Hints, Tips, and Advice for seeking an International Teaching job

Will the last teacher to leave the US, please turn off the lights?  A popular joke in these dark days of public education, but even jokes have a grain of truth.  Since posting this blog, many people have asked me about the process for finding an international teaching job.  While I certainly do not claim to be an expert, I am more than willing to share what I have learned thus far.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS are almost all taught in ENGLISH. Therefore, international schools prefer native English speaking teachers trained in the USA or UK.

BE FLEXIBLE (so you don't get bent out of shape):  While my daughter was going through training to become a Rotary Exchange student, one of the most important pieces of advice they gave her was not to get too hung up on a specific country or location. The experience of being outside of your culture, no matter where you are, will change you. The more open you are to go anywhere in the world, the better chance you will have to secure a really great international teaching job. European schools are often extremely competitive (because that is the first place most teachers think about) and often you have to be a member of the EU to get a work visa. I have also been told that the international teaching market has become much more competitive in the past five years.  Besides for the process of completing an online profile with one of the services I have mentioned below, some of the most popular schools have their own online vetting process where you will have to submit even additional information, to prove that you are really serious about their school. Some of these added website application processes took as much as 8-10 hours to complete!  I have been told that some schools now receive as many as 2,000 applications for one opening, so they needed a way to make sure that they only receive "serious" applicants!

GETTING A JOB: From everything I read and experienced while looking for a job, there are a few things that will make it a bit easier to secure a job.

1. Willingness to go anywhere in the world (there are certain places that will be much more difficult to secure a job, especially for your first assignment)
2. Having a partner who is also a teacher. Many schools/countries prefer to hire teaching couples.  For example, I was unable to get a job at a school in Tanzania because due to their VISA requirements, a man who secures a job is able to bring a nonworking spouse along, but a working female is not allowed to bring a nonworking spouse.
3. If you are an administrator, math, science, or special education teacher, you will have a better chance of getting a job within a year. If you are a school counselor or experienced school psychologist, you are in demand.  ESL and English teachers will have the most difficulty securing a job.
4. Having at least a few years of teaching experience at a school in the USA. 
5. Having experience or training in IB
6. Having experience teaching AP classes
7. Having an online teaching portfolio with some videos of you teaching. 
8. Going to a job fair.

TIMELINE:  From the time you make your initial decision to do this, you are looking at a minimum of one year until you are working overseas - and it may be much longer.  For example, if you are starting the process now (spring of 2016) you most likely won't start your new job until August of 2017.  It is best to have your resume, letters of recommendation, passport, online portfolio, etc ready by September of the year prior to when you plan to start your new job.   The best (Tier 1) schools try to hire early, in September, October, or November.

VERY HELPFUL WEBSITE SERVICES:

• Search Associates http://www.searchassociates.com/   This happens to be the service I used to help me find a job.  I like their process.  They ask you to complete your online profile on their website before you have to pay even one dime.  You are asked to complete your online resume, to answer some questions about your teaching philosophy, etc.  You are also asked to have two or three administrators, parents, and others complete confidential online questionnaires about your abilities.  When asking people to complete the confidential online questionnaire, also ask them to email you a letter of recommendation. This can not be stressed enough!! Remember those "popular' schools I mentioned before - they usually want you to download a number of letters of recommendation to their website.  The ones that were completed for you on Search Associates are confidential - meaning that even you can never see them or have them!  At some point in the process, you will be assigned an associate who will be your cheerleader and advisor as you search for a job.  If your profile is "approved", you will then be sent your bill.  I can't remember the cost exactly, but it was around $200-$250 for a 3 year membership.  They say they only accept qualified candidates because their reputation with international schools who also use their services (and frankly, are their bread and butter) is dependent upon them providing only very good candidates.  Once your bill is paid, the website will be fully opened up to you.  You will have a dashboard where you will be sent information from various schools who are looking for candidates with your qualifications.  You will then be able to look at the basic pay and benefit package that they offer and you will have a link to their school website.  You will also be able to email a cover letter to the schools of your choosing.  On the Search website, they say only 70% of those who register with their website will eventually secure a job.
• International Schools Services (ISS) https://www.iss.edu/  This website provides the same services as Search Associates.  I have been told that it is also a very good, reputable service. Since I did not use their services, I really can not tell you any more than that.
• International Schools Review (ISR) https://www.internationalschoolsreview.com/  This website is invaluable. For around $20, you get an annual subscription to a ton of important information. It is a platform where teachers can review their school, community, and administrator on a variety of topics which are then shared with other international teachers.  This is where you do the research if you find a position that interests you.  It is possible for administrators or CEO's of private schools to use this website and write glowing reports for their school, so you need to use common sense when reading the reviews.  It is better when a school has a number of reviews so you can judge where the truth lies. 

OTHER WAYS TO RESEARCH:

• EMAIL -If you have been offered an interview, or if you have found a school that looks very interesting, but does not have many reviews - go to their website and find the email address of one or two of the teachers at that school.  Email them and ask them what they think.  You are making a huge life decision to move far away - they did the same thing and they understand where you are coming from.  I had very good luck with teachers who were most helpful and willing to email me back.
• BLOGS - By googling the schools I was interested in, I found a few blogs written by people who had worked there in the past. It took some time, but it helped me to get a sense of what it was like. You might also look for blogs about the city, region or country - or try to find Expat websites for the area in which you are interested.

JOB FAIRS - I did not attend any job fairs.  However, I have heard they are a good way to get a job. You should do your research before you go so you know which schools will be there and which ones you are willing to work for.  I have been told that some schools will  pressure you to make a decision on the spot. If you join Search Associates or ISS, your membership will pay for the fees to attend a job fair.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Everyone has different ideas about what would make a school a "Tier One". Is it the location? Size of the school?  Length of school day or school year? Benefit package? Work load? School's academic integrity or reputation?  The two criteria that I have found that everyone seems to put above the rest: 1) Is it a Public or Nonprofit School? (not a private school) 2) Do you get paid in American dollars?