Anyone going to the AASSA fair in Atlanta?

schoolcounselor · Post by **schoolcounselor** » Sat Oct 26, 2013 3:29 pm

It's my first job fair! Any advice on this particular one from folks who have gone previous years?

Are there usually evening receptions or events in addition to the daytime school presentations, sign-up segment and interviews? My sister live a few hours from Atlanta and may drive up for the weekend to support me. Trying to figure out if I will have evening time to spend with her.

Thanks

DCgirl · Post by **DCgirl** » Sat Oct 26, 2013 7:52 pm

I haven't been for a few years, but I definitely remember spending an evening with my local friends at the hotel. There are several places to eat and at least one bar out one of the back doors-it's not obvious.

schoolcounselor · Post by **schoolcounselor** » Tue Oct 29, 2013 4:15 pm

Thanks, DCgirl.

Can you give me any general advice or impressions of this fair? Did you end up getting a job offer there?

DCgirl · Post by **DCgirl** » Tue Oct 29, 2013 5:20 pm

It was a pleasant, small fair. There were lots of people that were new to international teaching and a good number of local teachers. More ESL teachers than at other fairs. There are schools from South/Central America and the Caribbean. It was in the same format as the other fairs. There was the folder system for communication, an open sign-up session and then the interviews. I did not have anything in my folder but I rustled up about 5 interviews. None of those became job offers. It was probably not my ideal fair as a single with 2 dependents. A few of the schools that interviewed me told me that their packages wouldn't support my family. I think that's more of the case with schools in that area.

I attended that fair because it was cheap, early in the season, and a good friend got a job there a year earlier. Only one person in the friend group that I formed there received and accepted an offer at AASSA. She was a single, school counselor. She loves her job.

I attended Search Cambridge a few months later and had lots of interest and choices. I almost cried when I looked in my folder and saw the slips. Good luck!

schoolcounselor · Post by **schoolcounselor** » Wed Oct 30, 2013 12:07 am

I really appreciate the info, DCgirl! I am a single school counselor, so maybe your experience of who got an offer bodes well for my chances.

I am coming from the west coast, so it's not so cheap for me to attend, but I am most interested in South/Latin America and it's early, as you say...so I hope to learn a lot and make contacts that may serve later on. This is my very first fair, so other than what I have read here, I am not sure what to expect.

So far, i see three positions posted for counselors in the group attending the fair this year and I plan to contact them ahead. Do you think this is a good idea?

PsyGuy · Post by **PsyGuy** » Sun Nov 03, 2013 11:12 pm

Its never a bad idea to contact a school with a vacancy your a match for. otherwise i agree in general with DCgirl

schoolcounselor · Post by **schoolcounselor** » Sun Nov 10, 2013 10:40 pm

Thanks for the advice. I am active now sending out my CV, etc to posted positions at schools attending AASSA.

Anyone else on the forum going this year?

I am completing my statement for the application tonight and they have indicated when I submit it, they will accept me into the fair.

After I am accepted they'll send me info to get a hotel reservation, but I am curious to hear from anyone going if they also offer more info about the schools and positions once you are accepted?

Is AASSA like ISS or Search in that the fair rep helps you through the process and advises you about schools that may be a good match?

shadowjack · Post by **shadowjack** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 8:37 am

My friends went to AASSA fair in 2008, I believe, for the 2009 start. From what they described, it was fairly small. Since then, I have heard anecdotes that it is quite a busy fair compared to the past.

My advice - be prepared to consider places that weren't on your radar, be open to interviews with schools in different places, not just where you have your heart set on, and above all, do your research on the schools that will be attending. A paid membership to ISR is a good start.

Good luck with your recruiting!

inmortus · Post by **inmortus** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 10:16 am

schoolcounselor · Post by **schoolcounselor** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 9:12 pm

Shadowjack -thanks for the insight and advice. I am a paid ISR member and have been researching every school going to AASSA, I have a spreadsheet where I am gathering my info so I can make a quick decision if need be at the fair.

I am open to almost anywhere when it comes to this region of the world :-)

Inmortus -i don't know if they will send me lists of positions posted by school once I am accepted, but I am happy to pass on anything for ICT to you. Seems like schools are just starting to post on their own websites for next year, so don't give up hope yet! I really want to find a job in Mexico, Latin/South America...so even if there are few positions, I feel like making the contacts at this fair with directors is worth it. But that is a very personal choice.

schoolcounselor · Post by **schoolcounselor** » Wed Nov 13, 2013 12:21 am

Inmortus, I am now able to see what positions are posted and it looks like 9 ICT (Information Computer Technology, right?) are posted for the AASSA fair. I have no idea how still the competition is in your area, but that seems like a healthy number of jobs to be worth going for it!

Maybe I will see you there..and good luck!

inmortus · Post by **inmortus** » Wed Nov 20, 2013 6:56 pm

DCgirl · Post by **DCgirl** » Wed Nov 20, 2013 9:36 pm

I would suggest that you go on the AASSA website. The list of schools attending is there. Then you can pick which particular schools are of interest to you and go on the websites. Advertised positions are almost always listed on the school websites. You can do the same with Search Associates and ISS.

shadowjack · Post by **shadowjack** » Wed Nov 20, 2013 9:39 pm

Immortus,

ah, now you are venturing into the realm of asking for a product that people pay for. This is why people sign up for Search or job fairs, because the work of finding out which jobs are where are already done for them. It is part of the service that subscribers, or job fair attendees get.

My advice, if you are not sure, sign up for TIEonline and do a quick search. It is 39 bucks, but at least you know. Many schools use TIEonline and it is cheaper than Search by far.

Good luck with your hunt!

shad

inmortus · Post by **inmortus** » Wed Nov 20, 2013 9:54 pm

I see your point shadowjack. However I was not suggesting going through whatever hiring process these schools have through any medium other than the fair itself. Nevertheless, I do understand your point. I guess I'll have to either sign up or go through each school's website and see if they did include their vacancies there. I do have access to TIE (not Search) but I've only seen a couple of the schools listed in this fair posting their vacancies on TIE...

Anyone going to the AASSA fair in Atlanta?

Anyone going to the AASSA fair in Atlanta?

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