Hi, I am currently a Junior in college and I will be graduating in Spring 2022 with a major in Interdisciplinary Studies with minors in Anthropology, Linguistics, and Communication Sciences and Disorders. My goal is to work for a few years before I go to graduate school for Speech pathology. I want to work with children in the future so I am looking at jobs that involve working with children in varying capacities. I have also always wanted to live abroad so I think a job at an international school will be a good fit for me. I have been searching online and I haven't found that much information about the Search Associates internship program. Is it really competitive? Would an internship position be more suited to someone with a teaching certificate or someone who majored in education? Are there any other places that I could look for jobs abroad? I don't have a lot of previous work experience. I volunteered at a summer camp when I was in high school and I worked at a preschool that is on my University's campus during my freshman year of college for around 2 months.
My ideal job would be working somewhere in the Special education/ learning support department because I think it's the closest to the job I want in the future. But I'm open to all types of internships. I also don't have a regional preference. Can anyone help with giving me some perspective about my chances of getting into SA? And my chances of getting a job after I get accepted? All advice is welcome.
My chances of getting accepted to search associates as an intern
Response
Internships in IE arent what you think they are. They arent like you find in the corporate world. Internships in IE are between 1) For a few very small number of ISs in any given year an opportunity for someone who is otherwise credentialed but with little experience to work in their IS under a contract similar to one an IT would receive. There is usually one whole IS position, rarely, very rarely two. You have to be otherwise qualified for the position its in, so if its a maths intern position you have to be able to justify being qualified in maths. 2) Its a facade to get cheap labor meaning the IS is typically a lower third tier IS, and they cant pay much or under what the market for the region is, so they advertise for "interns" as an excuse for paying them less. You do all the duties as any IT youre just under compensated.
In IE the general consensus is that the bar to entry requires a degree, some form of professional qualification or credential in professional education and two years post qualification/credential experience. The Search Associates (SA) intern program allows those with less than the two years post experience, who are generally recent graduates to otherwise register and search for jobs and attend the BOS recruitment fair. Thats all it is. They dont place you in an IS or anything.
In direct reply to your inquiries:
1) Its not competitive at all. You pay the fee, you do all the work as any IT job searching would do. Finding jobs is going to be very challenging.
None of your academic pursuits (minors) are very marketable in IE. Very few ISs offer Anthropology. Communication Sciences and Disorders may be appropriate to SPED/SEN/LD but there are no assessment options to a credential. Linguistics is the closest, but there are lots of ETs teaching ESOL who would like to transition into IE. Aside from that, primary is your closest marketable option, primary is very saturated however and your resume wouldnt offer much.
2) You would be in a better position were you to adjust your studies in some way to preferably major in edu or at least minor in edu. Were you to major and do field work (student teaching) and obtain a credential this would be ideal and typically what internships are directed towards in IE. You will need a credential as well but generally getting one is much easier, often requiring little more than a few licensing exams.
3) Yes, I would strongly advise you look into teaching ESOL abroad as an option.
4) SPED/SEN/LD is very under represented in IE. The ISs that do it and do it well typically have a very small case load compared to overall enrollment requiring small departments, or only a few (often 1) IT who needs to actually be able to do the job. You may luck out and find an IS that wants or is more looking for a TA or aid for their SPED/SEN/LD IT, typically though that would be a LH hire of someone who is bilingual.
5) For SA accepting you a an intern your probabilities are very close to 100% the probability of you finding a position very close to 1% if not nil.
It really just sounds like your interested in a gap year or two and see IE as a posh way of doing it. Youll be less frustrated going the ESOL route. Do a certificate such as a Cambridge/Trinity certificate or for much less coin the ASU ESOL certificate (available on Coursera) and then look at the DOS English Fellowship program. Otherwise hooking up with someone who is highly marketable as an IT or is in IE leadership and you can side hustle into a position as part of their contract.
In IE the general consensus is that the bar to entry requires a degree, some form of professional qualification or credential in professional education and two years post qualification/credential experience. The Search Associates (SA) intern program allows those with less than the two years post experience, who are generally recent graduates to otherwise register and search for jobs and attend the BOS recruitment fair. Thats all it is. They dont place you in an IS or anything.
In direct reply to your inquiries:
1) Its not competitive at all. You pay the fee, you do all the work as any IT job searching would do. Finding jobs is going to be very challenging.
None of your academic pursuits (minors) are very marketable in IE. Very few ISs offer Anthropology. Communication Sciences and Disorders may be appropriate to SPED/SEN/LD but there are no assessment options to a credential. Linguistics is the closest, but there are lots of ETs teaching ESOL who would like to transition into IE. Aside from that, primary is your closest marketable option, primary is very saturated however and your resume wouldnt offer much.
2) You would be in a better position were you to adjust your studies in some way to preferably major in edu or at least minor in edu. Were you to major and do field work (student teaching) and obtain a credential this would be ideal and typically what internships are directed towards in IE. You will need a credential as well but generally getting one is much easier, often requiring little more than a few licensing exams.
3) Yes, I would strongly advise you look into teaching ESOL abroad as an option.
4) SPED/SEN/LD is very under represented in IE. The ISs that do it and do it well typically have a very small case load compared to overall enrollment requiring small departments, or only a few (often 1) IT who needs to actually be able to do the job. You may luck out and find an IS that wants or is more looking for a TA or aid for their SPED/SEN/LD IT, typically though that would be a LH hire of someone who is bilingual.
5) For SA accepting you a an intern your probabilities are very close to 100% the probability of you finding a position very close to 1% if not nil.
It really just sounds like your interested in a gap year or two and see IE as a posh way of doing it. Youll be less frustrated going the ESOL route. Do a certificate such as a Cambridge/Trinity certificate or for much less coin the ASU ESOL certificate (available on Coursera) and then look at the DOS English Fellowship program. Otherwise hooking up with someone who is highly marketable as an IT or is in IE leadership and you can side hustle into a position as part of their contract.