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Kelly Blackwell
When you consider that there may be 100 schools represented and 400
pre-screened candidates, your chances of securing a teaching position at an
international school is high. Additionally, many of the top schools will
only consider interviewing candidates who are pre-screened by a recruiting
agency.
Whether or not you decide to register with a job fair might depend on your
ability to get to where one is being held. Job fairs are held at locations
worldwide, with a particular concentration in North America and the United
Kingdom. Some of the organisations hosting the job fairs do not charge
participants to attend, they make their money from charging the recruiters.
There are several organisations that hold job fairs for international
teachers. International School Services (ISS), Search Associates and the
Council of International Schools (COIS) are three of them that hold job
fairs around the world. These organisations pre-screen the candidates and
invite those candidates that meet the criteria published on their websites
to attend their job fairs. You can go to their websites and check if you
meet their criteria.
Both ECIS and Search Associates are very professional and experienced in
their approach to organising job fairs, and it shows at their events.
Recruiters rely on these organisers to cut out the unqualified or
undesirable candidates. They turn away many candidates each year, so you
should feel proud if you are invited to attend one of these fairs; it’s the
first step to getting a contract at the fair.
COIS
COIS do not charge candidates to attend their job fairs. The recruiters do
pay a fee to attend.
COIS job fairs are held from February through to June in the UK and in North
America. The requirements for becoming registered with COIS are available on
their website and include:
* A current teaching certification/ qualification
* Three professional referees, one of which must be your current head
teacher
* 2 year’s experience
* Candidates should be willing to consider being placed anywhere in the
world.
The dates and venues and application deadlines for the COIS job fairs for
2007 are available on their website and the deadline for applications for
their first job fair is January 18th.
Search Associates
Search offer an online application process and a number of job fairs in a
variety of geographical locations. Before completing an application you can
go through a self-screening checklist on their website to determine how
competitive you will be in the job market.
Search charge candidates $US150 to register, which is good for 3 years if
you don’t find an overseas position in your first recruitment season. Search
offers a number of job fairs and your registration fee covers your
attendance at one fair per registration period (of up to 3 years). You can
attend more than one for an additional fee of $US 50 per fair. Should you
find your new position through Search Associates, there is an additional
placement fee of $US 300.
On application Search will assign you an ‘associate’ to give you personal
service.
Once you are registered, your resume will be posted online for recruiters to
peruse. It is vital that you go log in to the site and update your resume at
least every 30 days or your resume might be pulled off the site.
Teachers in Australia and New Zealand can attend one of the Information
Seminars offered by Search. These seminars are held throughout Australia and
New Zealand in order to provide information for people interested in
teaching overseas, and to pre-screen potential candidates prior to the
Search job fair in Sydney. Check their website for details.
Search offer two specialised placement services aimed at teachers with
experience in either the IB system or the British National Curriculum, see
their website for more details.
The dates and venues of the Search Associates Job Fairs for 2007 are on the
Search Associates website and their first job fair is being held in
Australia in January.
ISS
ISS charge candidates $US175 to establish a professional file with them. If
your application is not accepted by them, they will refund $US125, and they
do not charge a placement fee if you accept a position at one of the job
fairs they host.
ISS job fairs are held in January, February, and March. The requirements for
establishing a file with ISS are available on their website and include:
* A 4 year bachelor’s degree
* 2 year’s experience
* Candidates should be willing to consider being placed in two continents.
If you are interested in establishing a professional file with ISS you
should look at the more detailed list of their requirements on their
website.
The ISS name for a job fair is International Recruitment Centre (IRC).
ISS are holding three IRCs in 2007, the first one will be held in Bangkok in
January.
ISS say that ‘typically 50 percent of those who attend accept positions as a
result.’
These are the big three of the recruitment organisations for teachers
looking at a career in international teaching and participation in one of
their job fairs can kick start you onto a new and exciting career path. It
can sure beat searching through job advertisements and sending out your
application pack 100 times. |
