Search – Bangkok Dates: Jan 8 - 11

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adminpaul
Posts: 151
Joined: Thu Aug 10, 2006 8:11 pm

Search – Bangkok Dates: Jan 8 - 11

Post by adminpaul »

Please use this space to Chronicle your fair experience, ask questions & provide support. Teachers Keeping Each Other Informed is what ISR is All About.
justlooking
Posts: 118
Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2009 1:02 am

Re: Search – Bangkok Dates: Jan 8 - 11

Post by justlooking »

Good luck, everybody. Just heard from a former colleague who accepted a job at the fair already.
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

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Post by PsyGuy »

@justlooking

Its BKK that happens.
Fstop
Posts: 29
Joined: Sat May 05, 2012 6:57 am

Re: Search – Bangkok Dates: Jan 8 - 11

Post by Fstop »

It's been a week or so, but I'll share some of my experience. Although this is a "rockstar" fair, it surprised me how many people there did not have IB experience. There were plenty of teaching couples and other teachers with trailing spouses and dependents. As for myself, I teach in a non-competitive field (English) and have a trailing spouse and a dependent child. I have 6 years of IB experience. I went into the fair not expecting to get much attention, but I was wrong. Before the fair even started, I had emails and notes in my box from top tier schools. I went to 4 interviews before the signup, and I was able to snag 1 more during the signup.

My feeling is that the signup is mostly for people who are not very competitive - most of the schools do their interviewing and hiring before the signup. I spoke to about 10 schools during the signup but only got one interview because of my dependents. But it proved not to be the kiss of death. Myself, as well as 3 of my colleagues (who all have dependents as well) wound up getting hired at good schools. I won't name the school or the country to protect my anonymity but I'm very happy with the way things turned out.

A few observations:

Nido de Aguiles International School of Chile was by far the most popular - at signup there were at least 30 people in line, and it did not die down until the very end.

Schools like it when you go to their presentations. If they ask you to interview before the fair, it seems that they kind of expect you to go to their presentation.

If you have a Skype interview and you are not staying at the hotel there really are not many places to go where there is quiet. I opted for a corner near the suit shops by the ATM; there were a few others in small corners.
tdaley26
Posts: 124
Joined: Sun Feb 26, 2012 8:40 pm

Re: Search – Bangkok Dates: Jan 8 - 11

Post by tdaley26 »

Why would you have a skype interview if you are at the fair?
Fstop
Posts: 29
Joined: Sat May 05, 2012 6:57 am

Re: Search – Bangkok Dates: Jan 8 - 11

Post by Fstop »

tdaley26 wrote:
> Why would you have a skype interview if you are at the fair?


Not all the administrators are at the fair. Usually it's the head of school and perhaps one more, especially if there is a lot of travel involved to get to the fair. So a second interview might be with the program principal or the department head who has not traveled to the fair.
tdaley26
Posts: 124
Joined: Sun Feb 26, 2012 8:40 pm

Re: Search – Bangkok Dates: Jan 8 - 11

Post by tdaley26 »

I see, better make sure my laptop is charged!
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Discussion

Post by PsyGuy »

@tdaley26

In addition to followup interviews by non attending leadership, many ISs recruiters/leadership take advantage of the atmosphere of insecurity, stress and pressure and schedule virtual interviews during the same time period. They know that there is tremendous pressure on an IT candidate to get offers and not have to walk away from the recruiting event with nothing. These recruiters will often schedule interviews to coincide with with localized evening at the end of first and second day.

@Fstop

Observations:

1)BKK is not the IB fair, IB world ISs are concentrated in the second tier. Many of the BKK ISs are 1st tier ISs and as such are NC ISs. If they have IB its only an option at DIP. If your hiring the superstar ITs of the IE world, best practices being best practices, you can quickly and easily train superstar ITs to deliver DIP in an NC IS. The classroom adaptations are minimal, most of the difference is in the IB Coordinator keeping all the documentation and time frames up to date.

2) There is an association/proximity effect with fairs/recruiting events that essentially dictates that if your at the fair (meaning you go an invite) than you belong their. Meaning that your some degree of superstar IT because of your attendance at the fair.

3) BKK is that fair where a lot of vacancies and recruiting happens in pre-fair and first night recruiting before signup. These types of interviews are meet and greet, and handshake interviews. The IT candidate is one of the ISs top picks and they just want to verify and confirm that they have gotten the right vibe and fit.

4) Children are cost...

5) Recruiters want to see enthusiasm, attending their presentation is a means for them to observe you among peers. Do you establish eye contact, take notes, ask thoughtful questions. Many ITs are very indifferent from each other and the real deciding factor is 'fit'.

6) Another reason to stay at the event property vs. off property.

7) It is not always the HOS or senior leadership, though BKK its more common. This is the difference between recruiter an leadership. Recruiters cant 'pull the trigger' and make you an offer, leadership can.
rudolph
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Jan 19, 2014 8:50 am

Re: Search – Bangkok Dates: Jan 8 - 11

Post by rudolph »

Re: PsyGuy observation #1: Does this remind anyone else of Robin Williams in "Good Morning, Vietnam"? Thanks for the chuckle.
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