Jan Vs May Job Searching

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sciteach
Posts: 258
Joined: Sat Dec 13, 2014 7:49 am

Jan Vs May Job Searching

Post by sciteach »

In past years- I remember reading some teachers mentioning that it's often easier to find a job in May but you need flexibility and a bit of luck.

For all of my current positions (apart from my first) - I starting looking in November - Feb and found it a bit of a slog to get a good school in a location where I am happy to live.

This year - I had a well paid and ongoing position at an exclusive private religious school in my home country. As such - I could comfortably sit back and see if something came along and took my fancies (it had to be special). Then - I decided to resign from my current position and either work overseas or complete replacement teaching + travel for 6 months. Oddly - I received 2 interviews within the week from good schools in desirable countries and had another interview potentially lined up. I got the first job I applied for.

Does anyone else have stories of the disparity between getting a job in Jan compared to May? I almost feel as though it is easier and something I might do again in the future as I also have other options of where I teach.
shopaholic
Posts: 82
Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2017 11:42 pm

Re: Jan Vs May Job Searching

Post by shopaholic »

What subject/grade level do you teach? What is the location of the schools? These things matter.
sciteach
Posts: 258
Joined: Sat Dec 13, 2014 7:49 am

Re: Jan Vs May Job Searching

Post by sciteach »

That's where I am lucky. I can teach Science & Math but normally focused on asia/europe.

Getting other perspectives is what I'm after. I've been burnt at a BKK Fair before with no real leads and struggled to get a job in March/April that year.
PsyGuy
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Location: Northern Europe

Response

Post by PsyGuy »

Thats partially true. Early recruiting is November to December and Peak recruiting is January to February Late recruiting then starts in February and runs through May when you have the EU Spring shuffle that sees a sharp but short rise in recruiting as the EU ISs/DSs that have labor and union restrictions do their hiring (not to be confused with recruiting, as a number of these ISs/DSs will have started 'looking' earlier), which goes through early summer. Then you traditionally had the summer hustle, late in the summer, marked by the Maryland fair that was a lot of desperation.
So, yes you need the luck in that you need an IS youd be willing to go to in a location you want to be that usually coincides with everyone elses wants as well. Having one of those ISs looking in May something had to happen that they have a vacancy they need to fill (and they cant go local or shuffle current staff with some scheduling magic to make the vacancy unneeded) and because its later in the recruiting cycle the ITs that would be at the top of their lists arent available because they either renewed or are under contract with other ISs.
You also need to be flexible and this cuts a lot of ways. The location might not be one you want (China) but if its a first tier IS they might loosen the purse strings for a quality IT thats available. That might be worth it for an IT, because usually the scenario is that those ITs that are voluntarily available for the Spring shuffle are those ITs who specifically want the EU and its the WE or bust for them.
evilharo
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Joined: Sat May 23, 2020 11:21 pm

Re: Jan Vs May Job Searching

Post by evilharo »

Btw, when it comes to China, can we expect an extra peak demand for teachers around June and July? I keep hearing stories of teachers planning to leave China but who haven't told their school yet.
dockabros
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Re: Jan Vs May Job Searching

Post by dockabros »

I would say "Yes". I am on the ground in China since before the pandemic and things are going from bad to worse. The final straw for many was the madness that unfolded in Shanghai over the past few months. Teachers are already leaving in droves and more will break contract etc in the next few months. I am being inundated with offers by recruiters within the country. The chain I work for is seeing its weekly vacancy list grow rather than shorten.
PsyGuy
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Post by PsyGuy »

@evilharo

Demand yes, recruiting not really. So much depends on COVID, immigration restrictions, etc. The mass exodus, where are they going to go? The ITs that have shadow appointments lined up and are just waiting until August (or whenever) to stick it to their ISs or are waiting to see how things shake up, thats out there and thats going to happen. The ITs without that plan, dont really have a lot of options though. China is the big sponge in IE, there is no other region that isnt US/UK DE that can absorb those kind of numbers exiting China. Its not like the small island of HK moving to the small island of SG, there just isnt the capacity to absorb China. So if the exodus is IE moving back to DE, thats a realistic movement, but the China IE market collapsing and the rest of IE absorbing it thats not very realistic, especially as there are still regions (such as China) struggling with COVID.
Will the coming weeks see even more vacancies than expected from China, yes. Will those ISs be able to recruit OSHs, maybe, if they can will they be able to convince ITs they can, will their be restrictions (no families who arent employees), maybe, maybe not. My coin is that if your single, flexible, mobile and can fill more than one hole in an IS there will be some surprisingly good opportunities compared to the IS alternative of filling rooms with whatever ESOL ETs and warm bodies an IS can find. Those opportunities though are going to be more of the surprising "thats interesting" type more than the shocking, jaw dropping type.
dockabros
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Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2020 2:52 am

Re: Jan Vs May Job Searching

Post by dockabros »

A good chunk of those exiting are in fact returning home to the US/UK etc or taking a year out as both of these options are preferable for teachers who have put up with the escalating Covid madness, nationalism etc within China.

Schools are getting increasingly desperate and hiking salaries in Tier 1 cities to attract staff. The lack of supply of decent staff within the country has grown worse since 2020 putting upward pressure on salaries for new starters. The border restrictions also add to this as does the increasing unwillingness of teachers outside the country to move to China after seeing on the news how people are being treated in Shanghai.

The exodus is also affecting the rest of the International market. One school in Portugal had 12 teachers in China apply for the same position.
sciteach
Posts: 258
Joined: Sat Dec 13, 2014 7:49 am

Re: Jan Vs May Job Searching

Post by sciteach »

I can't talk for others - but a year recharge after the covid madness did wonders for me. My home country (not the US and it pays well) has such an acute shortage of teachers that my position is struggling to get anyone applying apart from graduates and the dregs of the experienced.

China is it's own behemoth - with the shutting down of private english tutoring occurring at around the same time as qualified teachers started to leave. To put it simple - China is so dynamic that most of us can't accurately predict what will happen apart from many people changing jobs.

Also don't forget that China's severe international flight cutbacks makes it difficult (and expensive) to get out of the country.

One thing I'd like to head is if the job in Portugal was an anomaly or more like the current rule.
PsyGuy
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Discussion

Post by PsyGuy »

A year off will do wonders regardless of the reason.

China is a sponge but its not a black hole, it cant draw in ITs from its surroundings, theres a finite limit to the amount of coin and comp China can incentivize ITs with. Offers arent going to rise to 1M or even 250K, the ISs that will offer 100K will be the ones that were close to that line already. China has had this problem before, and I dont think its unfair to claim that China has always had this problem, more on a local scale and not to this degree. China will lower its requirements to get warm bodies in the room while shuffling the ITs it has around, larger classes, increased fees/tuition, smaller rolls, and yes monetary incentives in recruiting. China cant push a button though, and coin is a button, and make ITs appear.

Flight costs have risen, and availability of flights has decreased but they are not so restrictive yet that its going to deter much for the determined.
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