Search Associates

Huh! · Post by **Huh!** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 9:06 pm

I am growing increasingly frustrated with Search Associates. I have paid my huge fee for joining and now find that when I send emails to my advisor I get responses that are vague and not very helpful. When I do try seek clarity I get responses that are equally vague. I am trying to determine which fair to go to and now find out that someone is deciding which fair I can and cannot go to. Anybody out there who has figured out how to negotiate their way through the Search process?

guestt · Post by **guestt** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 10:35 pm

If Search thinks they can sell you, they will find a place for you in a "closed" fair. Maybe you need to switch to Harry Delman, the only really good guy working for them.

Huh! wrote:I am growing increasingly frustrated with Search Associates. I have paid my huge fee for joining and now find that when I send emails to my advisor I get responses that are vague and not very helpful. When I do try seek clarity I get responses that are equally vague. I am trying to determine which fair to go to and now find out that someone is deciding which fair I can and cannot go to. Anybody out there who has figured out how to negotiate their way through the Search process?

Guest from Latin America · Thu Sep 28, 2006 1:04 pm

I agree with you. I had a bad time with search. You might want to check out the Live Teacher Recruiting site at www.liveteacherrecruiting.com
I think it will be a good place to have your resume.

izatspam · Post by **izatspam** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 2:02 pm

Is the previous poster just trying to "sell" that website, or is it a good idea? Sounds like spam to me, but I'm being open-minded. Anyone know about it?

Live Teacher Site · Post by **Live Teacher Site** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 2:29 pm

I think the site is okay. I put my resume and sound and photo on it. Since International Schools Review lets them advertise on their site that's good enough for me.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 7:11 am

One of the frustrating things about Search Associates is that it is advertised as giving you an associate, and thus someone helping you to get a job. This is reinforced by the notion that that person is helping you.

Fact is, at least in my experience of years of being abroad, that Search and ISS are the same in terms of helping you: you're on your own to get a job, contacting schools, interviewing, and following up.

beach · Post by **beach** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 12:27 am

Search and CIS help schools get teachers and teachers find schools - within their limitations they do a good job of getting people together. Fees are pretty cheap really - attending fairs can be very expensive (air fares/accomo) but that is another matter. I have experience with both CIS and Search and I really think they try to work for you and the schools they represent - it is their job after all!. Search is a little more personal than CIS.

Give these guys a break - there is a bit too much negativity on the forum and not enough reality.

have a good one

give me a break · Post by **give me a break** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 10:12 am

If I had something positive to report about Search I would. Their fees are steep! They provide a very limited service. When you try to get help they give you the brush off. I worked for VIF which had people who really solved your problem and they didn't charge these kind of fees.

Ex Access Teacher · Post by **Ex Access Teacher** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 8:36 pm

When my friend was set up and sacked by Access International Academy in Ningbo, China, Search Associates cancelled his subscription even though he explained to them what happened. As far as I know they are still recruiting for Access International despite the fact that they know that they falsely accused a teacher of being a sexual predator just to get rid of him. They are aligned with the schools and directors.

I say don't support SA.

sibelsibel · Post by **sibelsibel** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 6:46 pm

The key to success is to find a good associate. I can strongly recommend Ray Sparks in Canada as he has hustled for me since I first joined Search. When I had problems, he came to my defense and helped in every possible way to set me up with good contacts and job prospects.

If your associate is not working for you, find a different associate. Don't blame the whole organisation. Search is basically sound and well run but obviously from the letters in this topic, there are some associates who are not doing their job properly.

mexteacher · Post by **mexteacher** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 6:24 pm

I don't think it is that easy to change your search associate. When I was with them and was very unhappy with my associate Jim Ambrose, all the feedback I got from John Magana (sp?) was not encouraging for switching. It was more along the lines of "You can leave SA if you aren't happy with your associate." But that was just my experience.

aasoudesuka · Post by **aasoudesuka** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 9:50 am

Search Associates fees are not steep for teachers. We're talking $200, which includes representation, access to their data banks, opportunity to generate automatic letters of interest and send them to recruiters, one time fair registration. I agree that the reps don't always bend over backwards to give you personal direction and advice. I would have liked to have experienced more of that. But I don't think you can really expect more than what you get for the price. With regards to the teacher who was falsely accused and then shut out, that sounds like a nightmare, but there are some unfortunate realities that have to be taken into consideration. First, Search Associates is a business, and they want to succeed financially. They make a lot more money from the schools than they do from the teacher fees. They are naturally going to try to hold on to the substantial patronage of a school. There is no labor union to go to bat for a teacher in the international school world. I don't know if you could enlist the help of an international lawyer or not. At any rate, that situation may be a casualty of the international school world. How can Search Associates take a teachers word for it that he/she is not accused for good reason? They have no way of knowing, and after the events in Thailand last year, where that whacko pedophile guy who was teaching in Bangkok claimed responsibility for killing JonBenet Ramsey, who can blame Seach Associates for listening to the school? I understand that an injustice may have been done, but I don't think it is Search Associate's responsibility to sort it out. I am not 100% happy with all the service I have received from Search Associates, but I think they deliver enough for their fee. People who insist on everything happening with a high level of service and accountability can be credited for keeping standards high, but I think they might have a bumpy time teaching in international schools.

mexteacher · Post by **mexteacher** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 7:07 pm

Aasoudesuka makes some very good points. The road is not always smooth, SA is a business, and it is not SA place to sort out he said/she said.

On the other hand, when teachers enter into a representation agreement with a SA, we expect the company to deliver what they promise--"It is our personalized approach to the schools and candidates we serve which we would most like to emphasize. We offer highly personalized attention to the candidates and schools accepted into our program. We strive to maintain high standards, to provide timely information and to exceed our candidates' and schools' expectations in every respect." (Quote courtesy of the SA website)

My SA was everything but helpful. Who knows why. Although I had taught for 6 years and had glowing references, I was single and did not have overseas experience. Additionally, I had my sights set on top schools in Asia. Perhaphs he didn't feel I was worth his time since I wouldn't be an easy fee. In April, when it became apparent that I wouldn't be going to a top school in Asia, I began corresponding with my associate concerning other options. Though I can't prove it, I suspect he was less than honorable in his dealings with me at this time. See, I was about ready to commit (but had not agreed just yet) to a small, hard to place at school for one year (to get that experience) when I got an email from a well-known Asian school saying they were interested in me, but couldn't access my information on the SA website (there is no reason my info should have been taken off since I was still available). After emailing my associate about the problem, I never heard from the school again. Not even a polite thanks, but no thanks. Not even a the-postition's-been-filled response when I emailed about the progress of their search. It is perfectly possible that I am being paranoid, but I believe my associate conviced the school in Asia to take another one of his candidates since he knew I would take the hard to place job. Two fees are better than one!

I have heard that the fee schedule has changed at SA. That you pay an upfront fee instead of a placement fee. If this is true, perhaps it will help.

scribe · Post by **scribe** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 7:45 am

You do have a right to expect promised services, mexteacher. We have gone through Search twice and never met the representative assigned us, never even had correspondence from her the second time. In fact, the second time we registered with Search - they insisted we had not been with them previously. We couldn't remember the name of our representative as she had so little to do with us, and when Sally Gordon put our name out to the representatives, none could remember us. At that point she was sure we were confusing ISS with Search, until I gave specific details about the fair we had attended and the job we had taken. Ultimately I located the name of our rep., who we were promptly reassigned to - even though she had no memory of us and was once again not attending the fair we wished to go to.
We used Search simply to access the recruiting fair we wanted and gave up on expecting anything other than that and their database. Hardly the personal service they boast of. The second time we used them, our hotel room which was not only booked but paid for had been given away and we were sent to another hotel - this at midnight after sitting on a plane frozen shut on the tarmac for over an hour as they struggled to let us out. Hmmm; Boston weather in February, lack of service, poorly organized - shame on us for going back. Never again.

lholz · Post by **lholz** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 4:57 am

I would like to say that my husband and I have attended two Search Fairs as a teaching couple. We were expecting the worst, but we loved them. The Sydney fair was small and really friendly and the Boston fair was more frenetic but people were still friendly. I found listening to the different Heads of schools great and in some cases they were truly inspirational.

Our SA, J Magagna, was businesslike and helpful, although I wouldn't describe him as an overly warm and friendly man. However, I wasn't going to make friends. We wanted jobs. We got great job offers. We also got to make a lot of connections through the different interviews we did. I didn't expect my hand held or someone to do too much for me. I just wanted access to the interviews with great schools. We were proactive before each fair and made it almost a full time job doing research and sending out emails before the fairs. You can't expect someone to do all that for you. You are really paying for the introduction/opportunity to meet. After that, you have to work at it. I didn't really like paying the fees, they hurt a bit, but we weighed up the advantages and disadvantages and we felt that it was worth investing the money in ourselves!

We will register with Search again when the time comes. They give access to some great schools that won't consider you unless you are in a face to face interview with them.