Primarily, I'm wondering how likely it is that my hubby and I will be hired somewhere reasonable (according to our own standards, explained below).
He is an administrator with a doctorate, and I am certified K-5. He has 7 years experience, and I have 5. We have registered with Search Associates, and we plan to attend the Cambridge fair.
Of the schools that will be there, about 50 of them are in countries to which we are willing to move. (We have children, and this has made us much more cautious about locations than we would have been before.)
We are especially interested in eastern Europe, China, Korea, and Japan. Are these reasonable location goals for first-timers? What sorts of things can we do to improve our chances?
Oh, and we're Americans in our early 30s with 2 elementary-aged kids, if that makes any difference.
Thanks in advance for any guidance! I was very happy to have found this forum. :)
Newbie here with questions about . . . well, everything!
Gemini,
Welcome to the board. I am just getting ready to start teaching Overseas here in a few weeks so I am afraid I won't be much help. I will tell you that you have come to the right place for great advice. These guys are good. At the fair that I went to I was amazed at all of the opportunities out there to teach Overseas. Best of luck to you. :D
Welcome to the board. I am just getting ready to start teaching Overseas here in a few weeks so I am afraid I won't be much help. I will tell you that you have come to the right place for great advice. These guys are good. At the fair that I went to I was amazed at all of the opportunities out there to teach Overseas. Best of luck to you. :D
Looking good
Gemini,
I have been working in international schools since 1989. I have worked as a single and now as a couple with one child.
Here is what I know:
1. That fact that you have been been accepted by Search Associates is important. They do fairly screen their candidates.
2. You have 2 kids which is the magic number. Any more and your chances go down exponentially.
3. The job market is definitely very much in favor of candidates for a few reasons. There are many more schools with new schools opening every year, particularly in the middle east and China. On the negative side, the falling dollar has impacted salary and benefits packages across the Globe causing many to re-evaluate the monetary advantages. Also, many of the new schools are of the proprietary type and are to be mostly avoided.
4. Still, the best schools around the Globe pay well and have excellent benefits. My wife and I just landed a job in a great established school with great pay. The good news for you is that they did also hire some newbies from the States.
5. The best schools will demand strong technology integration skills, demonstrated curricular understanding and, most importantly, flexiblity.
Some advice:
1. If you are serious about Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe consider attending the Bangkok fair. Good schools are very worried about being beaten to candidates by lesser schools with good packages. This is the first Search fair of the season and it is excellent. Jobs go by the wayside rather quickly. In fact, many heads of big established schools are beginning to look at more informal networking before the fairs to snag good candidates. This is how my wife and I were hired.
2. Choose the right head and principal if at all possible. I recommend to all new candidates to not feel pressured to take a job based solely on location and a decent salary and benefits package. It is better to get started in a lesser school with the right kind of leadership and a healthy climate. How do you know if your administrator is on the level? Ask good questions, listen carefully and trust your instincts. Also, beware of the International Schools Review. It can be helpful but the posts are a mixed bag in my opinion. Read between the lines carefully.
Hope this helps!
I have been working in international schools since 1989. I have worked as a single and now as a couple with one child.
Here is what I know:
1. That fact that you have been been accepted by Search Associates is important. They do fairly screen their candidates.
2. You have 2 kids which is the magic number. Any more and your chances go down exponentially.
3. The job market is definitely very much in favor of candidates for a few reasons. There are many more schools with new schools opening every year, particularly in the middle east and China. On the negative side, the falling dollar has impacted salary and benefits packages across the Globe causing many to re-evaluate the monetary advantages. Also, many of the new schools are of the proprietary type and are to be mostly avoided.
4. Still, the best schools around the Globe pay well and have excellent benefits. My wife and I just landed a job in a great established school with great pay. The good news for you is that they did also hire some newbies from the States.
5. The best schools will demand strong technology integration skills, demonstrated curricular understanding and, most importantly, flexiblity.
Some advice:
1. If you are serious about Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe consider attending the Bangkok fair. Good schools are very worried about being beaten to candidates by lesser schools with good packages. This is the first Search fair of the season and it is excellent. Jobs go by the wayside rather quickly. In fact, many heads of big established schools are beginning to look at more informal networking before the fairs to snag good candidates. This is how my wife and I were hired.
2. Choose the right head and principal if at all possible. I recommend to all new candidates to not feel pressured to take a job based solely on location and a decent salary and benefits package. It is better to get started in a lesser school with the right kind of leadership and a healthy climate. How do you know if your administrator is on the level? Ask good questions, listen carefully and trust your instincts. Also, beware of the International Schools Review. It can be helpful but the posts are a mixed bag in my opinion. Read between the lines carefully.
Hope this helps!
Job Fair selection
There is a good discussion here:
http://www.internationalschoolsreview.c ... h+iss+fair
on what job fair might be best. I'm debating on whether or not to do to the Bangkok job fair, or wait until Search. The opinions range from 'Bangkok has many good jobs early, and you don't want to miss out', to 'Schools in Bangkok are too selective, and don't readily offer jobs'.
Maybe no right answer, but some good discussions.
http://www.internationalschoolsreview.c ... h+iss+fair
on what job fair might be best. I'm debating on whether or not to do to the Bangkok job fair, or wait until Search. The opinions range from 'Bangkok has many good jobs early, and you don't want to miss out', to 'Schools in Bangkok are too selective, and don't readily offer jobs'.
Maybe no right answer, but some good discussions.
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doublejointeddonkey
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Sun Jul 13, 2008 7:12 am
Early Fairs
New to the forum but taught overseas (3 years) and am currently teaching state-side (7years) and will be heading overseas again (hopefully permanently but after reading the forum it looks somewhat scary out there!)
Be sure if you spend the money going to an early fair that it is past the deadline that current teachers at the school have to give their notice.
If the fair is Dec 28 and overseas teachers have to give their notice Jan 15 that they are leaving their current international school...there are not as many definite openings. Mind you there are still some openings at good schools just not as many definites.
At least that is what I found back in 2000 Search Fair in Bangkok.
All I can remember from the process is that I applied for a few jobs I thought I would never want and then realizes they were actually great opportunities...so keep an open mind understanding that safety for children has a lot of dimensions.
Be sure if you spend the money going to an early fair that it is past the deadline that current teachers at the school have to give their notice.
If the fair is Dec 28 and overseas teachers have to give their notice Jan 15 that they are leaving their current international school...there are not as many definite openings. Mind you there are still some openings at good schools just not as many definites.
At least that is what I found back in 2000 Search Fair in Bangkok.
All I can remember from the process is that I applied for a few jobs I thought I would never want and then realizes they were actually great opportunities...so keep an open mind understanding that safety for children has a lot of dimensions.
Re: Early Fairs
[quote="doublejointeddonkey"]At least that is what I found back in 2000 Search Fair in Bangkok. [/quote]
What did you think about the Bangkok fair? Were the big schools there; SAS, JIS, ISB, etc?
Did you spend those 3 years in Asia, and where?
Thanks-
What did you think about the Bangkok fair? Were the big schools there; SAS, JIS, ISB, etc?
Did you spend those 3 years in Asia, and where?
Thanks-
I would say that schools are requring notice much earlier than January 15th. I know that at my school, a big one in Asia, there has been talk about an October declaration. Last year we had to let the admin know in November.
I think there are jobs at all the fairs but it can't hurt to position yourself to go to an earlier one like ISS or Search Bangkok.
I think there are jobs at all the fairs but it can't hurt to position yourself to go to an earlier one like ISS or Search Bangkok.
True
Here's a cut-n-paste from a past disussion (not my comments but valuable):
"I also think that many of the better schools do a lot of their hiring outside the fairs. We've usually communicated with the schools we've been interested in and offered to fly out at our own expense for an interview. From what we've been told, they have many candidates who do that. It gives both the school and the candidate more of an opportunity to see whether it is a good "fit" than a 30 - 60 minute interview at a fair. Of course, it makes it very expensive and you don't want to be flying out to very many schools! We've done the fair route, but the last couple of times, we've done a lot of communicating with the schools we were interested in and then flew out to our top choice. It's probably a toss up as to whether to go to Bangkok or Cambridge. I agree that schools will probably want to hire the best candidates, but don't know whether schools hold a position open to interview a candidate who will be at a later fair or whether they will go ahead and fill a position if they see someone whom they think is a strong candidate and might be "nabbed" by another school. My inclination would be to think that some positions might be gone before Cambridge, but that others would open up that wouldn't be open yet at the Bangkok fair. I think that schools are pushing up their dates by which their current staff has to commit by, though."
"I also think that many of the better schools do a lot of their hiring outside the fairs. We've usually communicated with the schools we've been interested in and offered to fly out at our own expense for an interview. From what we've been told, they have many candidates who do that. It gives both the school and the candidate more of an opportunity to see whether it is a good "fit" than a 30 - 60 minute interview at a fair. Of course, it makes it very expensive and you don't want to be flying out to very many schools! We've done the fair route, but the last couple of times, we've done a lot of communicating with the schools we were interested in and then flew out to our top choice. It's probably a toss up as to whether to go to Bangkok or Cambridge. I agree that schools will probably want to hire the best candidates, but don't know whether schools hold a position open to interview a candidate who will be at a later fair or whether they will go ahead and fill a position if they see someone whom they think is a strong candidate and might be "nabbed" by another school. My inclination would be to think that some positions might be gone before Cambridge, but that others would open up that wouldn't be open yet at the Bangkok fair. I think that schools are pushing up their dates by which their current staff has to commit by, though."
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doublejointeddonkey
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Sun Jul 13, 2008 7:12 am
Back in the day...
Actually when I went to that fair it was in KL, Malaysia.
JIS...interviewed but the commute was tough...International School of Bejing - did a good cop/bad cop interview - they seemed inexperienced with the routine - come to think of it, they told me it was their first time trying it. KL was there (my dream spot at the time) but I needed more experience - legal requirements...there were schools from everywhere but South America and Europe. My admin, at the time, told me to hold out and not take the first offer given to me (guess he got a lot of calls?)...but I did, and went to south Asia.
There were not many superintendents at the fair. I had my second interview over the phone with the super who did the hiring...but that might have been the norm??? (I would compare a superintendent to a principle back home...taking care of about 1000-2000 students with two other administrators)
I'm now sure that the times have changed tremendously...as many of you have so eloquently pointed out...an October deadline - wow! I guess most people had to do that anyway just to get references submitted.
I was thinking London fair (more expensive flight, but you need IB experience)...because the rumor was Cambridge is a ZOO! But maybe I should change? Bangkok would be fun but would be a hell of a flight for a three day weekend (My school here goes back on Jan 5. 2009).
JIS...interviewed but the commute was tough...International School of Bejing - did a good cop/bad cop interview - they seemed inexperienced with the routine - come to think of it, they told me it was their first time trying it. KL was there (my dream spot at the time) but I needed more experience - legal requirements...there were schools from everywhere but South America and Europe. My admin, at the time, told me to hold out and not take the first offer given to me (guess he got a lot of calls?)...but I did, and went to south Asia.
There were not many superintendents at the fair. I had my second interview over the phone with the super who did the hiring...but that might have been the norm??? (I would compare a superintendent to a principle back home...taking care of about 1000-2000 students with two other administrators)
I'm now sure that the times have changed tremendously...as many of you have so eloquently pointed out...an October deadline - wow! I guess most people had to do that anyway just to get references submitted.
I was thinking London fair (more expensive flight, but you need IB experience)...because the rumor was Cambridge is a ZOO! But maybe I should change? Bangkok would be fun but would be a hell of a flight for a three day weekend (My school here goes back on Jan 5. 2009).
I think that some of it depends upon where you want to be. If you want to teach in Asia, I would definitely plan on going to the Bangkok fair. I think that signing contracts before the winter break is becoming more of a norm in most international schools. We were expected to commit earlier than that, but had to sign contracts before leaving in December.
We are expected to let our school know at the end of November, sign contracts by the time we leave for Christmas as well. I honestly think that the earlier fairs, from December on, are ones in which the school is going to grab a teacher if they seem qualified and fit in. I don't think they are waiting around to pool the applicants together and then evaluate them. By the time that would happen, the pool of applicants would have been hired elsewhere. The people that went to New York in later Feb/March seemed to indicate that most of the jobs were gone. I also think that many schools are "pre-hiring" even before the fairs if they get the right applicant. For the good schools, it's "grab them while they are available time" for the well qualified applicants. By the time the later fairs roll around, there aren't many openings around except for last minute changes and schools who can't get anyone to work there.
You all have WAY more experience than I do at teaching Overseas but I must say I was amazed at the amount of teaching vacancies at the CIS/ISS Fair in Seattle last year. I am sure a lot of the top schools had filled their positions but at the same time there were plenty of opportunities at what seemed like high quality schools. Granted, a lot of them seemed to be getting a bit nervous as they were pressing to fill spots. Do most of you guys try to focus on a certain country or region when you start applying? My wife and I just went for it and I was amazed at all the different schools out there. A wild time for sure!
Next thing you know we're boxing stuff up and heading for Singapore.........
:?
Next thing you know we're boxing stuff up and heading for Singapore.........
:?