Hello All,
This will be officially my first year of fairs. I went to the Philly fair with ISS it was small but nice. I had a few interviews but nothing fruitful as it was the end of the year already.
I am going full force now to all the fairs starting with Atlanta in Dec and Toronto in Jan with Search and then Boston with Search. What are the odds of me landing a job with 2.6 years exp? I am willing to go to most countries with Middle East being at the top of my list. I realize there are a few of these jobs and few Psychologists at fairs.
So just wondering for those of you that are seasoned vets at the fairs if you have noticed many of these positions. I am hearing Bangkok is a great place to start?...
Oh I am single and will be traveling with a 9 year old.
School Psychologist with 2 yrs exp.
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vettievette
- Posts: 101
- Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2011 1:31 am
I don't know if it is necessary to go to 3 fairs - as most people I know usually go to only 1. I'd pick the fair w/ the most schools possible. Out of your three, that would be the Boston fair. Bangkok is usually for the teachers who are already seasoned vets teaching internationally. If you're aiming for the Middle East - a ton of the Middle East schools go to the Boston fair. And if you really want to increase your chances of finding a job - I'd expand into the counselor positions as well, particularly if you have experience working in schools.
Sorry
Short answer, its not going to happen. You have a couple f significant factors against you:
1) Only the big top tier elite schools can afford to justify a full time SP. This is for a number of reason, but foremost that at a majority of the smaller and lower tier schools the student population is predominately locals, and with the exception of DIP level students, they probabley dont have the language ability to talk about mental health issues with you in english. It just doesnt justify the expense for a school, when even the counselors job doesnt require much in the way of mental health services (its mostly a student management position)
2) Outside of western countries, specifically in Asia the importance of "face" in their culture prohibits counseling and most mental health forms of talk therapy. People just dont tell strangers their problems, for hours at a time. people talk to their social group of friends, and school mates about problems. Woman/Girls with smoke during a private lunch or tea and talk about their family and boy friend problems. Boys play video games and do the same. men go out and get drunk and have affairs. The idea of paying a stranger to tell their problems is just not something thats done.
3) You cant really practice outside your country. Your SP license doesnt really have a counterpart in many foreign countries. Mental health is strictly part of the medical profession, you want to do mental health you go to med school. Your not really qualified to do that in a large part of the world, and even in those that do you dont have a doctorate. You would be at best in many countries a psychological or behavioral associate, medical assistant or special aid in a lot of countries. Since you dont really have a comparable credential, your really night certified qualified in anything else, you ont have an educator certificate as a counselor, so your not really qualified to do anything.
4) Even at the few schools that do have SP positions, you just dont have the experience. They arent going to look at anyone with less then 5 years experience, and to be serious you need closer to 10 years. You can go to all the fairs you want, but its going to be the same thing.
So you have a couple options:
First, you could look into getting a counselor certification. There was a lot of demand for schools counselors this last year, especially those who had college advising experience. If you went back to school you could get a work study or assistantship or even a job in the admissions department of a school and use a year or two of that experience to get into a counselor position pretty easily. You could also use your current 2 1/2 years experience on your resume in the equivalent capacity.
Second, while anyone school doesnt have a lot of SP demand for those type of services they do exist within a region/city. You could really consider moveing overseas and setting up your own business, providing SP services on a consulting basis. In the right city you could do very well. The problem would be that you dont have a doctorate or a lot of experience, so youd have to basically under sell the competition. Why pay a doctor for a band-aid? If all a parent needs is a intelligence test done or something else routine, its cheaper to get it down from a provider such as yourself.
Third, you could just get married to a math/science teacher or admin and become a trailing spouse. At that point, a school might consider creating a SP position on a local contract just to get your husband.
1) Only the big top tier elite schools can afford to justify a full time SP. This is for a number of reason, but foremost that at a majority of the smaller and lower tier schools the student population is predominately locals, and with the exception of DIP level students, they probabley dont have the language ability to talk about mental health issues with you in english. It just doesnt justify the expense for a school, when even the counselors job doesnt require much in the way of mental health services (its mostly a student management position)
2) Outside of western countries, specifically in Asia the importance of "face" in their culture prohibits counseling and most mental health forms of talk therapy. People just dont tell strangers their problems, for hours at a time. people talk to their social group of friends, and school mates about problems. Woman/Girls with smoke during a private lunch or tea and talk about their family and boy friend problems. Boys play video games and do the same. men go out and get drunk and have affairs. The idea of paying a stranger to tell their problems is just not something thats done.
3) You cant really practice outside your country. Your SP license doesnt really have a counterpart in many foreign countries. Mental health is strictly part of the medical profession, you want to do mental health you go to med school. Your not really qualified to do that in a large part of the world, and even in those that do you dont have a doctorate. You would be at best in many countries a psychological or behavioral associate, medical assistant or special aid in a lot of countries. Since you dont really have a comparable credential, your really night certified qualified in anything else, you ont have an educator certificate as a counselor, so your not really qualified to do anything.
4) Even at the few schools that do have SP positions, you just dont have the experience. They arent going to look at anyone with less then 5 years experience, and to be serious you need closer to 10 years. You can go to all the fairs you want, but its going to be the same thing.
So you have a couple options:
First, you could look into getting a counselor certification. There was a lot of demand for schools counselors this last year, especially those who had college advising experience. If you went back to school you could get a work study or assistantship or even a job in the admissions department of a school and use a year or two of that experience to get into a counselor position pretty easily. You could also use your current 2 1/2 years experience on your resume in the equivalent capacity.
Second, while anyone school doesnt have a lot of SP demand for those type of services they do exist within a region/city. You could really consider moveing overseas and setting up your own business, providing SP services on a consulting basis. In the right city you could do very well. The problem would be that you dont have a doctorate or a lot of experience, so youd have to basically under sell the competition. Why pay a doctor for a band-aid? If all a parent needs is a intelligence test done or something else routine, its cheaper to get it down from a provider such as yourself.
Third, you could just get married to a math/science teacher or admin and become a trailing spouse. At that point, a school might consider creating a SP position on a local contract just to get your husband.
Re: Sorry
[quote="PsyGuy"]Short answer, its not going to happen. You have a couple f significant factors against you:
I needed to respond to this one. First off I went to one job fair and interviewed with 4 or 5 schools with my two years experience. 1 School reached out to me before the fair and requested I come to interview with them. I was an alternate for this school and the others they had nothing this late in the hiring season but said next year I would be in better standing. One school of which I was an alternate for said they would be opening up another school for 2013/2014 and that I please keep in touch because they would have something for me! I have since spoken with the Deputy Director who thanked me for my interest in their school and he insisted we keep in touch for the next school year.
So you are wrong! Worst case scenario I do have one opportunity, however I was wondering if I started early would I have many. No need in responding to any of my posts Psyguy. Now I see why people curse out you have no idea what you are talking about, your just an angry person.
Furthermore I can practice outside of my country as I apply at American schools!
Also that comment about getting married which you have applied somewhere else is so dense. You sir are a Donkey!
I needed to respond to this one. First off I went to one job fair and interviewed with 4 or 5 schools with my two years experience. 1 School reached out to me before the fair and requested I come to interview with them. I was an alternate for this school and the others they had nothing this late in the hiring season but said next year I would be in better standing. One school of which I was an alternate for said they would be opening up another school for 2013/2014 and that I please keep in touch because they would have something for me! I have since spoken with the Deputy Director who thanked me for my interest in their school and he insisted we keep in touch for the next school year.
So you are wrong! Worst case scenario I do have one opportunity, however I was wondering if I started early would I have many. No need in responding to any of my posts Psyguy. Now I see why people curse out you have no idea what you are talking about, your just an angry person.
Furthermore I can practice outside of my country as I apply at American schools!
Also that comment about getting married which you have applied somewhere else is so dense. You sir are a Donkey!
[quote="vettievette"]I don't know if it is necessary to go to 3 fairs - as most people I know usually go to only 1. I'd pick the fair w/ the most schools possible. Out of your three, that would be the Boston fair. Bangkok is usually for the teachers who are already seasoned vets teaching internationally. If you're aiming for the Middle East - a ton of the Middle East schools go to the Boston fair. And if you really want to increase your chances of finding a job - I'd expand into the counselor positions as well, particularly if you have experience working in schools.[/quote]
Thanks! I think I will be going to Atlanta ISS and Boston Search.
Thanks! I think I will be going to Atlanta ISS and Boston Search.
Dear PsychBean
Even by Dave Psyguy's appallingly low standards, his reply to you stands out. It revealed his ignorance of the work of a school psychologist, it was factually incorrect about your chances of getting a job, it was trite and racist in its - of how different cultures respond to a psychologist, and it was cheap and sexist in its advice to you to get a man, be a trailing spouse and hope to get a job that way.
If ISR had any concern for the people who use this forum, it would delete the comment straight away.
I'll be in Boston and happy to talk to you.
If ISR had any concern for the people who use this forum, it would delete the comment straight away.
I'll be in Boston and happy to talk to you.
Sure
Well that's a contact it's not a contract. Your a bi confused about American schools. Outside of DoDDS schools, their is no special status to being an "American school". A school can call itself anything it wants really. The real issue though is that American school or an international school is just an independent/private school (some are municipal schools), they most operate within the guidelines of the regional government and host country. Being an American and teaching at an American school doesn't grant you or afford you any special rights or considerations. Your license in SP doesn't get exempted from that countries standards or requirements, just because it may be an 'American' school.
I'm sorry if you find the last comment suggestion offensive but It actually happens.
I'm sorry if you find the last comment suggestion offensive but It actually happens.
Re: Dear PsychBean
[quote="Walter"]Even by Dave Psyguy's appallingly low standards, his reply to you stands out. It revealed his ignorance of the work of a school psychologist, it was factually incorrect about your chances of getting a job, it was trite and racist in its - of how different cultures respond to a psychologist, and it was cheap and sexist in its advice to you to get a man, be a trailing spouse and hope to get a job that way.
If ISR had any concern for the people who use this forum, it would delete the comment straight away.
I'll be in Boston and happy to talk to you.[/quote]
Thank you. I will make sure they have opportunities for me in Atlanta but I plan on going to those mentioned. I look forward to speaking to you, any light you can shed would be welcome.
If ISR had any concern for the people who use this forum, it would delete the comment straight away.
I'll be in Boston and happy to talk to you.[/quote]
Thank you. I will make sure they have opportunities for me in Atlanta but I plan on going to those mentioned. I look forward to speaking to you, any light you can shed would be welcome.