The International Schools Review Forum

While it's still (relatively) early in the hiring season, I was curious to hear how others job search is going for the upcoming year. Considering schools are already interviewing/making offers, I guess it's not that early.

As for me:

Schools applied to: 17
Rejected: 2 (1 official and 1 ghost)
Upcoming interviews: 2
Yet to hear back:13

How is your search going?

Schools applied to: 36
Rejected: Several... I lost count lol
Upcoming interviews: 1
Past Interviews Schools: 2
Yet to hear back:11

Job hunting is taxing... I hope more will develop as we head into Nov with contract renewals.

Early Recruiting is just starting. Yes it creeps earlier and earlier every year and while there are some positions being filled many ISs that have posted vacancies, etc. are just building their applicant pool, its screening activity.

What's the season like compared to previous years ? Tough ?

Is there a glut of teachers ? What's the feeling this year about the recruitment cycle ?

@popgirl

Were really seeing thaw from COVID. Theres a greater number of vacancies but also a larger pool of ITs recruiting. As a whole its marginally disfavoring ITs because of the stall in IS growth during COVID. Theres an opposing position that COVID saw a greater increase in edus leaving edu entirely reducing the overall global pool of edus but for the most part those numbers leaving were not representative or concentrated in IE. Specifically lower tier IS enrollments are growing faster than typical resulting in staff expansion that will slightly favor ITs, but modest reduction in upper tier recruiting (this isnt a 1:1 scenario, the third tier is much larger than the first tier).

Two applications, one offer, one rejection.

I've decided to keep looking for now and while the rejection narks, it would not have been a good move for me.

Good luck to all on the job hunt this year!

Two applications for posts I am very qualified for.

Didn’t hear back from either.

One apparently went for someone with 0 IB experience but lots of industry experience. Disappointing as I don’t want their old job.

The other has advertised for the third(!) time this recruitment period. I have 8 years of IB experience and 4 years at a t1…don’t know what they’re hoping for.

@brillo

Its still early, but many ITs like to think of themselves as unicorns and that they are competitive for Early recruiting, when they actually arent.

Its mostly about 'fit', and what that means for a particular IS and leadership is something rather unique to them. An IS can assess competency and proficiency in content knowledge, and they can teach/train curriculum, what they cant do is make an IT a different person.

PsychGuy, I'm not one who believes I am a 'unicorn', as you say. I don't teach a shortage subject and I know I'm not competitive in early recruiting.

So what I wonder is, when do you think 'early recruiting' turns into something less competitive?

@shopaholic

Early recruiting starts in October, Peak recruiting in early January until mid February, Late recruiting follows until the Spring push in Aprilish (mostly EU) and then the Summer shuffle around Juneish.

brillo wrote:

> The other has advertised for the third(!) time this recruitment period. I
> have 8 years of IB experience and 4 years at a t1…don’t know what they’re
> hoping for.


Could it be they're hoping for someone less experienced and more affordable?

Its entirely in the realm of reasonable that they are looking for someone with less experience, so that they can grow their own IB expertise as opposed to importing some other ISs meds/peds/asst.

Cheaper is more of a reach, as many ISs have salary caps on incoming hires usually 5 or 10 years. Considering an IS wants someone who has at least been on the instructor side of the classroom at 2 years, and considering that incremental increases between steps are usually very small (less than 5%) they arent really saving much between an IT with 2 years and one with 5 years (assuming a 5 year cap). They would likely be happier with an applicant with 8 years over less since they are getting 3 extra years of experience in IB at step 5 in coin. Thats just free added value.