Completely new to int'l school app. process - please advise!

[SteppingOut]

NEW TO INT'L SCHOOL APP. PROCESS: IS THERE A TIMELINE I SHOULD BE ON? NON-NEGOTIABLE DEADLINES THAT I DO NOT WANT TO MISS OR ELSE I WILL HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER YEAR CYCLE???

I currently work at a public high school in California and would like to venture into teaching at "American" schools internationally.

I have signed up for ISR and have been reading through reviews. I haven't yet made the decision to sign up for ISS or Search Associates though I am pretty sure I will choose one soon.

I would like to find a position for the 2013-2014 school year if possible. I know there will be a job fair in San Francisco, Feb. 2013.

Besides these fragments, would like to ask you all out there, IF THERE'S A WORKING TIMELINE I need to be working on.

-To get letters of recommendation
-Get all my transcripts, resumes, CV, cover letters, etc.
-Deadlines to make sure NOT to miss or else I will have to wait for the next cycle?

I have only a week left before the school year opens at my school and I am finding myself thinking that I might be missing some TIMELINES, DEADLINES for getting myself prepped for international schools apps, etc. while I get myself situated for the opening school year.

So my question again:
If I would like to be considered for a teaching position internationally for 2013-2014 (American schools in Southeast Asia, Asia, Middle East), is there a GENERAL TIMELINE I should be working with besides prepping for the job fair in San Francisco (Feb. 2013)?

I will be switching gears to getting my classes situated as the school year begins and I don't want to miss something vital and then have to wait another year!

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ANY LIGHT YOU CAN SHED ON THIS.
Thanks in advance for your input.

[PsyGuy]

Recruiting season generally starts at the beginning of November. The really big rush in recruiting starts in January with the Bangkok fair, and ends a month later in February with the Boston fair. At that time the first round of hires is over, and everyone who has offers makes their "first choice". Then schools start moving with their second and third choice candidates. This is really the end time (February) that the elite and highly desirable locations (such as Japan) finish their hiring.

None of the big agencies will activate your application until your file is complete and you have paid your fee, for instance Search doesn't take online payments, you have to send your associate a check, that can take a week or two. References are the most challenging to organize, especially the parent reference. Fairs do fill up quickly, and with the holiday break in December, you really need to decide on a fair by Halloween. The big fairs are Bangkok, Boston, and London, and you should really try for one of those fairs? The SF fair is just too late. It's after all the big fairs above have already happened, you will basically only have everyone else's leftovers. Your choosing to effectively stand in the back of the line.

Schools in the Midle East are always hiring year round. There are still a number of vacancies in the middle east.
March is the hard deadline to activate your DODEA application for the upcoming school year.

[pencil]

Like you, I will be interested in moving overseas to teach for school year 2013-14 and I have been working since March 2012 to get all my ducks in a row. Because you have no control on how fast others will write your recommendation letters (including parents of your students), or how fast your university will mail you your many copies of transcripts, in my opinion, you need to get on it! Some of the people who I thought would turn this around for me quickly have been surprising slow as molasses to get me what I need. Also, I've spent hours and hours this summer reading these Forum conversations. From what I can tell, not everyone needs to attend a fair. It seems there are many possibilities for being hired simply by having access to the data base provided by SEARCH, for example. It really depends on what subject you teach. I've developed an Excel spreadsheet to document the schools I apply to, once the season gets started, which can be as early as October. I've also made many notes from the conversations I've read on this Forum. As expected, there's many qualified teachers out in the world and competition will be great. There's no way to over-prepare for what's ahead. Good luck to you!

[WeDoDude]

Search does take an online payment. I paid my fee via PayPall and had to forward my associate the email with the confirmation in it.

[SteppingOut]

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions, thus far.
They are helping me to continue moving forward. Much, much appreciated.
Keep postin' and I will keep readin'!

[PsyGuy]

@wedodude

Thats not a Search standard practice, and it's not common. Each associate has their own business practices.

http://www.searchassociates.com/Candidates/FAQs.aspx#

[WeDoDude]

@PsyGuy

Then why don't you say, "each associate has their own standard practice" instead of the blanket statement of, "Search doesn't take online payments". Semantics can be your friend.

[PsyGuy]

@WeDoDude

For the same reason you made the blanket statement of "Search does take an online payment", as opposed to the 'semantically' accurate statement of "my associate takes online payments".

Readers dont want the exception, they want the generality thats most likely going to apply/happen to them.

[DCgirl]

You can start to make sure that you have all of your documents in order. High school and college transcripts, teaching certifications, birth certificate, valid passport, marriage license, etc. You can update your resume, find a good picture of yourself, create a website, etc.

Most of the agencies use online forms for references but I think it's still good to get a hard copy for the future. Realize that you may need to ask people to do this more than once and it can get annoying. I had my references write something and then told them they could cut and paste it into the online forms.

American schools aren't your only options. No need to limit yourself.

I would pick an agency and join. For what you describe, I would recommend SEARCH (Cambridge) or UNI. By the time you get all your documents together, finish the application and get the references, it will be about September. Then prepare for the fairs. By Jan/Feb you'll hopefully know where you're going and then the work visa madness begins.

You don't have to join an agency, but I would recommend it. You could possibly find a job thru TIE or something similar but the fair gives you more bang for your buck. At the fairs you find out how marketable you really are, meet interesting people who have good information, and find out about schools that may be interested in you that only work out of the fairs. For example at the last fair I attended, only 1 school contacted me prior to the fair. At the fair at least 6 more showed interest and I found out that another school had been trying to contact me but I didn't get the message. I ended up taking the position with the school that contacted me prior to the fair, but now I know that I have some other options and I don't feel as stressed going out into the fray again.

And I also would have said that Search didn't accept credit cards. I have people at my school giving Americans cash for them to write checks to pay an associate in the US. I know that I couldn't use the card or paypal when I registered before. I think we should be asking our associates to work on accepting credit cards as a general policy.

[PsyGuy]

I wouldnt say you should or there is any reason to limit yourself to American schools. What happens is after a couple years in a particular type of school you just have more to offer in the same type of school curriculum, and nothing more then any other newbie in a different curriculum. If youve been teaching an AP/American curriculum for 5 years, what would you have to offer at an IB or IGCSE school? Thats what I mean by being "typed".

I dont recommend UNI unless your really interested in South/Central american schools. They cost as much as the other agencies, have only one fair and the fee is only good for one year. They also dont have the scope and breadth of Search.

I cant agree with DCgirl on the recommendation of joining any agency, especially if your interested in middle eastern schools, and it sounds like you have a lot of experience there. You would be hired very quickly, meaning you wouldnt need to go to a fair, and youd end up wasting your money. The Search fee is now $225 (up $25 from last year), and after factoring cost of attending the fair thats expensive for an ego boost, and to sign with a school that will likely hire you before the fair season started (given where you are going). TIE and free sources should be more then enough for you.

[SteppingOut]

THANKS AGAIN EVERYONE.
Appreciate the clarification about not limiting self to American schools. Point taken. :)

@PsyGuy
Seems like the schools in the Middle East have their own process going on, as you noted with them hiring year round? If I do not join an agency, would the route be then to contact the schools directly?

Or put another way, if I do not join an agency, what would be the application process I would take?

@DCGirl
Thanks for all the paperwork specifics and comments about recommendations process. That's where my mind is right now too, more doable, and as I've read up on the ISR reviews, lots of other 'uncontrollable' factors arise so looking to get back on the ground and organize all the paperwork.

OTHER QUESTIONS
1) I have read the differences in the forum between ISS and Search. For a newbie, is one more favorable to sign up for than another? Maybe one's qualifications maybe a factor in choosing? Some of my qualifications listed towards the end of post.

2) In terms of "teacher experience," especially in high school English if you can comment on that, what may be some qualities and sets of experience that hiring administrators look for?

COMMENTS ON "COMPETITIVENESS" FACTOR
SEEKING A HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH POSITION ABROAD
1. I have been teaching for 10 years at public schools in California; have a Masters of Education.
2. Recently been teaching AP Language (3 years) but no IB training.
3. There's a big push in California for college-readiness reading and writing, especially through non-fiction/expository texts, and have attended various trainings in that. Curious if the teaching of high school English, especially in the upper grades for int'l schools similar may reflect this trend---or maybe just California?!?!?
4. Have been focused on technology integration in the classroom

MANY THANKS AGAIN EVERYONE FOR TAKING TIME OUT OF YOUR DAY TO SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE. Somebody here in San Diego appreciating the support greatly.

May your day be well.

[WeDoDude]

@PsyGuy

People wants facts, not hyperbole. Besides my associate, 4 others have told me that their associate also takes online payments. That's 5, so it seems to becoming more the norm. Embrace the tech.

BTW, I've heard that you're joining us in Europe? While I have my doubts, congrats isf it is true...

[PsyGuy]

I agree, that's why I posted from the Search FAQ, that. And my experience is more credible then yurt your experience. You could all have the same associate for all you know. Sorry, but a one or two associates does not a majority make. It would be nice tough if the Search associates accepted online or CC payment, might happen and be more prevailing in the future.! But now no.

I never stated I was being posted in Europe, nice try though.

[WeDoDude]

We all had different associates.

Also, you need to grow up. DoDDS teachers are notorious for ostracizing know it alls. Also, I know you aren't coming to the PAC. I asked around at our admin conference and no schools hired any international school teachers out of Denmark. So you're either EU, or nowhere...

[PsychBean]

[quote="WeDoDude"]Search does take an online payment. I paid my fee via PayPall and had to forward my associate the email with the confirmation in it.[/quote]

True I paid online to Search also. That guy is a nut! He copies and pastes his answers and gives half truths!

Also, the Search fee is NOT $225 I just paid $200 last month!