Pre-Season Groundwork
“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going. ”
With COVID, in-person fairs will not happen at least during the 2020-21 recruiting season or perhaps ever again. I’ve rounded up some links to the ever-changing situation under Resources.
Nevertheless, interviewing and job-hunting will still go forward, just online. The same process of deadlines-research-approach-interview-choose-sign contract applies to whatever method you’ve chosen (agency/DIY/hybrid.)
Behind the scenes and for months in advance of any sort of fair or interview, all kinds of contacts have been going on between candidates and recruiters. A sensible candidate has been assiduously searching the vacancy databases and directly approaching schools asking for an interview.
But longtime recruiters and teachers both say the same thing, regardless of the wrench COVID has thrown in the works. Recruiting gets earlier every year and more and more hiring is done outside recruiting fairs, meaning directly with the school.
Fiction VS. Non-Fiction
Try not to buy furniture and drapes for that castle in the air.
As you compulsively troll the databases of vacancies, be careful not fall in love with a school and position. I guarantee that many posted vacancies will have disappeared by the time you actually hope to interview.
That is just the way these things operate; recruiting is a complex system with a large number of moving parts.
Which Virtual Fair?
“Between two evils, I always
pick the one I never tried before.
”
So if you do decide to attend a virtual fair sponsored by a recruiting agency, which fair will you choose, especially if this is your first rodeo? The next step depends on many, many variables.
Follow this link and read the entire ISR THREAD to get an idea of the range of opinion about fairs. Just keep the following factors in mind as you try to make up your mind:
1. Do you know your actual RMV (Real Market Value) as a candidate? Reread 3.2 What Makes a Good Candidate if you are not sure. This cold-eyed calculation should help you decide which fair to choose.
2. Early fairs with maximum openings work best for couples, STEM teachers and those with IB experience.
3. Later fairs work better for singles and the less-experienced.
4. Search Associates and ISS are the largest recruiters and fairly comparable in services and success rates.
5. Some fairs more or less specialized:
UNI (University of Northern Iowa) for newbies.
Queens University for Canadians.
AASSA (Association of American Schools in South America) for Latin America.
6. Job-listing sites that do not host fairs, like TIEOnline, are becoming more popular and effective.
In-Person Fair (Someday Perhaps)
“The Ninth Circle of Hell ”
IRC (International Recruiting Center)
Will there be in-person fairs in the future? No one knows, but my bet would be ‘yes’ as they are so incredibly efficient. Some call this process speed dating or cattle call. Oh well.
But in the event you do someday attend a fair, here are the steps. I also included the deadline months to remind you how far in advance you need to act:
Register with an agency and get invited. (August-September)
Upload CV and paperwork. (September)
Choose the fair that works best. (October-March)
Make flight and hotel reservations. (November)
Arrive and put on a name badge and a big smile. (January)
Head out to sell yourself.
Upon arrival begins 3-4 days of high-intensity action, or in some horrifying cases, non-action. This Recruiting Fair Diary (ISR) is one of the most vivid and illuminating descriptions of this dance I’ve ever read. Fairs are somewhere between exhilarating and terrifying, but you can at least be prepared.
Check out this Search Associates video. The main takeaway from the video for me is how energetic the candidates appear. Remember, of course, that you are trying to sell yourself at a fair and it’s hard work.
Hints For An In-Person Fair
• Try not to resign one job before you get another.
• Make sure your references are prepared for an overseas verification phone call.
• Arrive early if at all possible. Weather and flight delays happen.
• Book the IRC hotel, even though it’s no doubt more expensive even with a group rate; the chance to network is one of the most powerful reasons to spend the money. Besides, you’ll be exhausted and need a convenient place to rest up and get away from it all sometimes.
• Take care of yourself, meaning eat healthy, get plenty of sleep, get some exercise, arrange for a bit of downtime.
Somebody Important Could Be Listening
You will be on stage and could bump into someone crucial to your future at any moment; this means look sharp and dress professionally at all times. Don’t even think about making an idiot of yourself by overindulging at the bar or cocktail reception.
Be relentlessly positive, at least in public. What if one of your sarcastic or negative remarks is overheard? You never know who might overhear.
You never know who’s close enough to hear a snarky comment. You can be sure recruiters will be taking note.
Mingle, make contacts, meet and greet, even if you have to work at it. Talking to you, introverts. This is your tribe now and you will run into these people again, guaranteed.
The Successful Interview
“TMAY (Tell me about yourself.)”
Basic Interview Practices Apply, As If You Haven’t Heard This All Before…
1. Show up on time.
2. Dress professionally.
3. Project appropriate body language i.e. firm handshake, eye contact.
4. Maintain proper tone, meaning not too casual or chummy.
5. Prepare thoroughly, including questions you might ask.
6. Be concise and avoid jargon and generalities.
Online Interviewing Hints
In addition online interviews have a few extra caveats. Beware of online interviewing gaffes. The link takes you to advice from a longtime school director, so make these mistakes at your peril.
Look your best and do a run-through in advance of the actual interview.
This link lists the technical aspects of online interviews, from Microsoft, which ought to know. Did you know backgrounds can be blurred, for instance?
The usual interview advice applies. In addition do a run-through for technical glitches and set your camera’s viewing angle. This article provides a pretty fair checklist.
Recruiter Questions
“An interview is like a minefield.
”
Recruiters have two overriding concerns they must address in 20 minutes on a screen or in a hotel room:
1. Are you a good teacher?
2. Will you be a good fit?
Recruiters May Ask For Personal Information
The recruiter may need to pry.
This second aspect will make an international school interview different from the usual. Your prospective employer may probe into your personal life in a way that may be illegal in your home country.
Marital status, religion, and relationships may be relevant to whether you will work out or become a thorn in their sides. Sometimes this information determines whether the school can even legally hire you.
Prep The Questions
Be sure you do your homework and write out/practice answers in advance. For instance, it will be hard on the spur of the moment to list 3 words your students would use to describe you. Prepare.
Another group of questions not to bobble is what do you know about the school/country and why do you want to teach here? This is not a generic interview but an interview for a particular place.
Here is a thorough roundup of typical questions you might expect, collected by Amanda Isberg of the wonderful blog Teaching Wanderlust.
Candidate Questions
“If you don’t ask, you don’t get.”
You must be prepared to ask questions, especially when specifically invited. If you can’t think of anything, that implies disinterest. If you just ask about money or the package (which should be on the database), recruiters will infer that’s all you care about.
So prepare yourself with a few important questions that demonstrate you actually are serious. Amanda has again assembled a terrific list.
Some information is peculiar to international school life, and without fail you should try to uncover data which will impact school life.
Specifically, ask about issues you might not been able to uncover through your own research.
• What is the nationality makeup of the students and faculty?
• What are the policies for admitting ESL students?
• What about availability of teaching materials and tech support/Internet?
• What about longevity and turnover of administration? (Will the interviewer be there next year?)
• Ask about any negative online reviews you’ve read.
Two additional links might help you:
1. ISR roundup of questions from the years they’ve collected teacher feedback.
2. What directors/recruiters hope to find. Here is advice from three very experienced directors.
Interviewing is a fraught process. But hey, if you have ever gotten a job, then you have been through this before. Be prepared, be straightforward, tell and sell your story. Try to relax and enjoy the process. (Ha!) It will make a good tale someday.
Job Offer (Or Not)
“Getting a prom date (or not).”
Possible Outcomes Of The Interview
Supposing Tom asks you to the prom first, but you really want to go with Dick, who does not ask you; then you’re left with Harry. Or nobody. Recruiting is more or less the same thing.
Once you have interviewed successfully either in person or online, then what? A complicated dance now lies between you and a written contract. Imagine several possible outcomes:
1. You leave the fair with a job offer and a written contract.
2. You leave the fair with a job offer and the promise of a written contract soon.
3. You leave the fair without a job offer after having interviewed successfully, but negotiations continue and a job offer and written contract follow shortly.
4. You leave the fair without a job offer, after having interviewed well, but you don’t hear back. You’re left in limbo.
5. You leave the fair without a job offer after unsatisfying interviews and no real interest.
Recruiting Fair Diary Lessons (Online and In-Person)
Reread Recruiting Fair Diary, London and note several elements:
These candidates had made prior contact with their target schools and researched thoroughly.
They confirmed the timeline and process with interviewers i.e. when referees would be contacted, when Skype interviews with line managers would take place, etc.
They stewed in a broth of powerful anxiety even though interviews had gone well.
They flew home from the Fair with no job contracts in hand.
They had negotiated extra time with their current administration so they did not fear being left without a job the next year.
Both candidates and the schools interested in them remained transparent.
The paper contract followed within a day of a verbal agreement.
Best Case After the Interview
You (and your partner) did your homework and had been in contact with your target schools in advance.
Your interview skills are good and you feel the interviewer was being honest; your gut says this school would be a good fit.
Recruiters are transparent about the school’s process (check references/Skype with line managers/Board approval) and are willing to give a firm deadline for a paper contract.
Worst Case After the Interview
Recruiters are not transparent or responsive.
You were not able to pin the school down on timeline/process or set a deadline.
ISS/Search aren’t really much help or very responsive.
You are a newbie and interview with a for-profit school; the recruiter is thrilled with you. In fact he pressures you mercilessly to sign, is evasive on details of the contract and hedges on letting you contact current teachers. Listen to your gut and flee.
All seems well and you leave the fair with a verbal agreement and the promise of a contract in the mail within the next few weeks. Then nothing. Call the school directly, confirm a drop dead date, and start your search again if they do not respond by your deadline.
Variables May Still Work Out In Your Favor
Overseas recruiting is a Rubik’s cube with many moving parts, so things just might break your way. Don’t despair. For instance,
A teacher may resign after the fair, providing an unexpected opening.
Interviews at a subsequent fair with a teacher the school is interested in may not pan out, so there’s your opening.
The recruiter can’t find a perfect couple match (one is terrific, the other just okay), but they decide you’ll do fine, as nothing better has turned up.
Think of the maneuvering that goes into get the right prom date.
No Offer
Don’t give up! Assuming you are a good teacher and play well with others, you will get a job. You may need to lower your standards or wait until late in the season – but don’t resign your current position, if you can help it.
International School Contracts
“An oral agreement isn’t worth the
paper it’s written on.
”
Strategies
Best case is you leave the fair with a written contract in hand; top-tier schools usually operate this way. Even if you leave the fair with only the promise of a contract, you have a whole lotta nothing until the written and signed document is in your hands.
If possible, try to negotiate a letter of intent. At the very least, confirm the school’s process and timeline.
The devil is in the details.
When the contract actually arrives, you must compare it with what was promised verbally. Verify the promised benefits, working conditions, and salary schedule.
Do not sign a contract that was not what both parties agreed to. Take good notes or even record the discussion about terms, if you can.
Contracts are legally binding documents and if terms are not in writing, they may not be binding. Don’t handicap yourself.
Run down the checklist below and follow Amanda’s advice on what to look for.
Teacher Responsibilities
1. Length of contract - By far the most common length of contract is two years. Think how disruptive a one-year contract would be, both to you and the school.
2. Taxes and cost of living – just be aware that the Salary number by itself means little. Cost-of-living can be deceptive; it’s all about what you take home.
3. Working conditions and school year – ask about class size, assistants, special needs children, and so forth. What about the availability of texts and supplies? Confirm the school calendar.
4. Extra duties outside classroom – you may find yourself running after school activities for free, so verify in advance.
Contract Benefits – Standard
Go through the contract with a fine toothed comb. Follow Ronald Reagan’s advice and “Trust, but verify.”
1. Housing – double check what support is actually offered.
2. Shipping – varies wildly and weight adds up quickly. These limits can have you counting pieces of paper or shipping a houseful of furniture.
3. Airfare – will the school pay for yearly or only end of contract flights? Will all dependents be covered? Will the school make arrangements?
4. Visa support – the school should handle this for you 100%. After all, without a work visa, you can’t work or be paid.
5. Health insurance – imagine worst case scenarios and see how the package stacks up.
6. Salary scale and steps, pay period, paid in what currency – these details should be laid out in the contract and must be transparent.
Contract Benefits – Fairly Standard
1. Free tuition for dependents – generally one tuition per contract.
2. Settling-in allowance and support – school may provide you with a mentor to ease the transition and a cash outlay to set up housekeeping.
3. Retirement - generally speaking, you wouldn’t want to retire on these benefits, but every little bit helps. More detail in Money.
4. Professional Development – best case the school will send you to multi-day conferences and pay expenses, including IB training.
5. Utilities – depends on whether you live in school housing or on the local market.
6. Extracurricular stipends – verify or you could end up doing hours of unpaid labor i.e. babysitting
7. Leave (sickness, parent, recruiting) – should be laid out in writing. Ask yourself What if…
Contract Benefits – Sure Would Be Nice
1. Vision and dental
2. Free lunch – more common in boarding schools.
3. Bonus for contract completion or renewal
4. Laptop/iPad use
5. Car loan, transportation subsidy or teacher bus – school-supplied transport can be a lifesaver in horrendous traffic
6. Sabbatical
“To infinity and beyond. ”
Whew. Once you have survived the hiring process and have a satisfactory contract in hand, you are ready for the next step. Time to leave home for a big adventure. Read all about it in Moving.