Now is a great time to start your job search for 2019
More jobs are being posted every day!
Please email us to review your file as soon as it's complete.
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Using the Database to find a new position
Use the Database to contact schools and apply for listed jobs to find a new position.
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Fair Interest
Please contact us asap to let us know your interest in attending any fairs this recruiting season. Please note there are still places available for candidates to attend Melbourne and Bangkok.
Fair Preparation
When you register for a job fair you will find information on your dashboard to help you prepare for the Fair. Log on and click on
'My fairs' - 'About this Fair' to access a range of information designed to help you hit the ground running!
The Fair Portal becomes 'live' around 2-3 weeks prior to the start of a fair (see article below), and relevant documents will also be stored there. Paper copies will be distributed at the Fairs.
Change Your Mind?
Cancel your invitation from your dashboard before the fair cancellation date
(see example below),
without losing your free fair attendance.
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Job Openings
Some schools will not post openings until teachers return their contracts just before the fair, however there are quite a few jobs being posted daily. Many teachers are informing their schools now that this is definitely their last year. You are encouraged to read the daily updates carefully, view the school profiles, and contact the school directly if the position is of interest.
Every school manages their inquiries differently, and many schools will send an auto-reply "thank you for your interest..." while they screen candidates in the background. Most schools will only contact those on their "short list". Should a school ask you to fill out their school application, please do so. At this time of year, schools receive hundreds of inquiries and they need a way to organise all of these inquiries in a database. They can then sort, identify the Search Candidates, and go to the Search website to view the complete files.
It's important to understand that schools have different recruiting practices:
- Some schools are actively filling positions before the fairs.
- Some schools are interviewing candidates and doing reference checks before the fairs, and they use the fair as the last "meet and greet" before offering a contract.
- Some schools are actively screening registered candidates' files and setting up some interviews to take place even before the Interview Sign-Up Session.
- Some schools wait until the fair to do any candidate screening and schedule all of their interviews at the Interview Sign-Up Session.
- There are some schools who will ask you to fill in a completely separate application through either their own online management tool, or through a another company. Unfortunately, while we see this an unnecessary doubling up, if you really wish to follow through with the application, you may need to comply. Always mention in the application that you are a Search Associates registered candidate and welcome them to view your online profile through the Search Database. Just mentioning that you are a SEARCH candidate will give your application more credibility since all schools know we vet our candidates and only accept candidates of high quality. if you find a vacancy through Search Associates and see you are being directed to Schrole/ISS Connect to submit an application to that vacancy, please do notify us immediately so that we can contact the school and work out another way for you to express your interest in the vacancy(s).
In answer to this growing trend, and as mentioned above, Search Associates has developed our own application management platform called "APli by Search Associates". We have done this to first, help our member schools manage large number of applications and second, help our candidates by making it easier for them to apply directly to our schools who are using this platform, and reduce the amount of extra work. Schools posting vacancies this way are easily identified by an "APLi Now" button.
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Glossary of Terms
Find out the meanings of some of the acronyms and terms you hear in the international school world!
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Review of the international school year
Richard Gaskell, the Schools Director at ISC Research offers his insights into the 2017-2018 academic year for the international schools market. Overall it has remained buoyant with three sub-regions finishing the year looking particularly strong for new school development. Globally, the market continues to strengthen, responding well to challenges and addressing some crucial needs.
Read More....
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Looking to Connect with other Fair attendees?
Join Nick's Facebook group for Active teachers (see below) and click on the Fair event to communicate with other teachers. You might find someone to share accomodation, a ride or a meal.
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Nick's Facebook Group
for Active teachers
Featuring recent videos from China and Malaysia
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Nick's
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Nick Kendell Office
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| Facebook Group · 69 members |
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Join Group |
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This group is actively maintained by Senior Associate Nick Kendell and his partner, Paula Kendell for Search Associates candidates and teachers intere...
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Nick's Facebook Group for
Teachers Moving Back Home
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| Nick Kendell Alumni |
| Facebook Group · 12 members |
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Join Group |
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| For those who are moving home, finding a new job or picking up an old one, re-establishing relationships, adjusting to life back home, travelling agai... |
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Coming soon 'LIVE' on Facebook
Nick talks to teachers who are
1. New to international schools, and will host a
2. Q and A for experienced teachers.
Please log on to see his recent seminar presentation - Introduction to international schools and Using the database. (October 4th)
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In 2019, we will be using our online fair portal again. Here you can see interviews that have been scheduled with recruiters, along with the time and location. You can also access live updates, schedule changes and announcements during the fair. Recruiters will be able to see candidates who have left the fair, those who have taken a position and are no longer available. Please speak with one of our young helpers if you need any assistance or if you can offer any improvements. The usual hanging file system will work alongside the portal this year, so please remember to check both places for information.
Advice -
- " I used the schools information to obtain a quick snapshot of the school, which was very useful. The recruiter information was very helpful also as it allowed me to personalise cover letters and note down the names of the recruiters I wanted to meet and jog my memory of names before interviews. I also viewed the school presentation details and the position matches."
- "This was really useful - a one stop shop. Great to have all the information so easily accessible. Great organisation of the information under different categories too."
- " It was great, especially for checking updated positions of schools at the fair."
- "I used it to address recruiters by name, research schools, check jobs it was absolutely invaluable."
- "The online fair portal downloads information much faster than the website."
Detailed instructions will be uploaded to your dashboard closer to the fair.
NB. The Portal will not become 'Live'
until 2-3 weeks BEFORE each fair.
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#Search Associates
If you enjoy using social media we would love to help promote your photos!
Remember to
#searchassociates
when you post to Instagram, or share your pics
on our office Facebook group.
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Nick's Welcome - Are You Ready to Go?
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If your file is "
Active,
" please check that it is up to date, especially your CV and
date of availability
. (There should be no dates listed prior to November 2018). If you are currently under contract, and NOT looking for a position this year, your date should be 2019 ONLY if you will be actively looking for a position next year.
Areas of Interest - You may want to consider expanding the areas in which you are willing to teach - flexibility is a great asset and increases your chances of securing more interviews.
Confidential References - You are most welcome to update your references or add any references you feel may be helpful at any time. This is not necessary if you have stayed at the same school and already have references from that school within the last year.
Standards are still being negotiated for school vetting of staff, but one piece of advice applies now - PLEASE make sure you obtain a
background record check just BEFORE you leave the country you are currently teaching in. This is not mandatory at the moment, but will make your application more attractive to potential recruiters (and is far easier to obtain while you are in a country rather than after you have left.) Enlist the support of your school in obtaining these clearances. An English translation may also be needed. This, along with your Teaching Credential/s can be uploaded to the 'documents' section of your profile at any time.
We aim to have an up-to-date database with candidates who are actively seeking a job. When you log in, the date is captured and shows up to schools as your "last log on." Schools can see if you have been accessing your file. Candidates who do not login once a month will automatically be moved out of active status to auto archive status.
If you have already accepted an offer or are no longer actively pursuing a position for next year, PLEASE change your availability. See example below
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We are very excited to hold our next Melbourne Fair at
The InterContinental Hotel January 4-7th. In 2018, over 60% of candidates who attended the Fair were made job offers, and we expect similar numbers in 2019. There are a limited number of places available, as we keep the ratio of schools and candidates to around 1:4. If you are interested in attending, you must be a registered candidate - please go to your dashboard and request an invitation.
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| The InterContinental Hotel |
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"After sending numerous letters and CVs and completing many of the schools' online application processes and not getting anything back except the occasional auto response, it was great to come to the fair; the heads of some fantastic schools were there and ready to seriously consider candidates and offer positions."
- Mark
Fair Testimonials |
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The Bangkok Fair moves to the
Marriott Marquis Queen's Park
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Experienced, strong educator couples and experienced, strong single educators without dependents have an advantage at this fair.
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The Bangkok March Fair, 2019
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This fair will be held at NIST Bangkok. It features around 30 schools, from an ever-widening list of locations, but schools from the eastern half of Asia are expected to form the majority.
Note: Schools typically register in January/February. All Search Associates-registered candidates, of all nationalities and all standard specialist fields in schools, are welcome to request invitations to attend the Bangkok-March Fair. Registrations begin December 1st.
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Recruiters Offer Their Advice to Fair Candidates-
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- Don't be negative regarding past teaching experiences.
- Access your Search email and online fair portal regularly during the fair. Some recruiters are only using technology to communicate.
- Respond promptly to every communication you receive! We asked some candidates for interviews and had no response.
- We met great candidates, but our issue was with the regulations that the Turkish ministry impose that prevented us from offering positions.
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The teachers who are new to international schools need briefing in regard to protocols - e.g. must make contact with recruiters if they have been offered a job, not just slip notes under their doors, etc. What level equals what grade level, calendar term and other simple facts about "American or International" schools.
(This information can be found on your fair dashboard under "Glossary of Terms").
- We had a couple of last minute 'no shows,' which was disappointing. If you sign up please let us know if you can't make the interview.
- Please encourage candidates to be serious about schools with which they would like to work.
- One of our interviewees used colloquial speech like "poor bugger" and "bloody difficult." I was not offended by it but I did feel it should not have been used in an interview.
- I need contact details for follow-up when the fair is finished. Still communicating with some candidates. Not too easy when they have gone back to many different countries.
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Always remember the importance of good communication via notes and email etc. Also be sure to clarify if they have an offer, and if so, what is the time frame for a decision.
- If candidates drop something in a school's box requesting an interview it would be good if they follow up by visiting the sign-up session to speak to the school recruiter directly.
- Encourage candidates to talk at sign-ups with all schools that have vacancies in their areas, even if they aren't interested in that location. (They may change their minds.)
- Candidates need to have professional photos on their CVs - sometimes you don't always get the right first impression.
- Although some Fairs do not have a range of PYP-trained candidates, their teaching philosophies and backgrounds are very aligned with what our school is doing.
- We look for quality primary teachers with solid backgrounds in inquiry, mathematics, and literacy. I'd rather have a strong practitioner that we can easily work through the PYP with, than have a 15 year vet in the PYP who still doesn't understand good practice.
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Do your homework, don't request or take an interview unless you are serious, don't use an interview for "practice". If you are not interested in a region, don't select it when submitting your file. This happened a number of times and candidates would say they were not interested in the Middle East, even though they had "ticked" that region as one of interest.
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Many schools at the fair (including us) have student populations that are predominantly non-native English speakers. It would have been great to hear candidates talk (even if hypothetically) approaches and strategies for teaching second language learners. It was clear that most of the candidates were well prepared to talk about classroom management (which isn't a huge issue in Asia or schools attending the fair), but had little to no experience in second language acquisition. I think an important tip to candidates before the fair would be to speak openly about their willingness to learn some of these strategies and/or do some reading/learning prior to the fair.
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Some of the candidates who had never been in an international teaching role needed to consider if they were really ready to take the step out. I found teachers with trailing spouses or children didn't seem to consider the full picture of taking their entire family abroad. While I understand it's mostly a learning curve, I think they needed to be front-loaded more with raising a family abroad.
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Some of the candidates who had never been in an international teaching role needed to consider if they were really ready to take the step out. I found teachers with trailing spouses or children didn't seem to consider the full picture of taking their entire family abroad. While I understand it's mostly a learning curve, I think they needed to be front-loaded more with raising a family abroad.
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Make sure that the candidates' partners/spouses include their resumes - you never know!
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I think simply encouraging first-time participants to research the different types of "international school" ahead of time.
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Make sure their references are available to talk during the fair. References must be checked quickly and they are often on holiday at this time. If I cant talk to references, I can't offer positions so it is important that candidates let their references know that calls will be forthcoming and have accurate contact information.
- Click here for more advice on Job tips for teachers: how to write a winning application - From personal statements to knowing a school, a panel of teachers and heads reveal what they look for in CVs and covering letter
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Past Candidates Offer Their Advice to Fair Attendees-
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- It definitely helped that I had dropped personalised CV's and cover letters into the school's folders beforehand so when I approached them for an interview time they were already familiar with who I was and were happy to make a time to see me.
- The ability to meet prospective employers was one of the greatest benefits of the fair even if they had no suitable current vacancies.
- Let teachers know that the fair is a time when the recruiters are very interested in considering candidates and making offers.
- I would add that blocking out time for lunch and afternoon tea breaks in their own schedule is very important.
- I probably missed some communication somewhere, but found out informally from other candidates about features on the website and had no idea beforehand how the fair would run and wanted a clear outline of process and procedures (This information can be found on your fair dashboard, this newsletter and the online fair portal. Nick also mentions it at his seminars and the candidate meeting at the fair).
- Be prepared for lots of interviews and no offers.
- I cannot speak highly enough for the insight, support and assistance provided to me by the associates at the fair. The well-rounded and thoughtful advice I received when I was overwhelmed by the decision-making process was pivotal to helping me make a sensible and 'right for me' decision.
- The panel of experts (Search Associates advisors) were great. It was so nice to talk it through with someone who knew what they were talking about (as opposed to our family).
- I was extremely happy with the amount of information and helpful hints provided prior to the fair. I would have liked to have known the best times to hand in my resume/CV to recruiters e.g. whether to wait for the sign up or to place them in their mailboxes, this was the only thing I was unsure of but was guided with assistance when I spoke to Search Associates staff at the fair.
- The October 2014 Chinese visa requirement for all teachers to have min. 2-years F/T secondary teaching experience was a fact learnt at the fair. That is, I was wasting my targeting efforts at the fair. It would have been great to learn such a fact from Search Associates prior to attending, so to help my analysis...we live & learn. (Recent advice from schools in Beijing: "To qualify for a work visa in China, a Bachelor's degree is the minimum qualification that will be recognized in China even with teaching certification. We advise older candidates under offer from a school in China to ask the school's HR department to verify that a work visa will be granted to enable them to complete the contract with the school. Nowadays China will no longer issue a work permit if the 'non-criminal record certificate' is not spotless.")
- We advise that you are totally transparent with schools about your past and disclose any information to any school that you apply to through Search Associates.
- Be prepared to have your referees contacted over the weekend- phone them in advance.
- It was great to have someone on hand who knows IB- all Search staff have taught or implemented IB in their schools.
- If a job was there and now not, which is correct? (The most up to date job list is the one handwritten by the recruiter when they arrive. These are displayed around the hotel. We also expect that this list will be updated on the online fair portal).
- Suggest people bring snacks- keep up your energy.
- School presentations gave us excellent insights into schools and the reality of working internationally. In the end this was what made the difference for us in following up a school we initially didn't target.
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