The International Schools Review Forum

If you plan to explore job options, when is a good time to ask your boss for a ISS/Search reference?

Do you ask at the start of the year, or wait until the contract signing time comes around and then explain you are exploring options for growth?

The bosses have access to ISS/Search profiles so it seems better to ask at the start of the year since they may see your profile open. However too early can have potential downsides as well.

When you register to recruit. If youre with SA your associate is likely going to want an updated and current reference before activating your profile, and even if they dont unless your ghosting the current IS and leadership your likely going to want it there for leaders and recruiters to see.

Thanks for the tip PsyGuy.

Some principals will ask that you submit your letter of intent before they provide a reference. It’s not cut and dry, since you probably want to start looking before intentions are formally due, but it does happen. If you put down that you’re undecided, your principal can post your position as tentatively open and, just like you, start exploring options.

Id add that most leadership will require a letter of intent before providing a reference. Its not an absolute cut and dry scenario, but its more the norm and expectation than the inverse of supplying a reference without a conversation of future intent.

Is it just me, or does anyone else also hear a weak echo in here?

@Heliotrope

This is a digital forum, it doesnt have an auditory echo. If you mean did I comment very closely to @Sid, then yes. My comment was to indicate to a greater degree that intent regarding renewal of a contract is typically connected with requesting a reference.

If you consider that an echo, so what?

So a very, very weak echo indeed.

sid wrote:
> Some principals will ask that you submit your letter of intent before they
> provide a reference. It’s not cut and dry, since you probably want to start
> looking before intentions are formally due, but it does happen. If you put
> down that you’re undecided, your principal can post your position as
> tentatively open and, just like you, start exploring options.

I agree.

When I start looking, I let my director know early on and get my reference. I have until the final deadline, director can look at candidates, and everything is in the open. It is the best way. Sid is right, though, in that a good admin is going to start posting your position just in case. A bad admin, however, might hire someone and push you out the door.

When you choose to approach your director, HR, or admin about that, is your choice.

The issue as @SJ mentioned is that you dont know what your leadership is going to be like once you have gotten your reference. They may be very responsive and professional about it and be entirely transparent. They may push you out the door, they may dismiss you. They may interpret your request for a reference and to look around as formal indication that your leaving. This is why its in your best interest to delay notification for as long as possible. You loose all control over the situation when you share/hand it off to your ISs leadership.