an apartment. Europe is expensive.
When a european school hires you they take a responsibility to some degree for you and your family. Despite what you may believe, you need a work permit to work in europe. The school couldnt or wouldnt be able to justify employing you on that kind of base salary and be able to support your family without your husband working illegally (freelance, under the table, etc). They just arent going to stick their neck out like that and put themselves in that position (mainly because they dont have to, there are plenty of candidates without such issues).
So no one gave you an answer to your question about the cambridge fair, so here goes.... Go anyway.
When you cut out the pomp and spectacle pageantry the fair is just a hotel with access to people (teachers for the admins and admins for the teachers). There is little keeping you from booking airfare, and a room and being there. Its been done many times in the past. So email your prospective schools as you would and explain that you couldnt get an invitation because of your family situation, but that you will be in the area (on business, family, holiday) and would be available to discuss how your impressive credentials could benefit their school.
I dont think you will get an overwhelming response (because you really are too expensive, and europe is just too competitive), but there really isnt anything keeping you from trying. I wish you luck though, you sound like youd be an asset to any schools faculty.
I dont know what your job search scenarios were last year, but to reiterate, your really an expensive candidate. Search associates (the actual associates) "buy" into the job. They make their living off of placing teachers directly, they dont work for someone at the company. So they have a very directly invested interest in placing teachers quickly and successfully.
Its the successfully part that is really the issue here. In europe the "bulk" of the teaching positions (everything except the elite schools) have very simple compensation packages: you get a salary, insurance, and a relocation allowance/stipend (maybe a laptop or something else) but thats it. In Italy/Rome my salary was €36K a year, €3K in relocation, insurance, use of a scooter and a laptop. Thats above average and about €3,000 a month (€2,700 after taxes).
You dont get a housing allowance or provided housing. Thats whats going to be very expensive for you. Housing would be very expensive for you. Depending on where you live, and how cozy you wanted to be, you could easily spend €2,500 a month on rent alone for an apartment. Europe is expensive.
When a european school hires you they take a responsibility to some degree for you and your family. Despite what you may believe, you need a work permit to work in europe. The school couldnt or wouldnt be able to justify employing you on that kind of base salary and be able to support your family without your husband working illegally (freelance, under the table, etc). They just arent going to stick their neck out like that and put themselves in that position (mainly because they dont have to, there are plenty of candidates without such issues).
So no one gave you an answer to your question about the cambridge fair, so here goes.... Go anyway.
When you cut out the pomp and spectacle pageantry the fair is just a hotel with access to people (teachers for the admins and admins for the teachers). There is little keeping you from booking airfare, and a room and being there. Its been done many times in the past. So email your prospective schools as you would and explain that you couldnt get an invitation because of your family situation, but that you will be in the area (on business, family, holiday) and would be available to discuss how your impressive credentials could benefit their school.
I dont think you will get an overwhelming response (because you really are too expensive, and europe is just too competitive), but there really isnt anything keeping you from trying. I wish you luck though, you sound like youd be an asset to any schools faculty.