Success in setting up interviews BEFORE the fair

[YoungK]

My husband and I are trying to get jobs in Europe. (We have focused on Europe because my sister and her family live in Rome.) Husband is a guidance counselor/ and I am a middle school teacher with 3 years overseas experience.

We have emailed multiple schools and received a couple personal responses, but the majority send out emails that say: "Due to the overwhelming number of applicants we receive.....find us at the so and so fair". (several Swiss schools, a German school, American School of Warsaw etc.)

Is this normal? Do European schools tend not to set up interviews before the fair?

I am hoping that I am being paranoid....
Thanks. K

[Traveller1]

European international schools are very popular and don't have a high staff turnover. Competition for teaching positions is intense and salaries in countries around the Mediterranean are poor. The response you received was standard.

However, there are jobs going, its just a question of finding a school that wants exactly what you have to offer. If you're wanting to have an interview outside of a job fair I would say you're better off contacting schools later in the year when they have positions that they haven't filled and the year is drawing to a close.