News, Reflections and Resources for the International Teacher

What people are reading right now

Categories

Posts in category Recruiting organizations

International School Recruiting Fairs are Coming

Oct23
2011 Leave a Comment Written by admin

The international school recruiting season is on the horizon. For teachers who have an idea of where they want to work, it’s a good idea to contact the schools directly first and see if they think that you might be a fit for them. Most schools these days take applications directly and year round. With all the competition and expense of surrounding attendance at international fairs, apply to schools early. Some schools will interview teachers through Skype, or are looking at the new online recruiting company, Teacherhorizons, as a way to save money. If you are new to the world of international teaching and plan on attending one of the recruiting fairs, it’s time to sign up. Here’s a rundown of the fair season for three of the major international school recruiting organizations.

International Schools Services
ISS is holding four recruiting fairs during the main hiring season. Their first is in Atlanta from December 4 through December 6. The application deadline is November 7t, which is just a few weeks away so if you want to attend this fair, you need to get going. At this point, there aren’t many schools signed up to attend this fair. The Bangkok fair takes place from January 4 through January 7. Application deadline is December 2, 2011. This fair draws a large number of schools and is ideal for teachers who are working in the Asia region. The Boston fair runs from February 5 though February 9. Application deadline is January 11, 2012. The Boston fair draws a large list of schools from around the world. Then the next week ISS holds the San Francisco fair from February 13 through February 16. Application deadline is January 11, 2012. This is another well-attended fair.

University of Northern Iowa Fair
The UNI Overseas Recruiting Fair takes place this year from February 3 through February 5. The registration deadline is January 13, 2012, but if you register by December 2, you can save $40. The UNI fair is well attended and is ideal for teachers who live in the Midwest.

Search Associates
Search has many recruitment fairs this year starting with the fair in Johannesburg from December 9 to December 11. the deadline for new Search candidates is November 1; activated candidates have until November 15 to register. This fair is for schools in Africa. The next fair is in Sydney from January 4 to January 6. The application deadline has already passed. Next comes the Bangkok fair from January 8 to January 11. If you want to attend this fair, you need to register immediately. The Hong Kong fair is being held from January 13 to January 15. This fair specializes in schools on the Chinese mainland and in Hong Kong. Registration needs to be done immediately. The London fair is being held this year from January 19 to January 23. Schools from all regions will attend this major fair. Registration should be done by the end of November. The Toronto fair is being held from January 27 to January 30. Schools from around the world will be at this fair. Register now. The Cambridge, Massachusetts, fair will be held from February 2 to February 5. Schools from around the world will attend. The San Francisco fair will be held from February 16 to February 19. Registration should be completed before January. The Dubai fair will be held from February 23 to February 25. This is a good fair for teachers working in the Dubai region. A second Bangkok fair will be held from March 16 to March 18. Then another London fair from April 27 to April 29. Finally a summer fair will be held in Bethesda from June 22 to June 24.

Posted in expat employment, international education organizations, international schools, international teaching positions, teacher recruitement - Tagged , , ,

Teacherhorizons: Online Today

Oct13
2011 Leave a Comment Written by admin

I just received a press release from the folks over at Teacherhorizons. I’m adding it here for teachers who want to get past the traditional recruitment fair model and move into the 21st century. With the global economic crisis continuing on, I believe that schools will move to new models of recruiting that are more cost effective than the recruitment fair model. Take a look at the Teacherhorizons video and then read their press release.

Teacherhorizons Press Release

Today marks the launch of Teacherhorizons, a groundbreaking new website that connects teachers with international schools all over the world. Already, over a thousand teachers and international schools have joined the Teacherhorizons community to take advantage of the unique recruitment services and networking opportunities offered.

The Globalisation of Teaching

With the number of international schools expected to grow to over 11,000 by 2020 and with over 65% of UK teachers expressing an interest in teaching abroad, the globalisation of the teaching profession is gathering momentum. In recognition of this, the aim of the Teacherhorizons network is to source and match top teaching talent with schools worldwide, to demystify what can often be a complicated, time consuming and costly recruitment process. The site also provides users with a hub of information, promoting the career enhancing opportunities to be gained by teaching internationally.

Pioneering technology

Built using innovative match making technology, Teacherhorizons empowers teachers to find their dream job worldwide, enabling them to instantly compare profiles of international schools that meet their own professional aspirations and personal needs and interests. Teachers can set up a dedicated profile page (which can also be viewed by prospective employers) and apply for multiple international teaching jobs through one single application process with minimum hassle. Teachers can also access a wealth of impartial and unbiased information on the reality of teaching abroad; plus useful tools and guides designed to help them navigate their way from applying and ultimately securing a job, to the logistics of moving to another country, right through to what to expect from their chosen destination, both professionally and culturally.

Likewise, international schools can compare and vet teachers’ profiles direct, speedily create shortlists, access references, and watch potential candidates’ video interviews at the click of a mouse. The middle man is removed, making the process simple, transparent and cost effective.

Alex Reynolds, Teacherhorizons Co-founder comments: “Teacherhorizons has been created to help schools and teachers embrace the ‘globalisation of teaching’. It enables more teachers to be internationally ambitious and allows schools, both here and abroad, to benefit from reaching a global pool of teaching talent. We are delighted by the enthusiasm with which teachers and schools have embraced the Teacherhorizons proposition. As it’s a website FOR teachers and international schools created BY teachers in consultation with international schools, we are confident in the future growth and success of the Teacherhorizons community and expansion of the recruitment, networking and information services we offer. For more information and to join our network visit www.teacherhorizons.com.”

Teacherhorizons meeting an international need

Far from being the out of touch colonial institutions they once were, modern international schools are vibrant, high-tech and offer teachers an exciting new set of challenges and some of the best training opportunities available. As hundreds of shimmering new schools spring up every year across Asia and Latin America (the sector is growing by 7% every year), the demand for talented, fully trained, English speaking teachers has increased dramatically.

Bringing teachers home

With many schools in the UK now introducing the International Baccalaureate, forward-looking Headteachers here are also increasingly seeking teachers with international experience. Classrooms in the UK also have more teachers from overseas than ever before. It is also hoped that shortages of Science, Maths and Modern Foreign Language teachers will receive a much needed boost amongst UK schools that adopt an international philosophy to their education.

Camilla Cook, Academia Británica Cuscatleca, El Salvador comments: “Teacherhorizons is such a brilliant idea. Now I’ll be able to compare jobs in International Schools based on detailed, but unbiased, information”.

The International Teacher: “This is exactly what international teachers have needed for some time – an innovative tool that helps them compare schools and make more informed decisions. I believe this is the future for international school recruitment”.

Simon Head, Principal Al Sahwa schools, Oman comments: “Recruitment and retention of high quality teachers is our biggest challenge and every year the competition for teachers becomes more intense. The services offered by Teacherhorizons will ensure we are able to recruit the right candidates. Recruitment and retention of high quality teachers is our biggest challenge and every year the competition for teachers becomes more intense. The services offered by Teacherhorizons will ensure we are able to recruit the right candidates.”

Posted in international schools, international teaching positions, teacher recruitement - Tagged , , , , ,

Teacherhorizons: a New Resource for International Teachers and Schools

Jul23
2011 1 Comment Written by admin

Back about 13 years ago, I was editing a website for international teachers. One of our projects was to move job searches for teachers into the world of the internet. Not surprisingly most of the school administrators that I discussed this with saw it as an idea before its time. With the development of the internet, it’s now time to put that idea into practice. In fact, a number of schools are already using Skype to conduct interviews and hire teachers. I know three teachers that bypassed the old system completely and obtained excellent jobs solely through a online process. The folks at Teacherhorizons share my belief that the old way of teacher recruitment is outmoded and are launching a new service for international teachers and schools.

Teacherhorizons is a website that helps teachers who are looking for international teaching positions. The site is still being refined, but is expected to be completed and ready for operation in September 2011. Teachers can register for free, create a profile page, upload documents and videos. You can research international schools, and you can have yourself headhunted by schools looking for someone with that perfect fit. A teacher’s profile page can be viewed by schools but not by other teachers. You can take a look at an example of a teacher profile page here.

Schools can create a school profile page that includes information about students and teachers, exams results, facilities, teacher contracts, benefits and allowance, city information and job openings. For a fee, schools can put a job ad on the teachers’ homepage, view teacher profiles, contact teachers, view teacher videos, and use the matching teachers with schools service.

If you’re an international teacher or a school official responsible for hiring teachers, take a look at Teacherhorizons and let us know what you think about their service.

Posted in finding a job tips, international education organizations, international schools, international teaching positions - Tagged , , , , ,

University of Northern Iowa Overseas Placement Service for Educators

Jun07
2011 1 Comment Written by admin

University of Northern Iowa Overseas Placement Service for Educators

UNI is one of the oldest of the organizations that hold international recruiting fairs. They held their first fair in 1976. UNI is one of the smaller organizations that recruit international teachers, but as they are university-based, they are an excellent resource for American teachers.

They have an extensive website that is filled with information including the history of overseas teaching (according to the website, it all began in 1888 with the establishment of an American school in Mexico).

In order to attend the Iowa fair you need to be a certified teacher. While their website notes that most schools want teachers with at least two years of experience, 65% of the new teachers who attended the last UNI fair received international teaching positions. One of the key traits that schools look for in new teachers is flexibility and a strong academic background. New teachers who hold teaching credentials in a high demand area such as high school math or science have a good chance of getting an overseas position.

UNI conducted a survey of recruiters about what qualities they looked for in teachers and this is what you should have if you want to succeed in the overseas teaching field:

  • Flexibility
  • Resilience
  • Adaptability
  • Sense of Humor
  • Risk taker
  • Creativity
  • Team Player
  • Love of teaching and young people
  • A complete command of your subject area and teaching methodologies
  • Strong organizational skills
  • A commitment to professional development and communication skills

The University of Northern Iowa holds its recruitment fair each February and has served over 23,000 educators in the past thirty years. It is a non-profit, university-based organization. Each year over 120 schools attend the fair looking for teachers.

In order to attend a fair you need to register with UNI. This involves ordering a registration packet which you can do from UNI’s website. After you receive your packet, you can begin the registration process online. Once you have completed this step and received confirmation that you are registered you can access your personal portal, a list of schools registered for the fair, vacancies for the coming academic year, the UNI Overseas Placement Matters Newsletter, and additional resources.

Candidates who are single with no dependents or part of a certified married teaching team have the best chances of landing jobs at the fairs. Over 95% of UNI successful candidates met this profile. UNI also notes that due to visa restrictions, many schools cannot hire teachers over the age of 60. They request that if you are over 60, you contact them before begin the registration process.

Good luck with the job hunting.

Posted in expat employment, international teaching positions - Tagged , , , ,

International Teacher Recruitment Fairs

Dec09
2010 7 Comments Written by admin

The season for the international job fairs is upon us once again. Job fairs are the starting point of an international teaching career for most teachers. Attending the first one can be as daunting as your first kiss or your first day of high school. Hundreds of teachers and recruiters are milling around chatting, arranging interviews, trying to shake off pre-interview jitters or the after effects of an interview that went south.

In my 21 years of international teaching, I attended one job fair. Back then, before the internet arrived, getting information about international education was difficult and teachers who wanted to work overseas really needed to rely on the job fairs, especially the ISS fair as Search hadn’t been created yet. My experience at the ISS fair that I attended in Los Angeles was less than positive. I discovered that couples had a significant advantage over singles. As it turned out, by the time I learned a few of the ropes, the interviews at the big schools in Asia where I wanted to teach were already closed. I ended up with three interviews, none of which developed into a position. I did eventually end up with a teaching job at an ISS school in Indonesia.

Search Associates
Since those days, there are many more job fairs at a wide range of venues around the world. Search Associates, for example, has 11 fairs coming up starting with the first on January 5th in Sydney followed by one starting on January 9th in Bangkok. Search has fairs this year in: Sydney (Jan. 5-7), Bangkok (Jan. 9-12), Hong Kong (Jan. 14-16), London (Jan. 27-31), Toronto (Jan. 28-31), Cambridge (Feb. 3-6), San Francisco (Feb. 12-14), Dubai (Feb. 24-26), Bangkok (March 18-20), London (April 29-May 1) and Bethesda (June 15-17). It’s necessary to register early for these fairs, and as of today, only the fairs starting with the Cambridge fair are still open for registration. So if you want to attend a Search Fair, get online and register now.

International Schools Services
International Schools Services has a smaller selection of fairs for candidates. The first fair is on January 4th in Bangkok. ISS is still accepting registrations for this fair. So if you want to attend you need to: 1) Prequalify using the ISS online forms, 2) Send $185 to ISS for them to verify your application, 3) Complete your online profile, 4) Register for a hiring fair and send in some more money. The second ISS fair is in San Francisco on February 6th and the fourth fair is in Chicago on February 14th. ISS usually has a summer fair, but no information is available online at this time.

Council of International Schools
The Council of International Schools (CIS) has four fairs scheduled for this year. The CIS recruitment season starts on January 21st in London. It may still be possible to register for this fair, although CIS notes on its website that candidates should register by the end of November. So if you want to attend the London fair, check out the CIS website today. The second fair is being held in Chicago from February 13-17. A second London fair is being held from May 5-9 and a second US fair is being held in Fairfax, Virginia from June 10-12. CIS charges no fair registration fees or placement fees.

University of Northern Iowa Overseas Placement Service
UNI is holding their annual fair from February 4-6 in scenic Waterloo, Iowa. The fair is only open to certified K-12 teachers. Registration is open until January 14th. Teachers can receive their registration packet online. Registration fees are $190 for singles and $310 for teaching couples. If you are living in the US, this might be the fair for you.

Teacher Recruitment International
TRI holds one of the smaller fairs attended mostly by Australian teachers. It’s necessary to register with TRI in order to attend their main fair or one of their mini-fairs. The fee is $AU 77 to register with TRI.

Teachers’ Overseas Recruiting Fair
Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, holds an annual fair. The fair has been held since 1989 and could be ideal for Canadian teachers who don’t want to attend a fair in the US, Europe or Asia. The registration deadline is January 7th. The fee is $100.

Posted in expat employment, international schools, international teaching positions, teacher recruitement - Tagged ,
« Older Entries
Get Adobe Flash player

 

May 2012
S M T W T F S
« Apr    
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
SEO Powered by Platinum SEO from Techblissonline