This one might be a bit of a Hail Mary given the glut of highly qualified teachers looking to get into international teaching these days, but I am keen on landing a secondary English position next fall at a good to great i-school. I'm at a lower Tier 2 school right now (1 year contract) which is not horrible, but I'm not in a country where I want to spend much more time.
I bring stellar references, sterling undergraduate and graduate degrees, fluency in three languages, and a previous career in the language arts though it was not instructional. My associate calls me "exceptionally qualified" but I still lack the teaching experience. I only have 1.5 years in i-schools if we throw in some summer employment.
Does anyone have any job-landing strategies beyond the obvious routes of fairs, director recommendations and cold CV submissions that have worked for them in the past?
Tier 1 or High Tier 2 Tips
-
lightstays
- Posts: 116
- Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2011 9:07 am
- Location: Americas
Easy
Sure, Inflate your resume (its not the noblest answer). Schools usually only check and verify the last school/place of employment. They will get glowing review from that school, and not bother going deeper down the list. Just put a couple years before that at a school that shut down or closed.
I only write that because you already deferred all the normal, acceptable responses. Really, there isnt a lot of rocket science to an international teachers career. It really involves doing those things you already stated. You put in your time (two years) at the bottom or middle and work your way up.
Either that or you get lucky... In that no amount of advice can really help you, except if you want more luck take more risks (though in this case luck means both the "good" kind and the "bad" kind).
I only write that because you already deferred all the normal, acceptable responses. Really, there isnt a lot of rocket science to an international teachers career. It really involves doing those things you already stated. You put in your time (two years) at the bottom or middle and work your way up.
Either that or you get lucky... In that no amount of advice can really help you, except if you want more luck take more risks (though in this case luck means both the "good" kind and the "bad" kind).
-
lightstays
- Posts: 116
- Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2011 9:07 am
- Location: Americas
Thanks to you both. I wasn't taking Psyguy's advice as anything but tongue in cheek though "The International School of Mogadishu" did provide my comic relief for the morning. I'll chew on staying another year as I expect my school will invite me to renew this month. Small, conservative, religious countries, however, just have a way a very particular way of sucking (for western liberal atheists like myself) that I'm not sure I can stomach for another 12 months. We'll see.
Ok serious face
OK that was a little tongue in cheek, so being serious now I have to really disagree with Ichiro on this, for some of the following main reasons.
1) While not the most common, a fair number of schools (a number being in the middle east) only issue 1 year contracts. There is no disgrace to COMPLETING a contract of any length with a good reference that is NOT going to look bad. Thats just how some schools work.
2) Even at schools where its not common, schools that typically offer initial 2 year contracts offer, for various reasons (mainly maternity leave replacements) 1 year "temporary" contracts.
3) The international school arena is a small one, and heads know that no one wants to stay in the third tier schools, or bad schools, and many people who break contract at these types of schools, usually find employment at other schools with little if any marks against them.
I get the sense your at one of these types of schools, and since your leaving at the end of your contract, no ones going to fault you for that.
Another option (again serious face) if your issue is more about getting out of the school and environment your in, then moving to a better school (or if your not likely to get a good reference), is to leave the year at this school off your resume/CV. You got your current job and position without much experience, its very reasonable you could get another tier 2 position for next year with the same previous experience you had before.
1) While not the most common, a fair number of schools (a number being in the middle east) only issue 1 year contracts. There is no disgrace to COMPLETING a contract of any length with a good reference that is NOT going to look bad. Thats just how some schools work.
2) Even at schools where its not common, schools that typically offer initial 2 year contracts offer, for various reasons (mainly maternity leave replacements) 1 year "temporary" contracts.
3) The international school arena is a small one, and heads know that no one wants to stay in the third tier schools, or bad schools, and many people who break contract at these types of schools, usually find employment at other schools with little if any marks against them.
I get the sense your at one of these types of schools, and since your leaving at the end of your contract, no ones going to fault you for that.
Another option (again serious face) if your issue is more about getting out of the school and environment your in, then moving to a better school (or if your not likely to get a good reference), is to leave the year at this school off your resume/CV. You got your current job and position without much experience, its very reasonable you could get another tier 2 position for next year with the same previous experience you had before.
Last edited by PsyGuy on Fri Dec 09, 2011 7:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
Snowbeavers
- Posts: 72
- Joined: Fri Jul 17, 2009 11:56 pm
Sorry
Sorry, Ichiro and Daisy not every school issues a 2 year contract (for all the reasons i posted above). Were just going to have to disagree, otherwise thanks for agreeing with me.
Its not that small a world, what do you think every principal has every other principal at every international school in the world on speed dial and they call everyone to see if you worked there?
I wouldnt advocate leaving a school off your resume, but you asked for options, soif the reference would doom your job prospects, what are you going to do teach in some third tier school in the middle east that takes everyone, or retire early? The reality is a school checks with the last school you have listed on your resume, and thats pretty much it. Could it come back and bite you later down the road, sure there's a small chance, but listing it on your resume is definitely going to bite you now.
Yeah some schools think higher of themselves then they really are, but they have to. They have to act "as if" they are the best school for what they are, because whos going to want to send their kids to a school with low institutional "self esteem". If a school were to give perspective parents and students the tour and focused on the negative, they would never get many students, and they certainly wouldnt attract teachers. How would you feel if you were wrapping up an interview and the recruiter said "Well wed love to have you at our school, and we know were a below average school, and wed like to offer you only a mediocre salary, with the understanding that there will be many problems you will have with our schools management for reasons no one will understand". What would you say to that?
My experience has been you work harder and longer the more up the tier ladder you go, and id rather make a good salary with low work expectations then make a great salary and work 60 hours a week. If i wanted to do that id go back to the corporate world.
Lastly, yes I keep a particular school off my resume, and have for some 6 years. It was a horrible school in Egypt, and I broke contract there after a month (probably explains my aversion to schools in the middle east and Africa).
Its not that small a world, what do you think every principal has every other principal at every international school in the world on speed dial and they call everyone to see if you worked there?
I wouldnt advocate leaving a school off your resume, but you asked for options, soif the reference would doom your job prospects, what are you going to do teach in some third tier school in the middle east that takes everyone, or retire early? The reality is a school checks with the last school you have listed on your resume, and thats pretty much it. Could it come back and bite you later down the road, sure there's a small chance, but listing it on your resume is definitely going to bite you now.
Yeah some schools think higher of themselves then they really are, but they have to. They have to act "as if" they are the best school for what they are, because whos going to want to send their kids to a school with low institutional "self esteem". If a school were to give perspective parents and students the tour and focused on the negative, they would never get many students, and they certainly wouldnt attract teachers. How would you feel if you were wrapping up an interview and the recruiter said "Well wed love to have you at our school, and we know were a below average school, and wed like to offer you only a mediocre salary, with the understanding that there will be many problems you will have with our schools management for reasons no one will understand". What would you say to that?
My experience has been you work harder and longer the more up the tier ladder you go, and id rather make a good salary with low work expectations then make a great salary and work 60 hours a week. If i wanted to do that id go back to the corporate world.
Lastly, yes I keep a particular school off my resume, and have for some 6 years. It was a horrible school in Egypt, and I broke contract there after a month (probably explains my aversion to schools in the middle east and Africa).
I've just got a few observations from my own experience:
1. A one year stay is not a deal breaker, so long as you are not breaking contract and you have an explanation for leaving the school that will not set alarm bells off in the minds of recruiters. I did a one year stint at a school in Europe. It was a 1 year contract. The recruiters I spoke to at the CIS fair all were very interested in why I was leaving. I explained the tax scales and the financial situation and they all understood. I suspect that any head worth working for would understand leaving a tough Middle East school.
2. I have to disagree with the comment that recruiters only speak to the last school you've been at. I got a job at what is called a Tier 1 school (by the way, the comment that some are over-rated is spot on) and they contacted my past 3 schools with a special focus on the 1 year school. This is especially the case if you get hired before fairs (and a large number of better schools hire before the fair).
3. Yes, it is a big world, but in international schools, assume everyone knows everyone. This is especially the case if you start working in some of the more established schools in a particular region (such as Europe, or the Middle East, or Asia).
I recently interviewed for a job and the 3 administrators I spoke to all knew or were good friends with about half a dozen teachers and admin at my current school, as well as admin and teachers I worked with in past schools.
When I left one of my 1st international schools, my new school started a search for a new Head of School. 2 of the 5 short listed candidates came from schools I had been at. (luckily, neither were successful!).
The lesson I have learnt is (a) try your best not to burn bridges with anyone you work with, (b) always try to leave a school on good and positive terms and (c) assume that the admin at the school you are applying for will know someone at your past schools - even the Int Sch of Mogadishu;)
1. A one year stay is not a deal breaker, so long as you are not breaking contract and you have an explanation for leaving the school that will not set alarm bells off in the minds of recruiters. I did a one year stint at a school in Europe. It was a 1 year contract. The recruiters I spoke to at the CIS fair all were very interested in why I was leaving. I explained the tax scales and the financial situation and they all understood. I suspect that any head worth working for would understand leaving a tough Middle East school.
2. I have to disagree with the comment that recruiters only speak to the last school you've been at. I got a job at what is called a Tier 1 school (by the way, the comment that some are over-rated is spot on) and they contacted my past 3 schools with a special focus on the 1 year school. This is especially the case if you get hired before fairs (and a large number of better schools hire before the fair).
3. Yes, it is a big world, but in international schools, assume everyone knows everyone. This is especially the case if you start working in some of the more established schools in a particular region (such as Europe, or the Middle East, or Asia).
I recently interviewed for a job and the 3 administrators I spoke to all knew or were good friends with about half a dozen teachers and admin at my current school, as well as admin and teachers I worked with in past schools.
When I left one of my 1st international schools, my new school started a search for a new Head of School. 2 of the 5 short listed candidates came from schools I had been at. (luckily, neither were successful!).
The lesson I have learnt is (a) try your best not to burn bridges with anyone you work with, (b) always try to leave a school on good and positive terms and (c) assume that the admin at the school you are applying for will know someone at your past schools - even the Int Sch of Mogadishu;)
So....
So if you leave it on your resume, and assuming that each successive school contract is 2 years, that means your going to have the "black mark" on your resume for 6 years. Thats a lot of work to overcome.
My school is finishing up our search to fill two positions (for January) next week, of the finalists we only called the last school the candidates were employed at. The only school that went back further was in Japan and they only went back two schools.
Even if the head of the school of Mogadishu knew everyone else, its unrealistic that theyre going to call every single school in the world to verify if you "might of worked there". That would be a couple thousand blind phone calls, and even I dont have time to do all that. If the options are to kill your career now, or "maybe" kill your career later, go with the maybe later.
I do have to STRONGLY agree with the suggestion of always maintaining (to the best you can) good relationships with everyone you come into contact with professionally.
My school is finishing up our search to fill two positions (for January) next week, of the finalists we only called the last school the candidates were employed at. The only school that went back further was in Japan and they only went back two schools.
Even if the head of the school of Mogadishu knew everyone else, its unrealistic that theyre going to call every single school in the world to verify if you "might of worked there". That would be a couple thousand blind phone calls, and even I dont have time to do all that. If the options are to kill your career now, or "maybe" kill your career later, go with the maybe later.
I do have to STRONGLY agree with the suggestion of always maintaining (to the best you can) good relationships with everyone you come into contact with professionally.