@teachaway

You know yourself better than any anonymous person on this message board, ask yourself the question. Put yourself in the position of the admin, look at your resume and then say, Do I want this teacher? If the answer is no or maybe, then go to a fair as you have the opportunity to sell yourself. If it yes, go with the skype interviews. Or even better go to the fair and see if you get into a better place.

I was just asked to interview this morning on Monday (23rd Dec), so its a world of unknowns! You never know when the call to skype will come. Personally I am signed up to go to both Bangkok fairs as well as using CoIS, CSA and another recruiter. In the end it is about happiness and security for my family and myself over the next 4-6 years and for that I don't gamble very much.

If the only risk is money, remember you can always make more, but if you have to recruit again next year or even in 2 years because you didn't go to a fair how will you feel. I am aware not everyone feels like I do, nor are any of us in the exact same position with family, career, skills etc. so for me, I say go to a fair, I have yet to walk away without something that was great!

Not sleeping at the hotel does nothing to hurt your chances. You will spend your free-time (if you have any) in the candidates lounge or attending presentations, then go out locally to dinner. Just because your sharing a central air supply with someone at night does not increase your chances. It NEVER came up in an interview, and if the heads had to pay for the hotel themselves very few of the would choose that expensive an option in Bangkok, and thus would probably applaud your wiseness in finding alternative less expensive options.

The only advantage is catching a nap or being able to freshen up between interviews, but with saving between 1000-1500 usd, I absolutely do not mind walking 2-500 meters for that!

There are plenty of hotels in the surrounding area within 1km! My hotel this year has a pool, is 200 m from ISS and 550m from Search. Cost was just under 500 usd for 9 days.

Look on sites like hostelbookers..makemytrip etc. Pay 10% with cc, rest on arrival. There is Saphaipae hostel (friends are booked there), smile society, sunflower place, the astera Sathorn hotel etc. etc. etc. Last recruiting I stayed up by the train station at a great place about 30 usd a night.... It was a hostel called hua .something. Same as train station I think... Anyway great rooms, no elevators, exactly 995m from search.

Good luck

No but I have been asked if I was ever fired in an application. What did you do to grow from the situation? Embrace and improve? Bitter and complain? Being fired will never ruin the rest of your life, but how you move forward will. Get your facts straight, stay positive, be transparent and move forward. You might find resistance, but eventually this will be buried in your resume and a non issue. Improve ( or at least give that perception.)

ISS will require the HR from the school to confirm any one year listing on your resume was a one year contract. They seem mostly concerned with runners, so if the school says you were fired then they might be ok? With that.

I had a friend tell me that Search wanted confirmation from a school about a one year contract, but the school never replied so they dropped the inquiry. They never said one word to me about my one year contract. I had been in contact with my associate for a LONG time before signing up, so they might not have been concerned.

Remember that any agency will vet you. They have a reputation, especially if your using Carney Sandoe in the US. They also get top schools that do not go to many fairs to utilize their services. Best to come clean to the agent and see what happens. Explain the situation, and hope it works out.

Tieonline and joyjobs have you contact the school, so you have to explain to them. In that case be non-judgemental, and give only facts not perceptions (such as using the word politicky) a rightous school doesn't violate contracts so they would be ok with you taking a school to court for violation of you.

They have a long process for hiring, and one of the best packages in the IS circuit. There is a TON of info on this site about them. The search function doesn't work well, but if you google Saudi Aramco schools review, that could lead you to many of the ISR reviews.

Good luck.

I would look at the schools attending then couple that with the jobs you are interested in. No doubt the landscape will change signifigantly after BKK and London, but it should give you insight into what would be best for you. For me cost would also be a factor. How much are you willing to invest in your future position?

Also do not rule out a last minute January admission. Have you talked to your associate?

My personal choice of the 3 would be Dubai.

It is safe to say that the majority of jobs will be filled between January and the SF search fair (February). There will still be jobs available and schools hiring, but most of the top schools will be close to finished. They then switch their HR focus to document collection, visa procurement, housing and flight arrangement. Admin switch their focus back to the second half of the school year.

Rest assured, there are still a lot of jobs. You can even get a job to start in January today! There are always jobs! It is the quality, location, pay-rate etc. that can fluctuate in this time.

Do not fret if you have the right certification, you will get a job!

Hopefully you can use google drive or dropbox. This eliminates the need to bring a laptop if you wish to apply. It is always best to back important documents up anyway. I travel with just a tablet (iPad) unless I will need to download movies etc. computerlabs are everywhere, you can always go send off a document via that route if you see something posted.

Hopefully you can use google drive or dropbox. This eliminates the need to bring a laptop if you wish to apply. It is always best to back important documents up anyway. I travel with just a tablet (iPad) unless I will need to download movies etc. computerlabs are everywhere, you can always go send off a document via that route if you see something posted.

This was from my previous life a year out of university when I was still in the corporate world. It is a story I tell my graduating seniors.

I go to the hotel door and was greeted by a Jerry Garcia look alike with a wrinkled suit and birkenstocks. I was in California (they flew me out) so ok. I was VERY prepared and had a great interview even with my limited experience. I go back to my room and get a phone call after an hour to meet again for lunch with 2 guys and another candidate. At the lunch the waiter asked me if I wanted a beer, I said "not right now". The other candidate said "NO!" , both of the interviewers had beers. I changed my order, and had one also. I was offered the position that evening. A few months later I asked my boss what got me the job? I was told that the job required me to go out with customers, and drinking was an aspect that needed to be considered. I assessed the situation and drank the beer. So drinking at a lunch interview got me the job. You must be able to - and take risk. Needless to say, I met a lot of alcoholics in that industry, and left to do my masters in education 2 years later.

1. I found the speed of the internet to be frustrating, but the VPN never made it slower, in fact it often was faster or allowed me on the internet when the regular internet wouldn't even let me on at all.

2. Money changing was easy once you find the tea shops. They will change as much money as you want (300000 kwai was no problem... No it wasn't mine)
Transferring small amounts via western union was adequate, cheaper and faster for me. All transfers had to be made in us dollars.

3. Taxis are generally easy in Beijing where I lived for 3 years. In hot spots late you might have to walk a bit. Some times a lot a bit!!

Heat sucks in winter! No other way to describe it. I never travelled.

Social life in Beijing was awesome... Tons of expats from everywhere and plenty of Chinese who speak English.

Relationships are available and easy to get into no matter your persuasion.

Good cheap massages if you know where to go. Crazy hair cuts. CHEAP clothes! All kinds of food options.

SMOG is horrendous, and trying to write a scooter down the street will make you CRY CRY CRY!!!!

Singles I knew LOVED it!

I think that Nomad is correct in the process that ISM, but takes some big leaps in his description of David Toze. First he is a very confident British man. This strikes many Americans with positions under him as arrogant when in fact it is leadership. If you study the history of Toze at ISM you will quickly find why ISM is the caliber of school that it is and why he chooses "his people". In 2001 he took over a school quickly losing it's dominance in the Philippines. He changed the mindset of the school by changing teachers. It worked and ISM sprang back. In 2006 he fought a tough battle with the board and eventually came out on top. Every year since them ISM has grown in strength to one of the top 20 schools in Asia. I would also be pretty confident that I was doing the right thing. Oh there was the winning of the top head teacher award a couple of years ago too.

I have never worked at ISM, but would. I have met David Toze briefly as well as having heard him speak and found him to be a straight shooter with vision and direction. The rest of my information comes from research.

Are you christian? If you are not, you will not fit in. If you are you may very well never want to leave. I have heard it is VERY nice if you fit in with the school culture. Pay, living, work etc.

My associate is excellent. We had more emails before I ever joined search 3 years ago, but for over a year we emailed back and forth, and his recommendations were always spot on. This was before I ever paid a fee! His words inspired me to job hunt again and go for a bigger fish. Maybe I am just fortunate as some of your stories would turn me away.