Curious to see how this works out. I have never been in or heard of a school where you can just "email HR" to get "transferred" to another grade level. How would there be openings mid-year? Is this an international school or a language school?

I took my first international teaching post in a middle school position when I had previously been teaching elementary. I really wanted to go to that particular school so I was willing to accept the job. As it turned out I loved the age group. When looking for jobs now I still look for jobs within the K-8 range. Each level is quite different but there's something about each that is unique and I enjoy them in their own ways. I do think that teaching elementary school is the hardest: planning for multiple subjects, having the same kids all day and being responsible for every aspect of their school day, never ending classroom upkeep, and in the case of my last school the long narrative report cards. I have so much respect for elementary teachers!

As many people here have stated, the distinction is between a) someone with certificate in TESOL/CELTA/EFL, and b) someone with a bachelor's and/or master's in ESL/TESOL. If you have the degree + certification + classroom experience in a school you will do fine and there are many jobs out there for you. I have my master's in TESOL and had 5 years experience in a classroom in the U.S. before going abroad and I had no problem getting a good job. The pay SHOULD be the same as any other teacher. If not, you might want to consider not working at that school.

If you are in situation (a) as stated above then no, you aren't going to be able to get a job at a good international school. If you are in situation (b) you will do fine.

Cheery,
congrats on your new job (an country)!! I love your enthusiasm and it sounds like you are going to do just fine there! I'm pretty stoked about my new school and location too :) It's nice to hear some positive vibes on this forum!

Ex-New Yorker

I interviewed with them at the SA fair in Boston. Normally, I wouldn't say that that means I really know anything about the school, but in this case the director of the school spent the entire 30 minute interview telling me about the school. And when I say the entire interview, I mean that quite literally. He didn't ask me a SINGLE question about me or my resume. Basically what he talked about was the state of the school and how (like a previous poster mentioned) the school was in a really bad state about 7 years ago, almost to the point of closing, when some concerned parents stepped in and got the school back on its feet. They hired a new Canadian director who started to turn the school around, and then the new (current director I interviewed with) is tying to continue with that to make the school what it needs to be. He said it is not a place for teacher who want everything working perfectly and with everything set. He said the school is still working on figuring out small things (like how to have an effective photo copy system) to bigger issues. He said, if that isn't the situation for you, then the school isn't for you. I also mentioned that the website is quite vague and lacking information and he said that that was something they intended on working on.

I appreciated his honesty. At the same time, a red flag for me personally was that, after not asking me a single question, he said I was one of their top candidates (out of 400 applicants)--and I was applying for something out of my licensure and experience area. And, on top of that, he never got back to me about the position. So I was his top choice, yet apparently not. I sort of felt like he was stringing me along. I wasn't sure if I could take everything he said at his word. If I had been offered the job and was thinking about accepting, I would have wanted to get some feedback from current and former teachers.

Also, taxes aren't high as a previous poster stated. When I worked in Lebanon my salary was half of my NYC salary but after U.S. taxes were taken out and all things such as utilities, transportation, housing, etc. considered, my Lebanese salary was equal to or greater than my U.S. salary.

Lebanese kids a great to teach. They participate in class, they have opinions, they like to talk. (My kind of students). The salary in Lebanon might not be the highest, but it's enough to live well, save a bit, and travel. Of course it depends on the individual and what expenses they have back home. The quality of life in Beirut is great especially considering housing and school are within walking distance. Also there is the Mediterranean sea right there. If you want to live in a great neighborhood right in the middle of bars, restaurants, cafes, bookstores, etc. and still be near to school, you'll love Beirut. The principal at the middle school is great, I'm not personally familiar with the others.

@Mariav1 Definitely go!! You'll have a great experience and be more interesting for it! It's only two years, what if you stay in NYC and don't meet anyone in that time? You'll probably regret that you missed this chance! I say go and re-evaluate when you have to make a decision to renew!

I haven't read all the details here, but check this info from the Florida department of education. They mention how to get a certificate if you are foreign trained or a non-citizen. http://www.fldoe.org/edcert/foreigntrained.asp

calciodirigore mentioned "leveling the playing field" by not attending fair. I presume that to mean that calciodirigore feels that candidates who attend the fairs have an advantage in securing jobs over those who don't attend (perhaps due to financial costs or not being able to get time of school) and he/she deems this to be unfair. Perhaps, that is true, I don't know. We have heard success and failure stories with both Skype and fair interviews. The bottom line is, however, some people do enjoy the fairs and they are not going away. I have to imagine also that they are much more convenient for schools to interviews multiple candidates over a few days rather than the scheduling nightmare that would occur trying to schedule they same amount of interviews via Skype across multiple time zones. I agree with NewChapter that the words like "pathetic" "sad" and "silly" just sound bitter and are not useful. Also, exaggerating by saying interviews are conducted sitting on beds is counterproductive.

I thoroughly enjoyed both of my fair experiences. I liked having the opportunity to talk with multiple schools at the same time. Not least of all because the offers come together around the same time frame so you have the chance to compare options and choose. If I had gotten an offer in November but wasn't sure I would get any more down the road I feel like that would have been MORE pressure to accept than in the fair environment. Also, I really enjoyed speaking with all of the teachers at the fair. I met teachers who had worked in the schools I was considering and could get their opinions and hear their experiences. It was also great to catch up with former administration and colleagues. I would certainly go to a fair again. If I happened to get a job through skype in the process, then fine, but I won't ever swear off job fairs.

At 8:30 I went down to have breakfast with a couple that was planning to accept an offer at my previous school and wanted to know more about it. I was happy to have something to do to keep me occupied as I didn't have anything to do until my 12:30 interview with the Japan school. We had a lovely chat and breakfast in which time I hadn't checked my phone for messages once. We left the restaurant and I saw that I had an email from the very last school I had interviewed with (which I am now realizing I forgot to write about! A great school in a very cold place!) saying they wanted to meet with me to offer the job! There was also a frantic message from my roommate saying I had a message from another school (yesterday's 5pm interview) that wanted to meet with me again. I quickly went up to my room and contacted both arranging to meet with the first school at 10:30 am and the second at noon.

At 10:30 I got my offer for the first school and was given a few days to think about it. The package was excellent, but I was already leaning towards choosing the other school if I got it due to location (Eastern Europe).

I went back down to the restaurant and chatted with my old president and vice president who were really excited for me. The president confirmed that he had spoken to my interviewer and put in a good word. We talked about Japan school and he told me he heard from another director colleague of his that it wouldn't be a great place for [someone like me] in terms of social life, quality of life, and that had been my thinking as well. I went back to my room to cancel the interview with Japan and meet with the E Europe school.

I went to the interview at 12 thinking I was about to be offered the job. I sat down with the interviewer again and he said I interviewed great, my resume was great, he checked with my old president and he used the same adjectives to describe me that I said he would, etc, but that he wanted to ask me some more questions. He said in no way did I have to "prove myself" he just wanted to ask follow up questions. He then proceeded to question me for 30 minutes! Detailed teaching questions, and very specific things things about teaching and my area of specialty. He even checked my understanding of formative/summative assessments and UBD. I actually DID feel like I was needing to prove myself! After 30 minutes he and the director said they knew I would be leaving the fair soon and could I step outside while they discussed. I went out in the hall and met another candidate waiting to speak with them. We go to chatting and turns out he was up for the same position as me! That was a bit of an awkward moment!. At 12:45 they came out and asked if could come back in a half hour! It seemed to me they needed a final interview with the other candidate. I went up to my room and waited patiently with my coat and packed bag for a half hour and then came back down and was asked to wait five more minutes. "Don't worry, it's good, it's good," the interviewer told me. In just a few minutes the director opened the door, welcomed me in, and offered me the job! She also gave me a few days to think it over.

I quickly went upstairs, got my things, and went to meet some friends for a quick lunch before catching my flight. I let it all sink in on the plane ride home and confirmed in my mind that it was the best offer for me and that I was happy to accept.

Monday morning I wrote an email accepting the E European job, and declining the great school/cold location job. I also emailed all the schools I interviewed with and had yet to touch base with. So, it's finally sinking in that everything is real and I just got an amazing job in a location that I'm thrilled to live in. I think I got everything on my wish list for this job fair even though it was in a location that wasn't originally on my radar.

I think I learned a couple important things at this fair: one, I can describe some of my past teaching experience (on my resume) in a better way to really show what kind of teaching I was doing, and two, that I might want to get a second certification so that I can secure interviews with certain schools. The second certification I'd be looking at is one in which I have teaching experience but am not technically certified to teach.

Also, I think it was probably helpful that my old president put in a good word for me, but I certainly worked hard for that offer! Definitely the hardest two interviews of the fair weekend!

Day two starts out with plenty of hope and promise. I had interviewed with 7 schools on Friday and had 6 more line up. The first thing I saw when I woke up was an email from a school that had taken my resume in the sign up session but not given me an interview. They wanted to interview me for a position which I really wanted in a great school but that I technically wasn't qualified for.

First interview was at 8:30 and the lady was late (just a few minutes), hair messy and wearing a dirty jacket. I was already skeptical of this school because at sign ups with her were two "fathers" in religious clothing though I couldn't remember the school being religious (I later checked an barely a mention of this!). Anyways, we interviewed by the elevator couch because her room never got cleaned and I just really wasn't impressed (though the location was desirable!) Second interview was in a W. European country. Didn't love the director so much but could potentially see myself in the school. (W.Europe really isn't a goal for me since I've already traveled there so much).

I checked my box and I had a rejection from a GREAT school with a GREAT package but a non-desirable location. I felt a little relief at not having to make a tough choice later.

After the two morning interviews I had a nice two hour gap to fill. I decided to treat myself to a nice breakfast of eggs benedict in the restaurant. When I had finished my meal, the president of my previous school showed up and sat down and we talked for a good half hour about both of our prospects and interesting interviews that we'd both had. It was interesting that when I told him of a strange interview he wanted to know who it was to see if he knew the person.

After breakfast I went to my third interview with a school in Africa. It was quite short as he realized he didn't really have a position for me. We chatted for about 10 minutes and then I left. My fourth interview was with a school in Japan that sought me out. We talked for about 25 minutes about me and my teaching and he said he really liked me and I was a good fit for the school but he realized we didn't get to talk about the school and I didn't get to ask any questions. We scheduled an hour long interview for Sunday. Fourth interview was for the position that had emailed me that morning. I assumed they would be really interested since the called me back but I spent half the time justifying how I could teach the position that I wasn't certified for. In the end he said he would check with the school, see about my certification, see if the position was ACTUALLY available, and get back to me in a few week. (I mentally crossed that off my list at that time!)

Then I had a 4 hour break. I got two rejections via email. One for a school that I had two interviews for and really thought would be a possibility. The second for a school I wasn't really so interested in (mainly because of the dull recruiter the day before and the location). I went back to the room and had lunch and then met with a couple who had an offer of my last school. I told them all about the school and why I loved it and the location but I also tried to tell them why OTHERS didn't love it so they could make their own decision.

Finally at 5pm I had my second to last interview with a school that my old school president used to work at. A great school I think. At the end of the 30 minutes the interviewer said I interviewed really well and that he would let me know by morning. My last interview was probably my most serious and detailed (and at a time when my brain was most mushy!), though I have to say, that by the end I knew what to say based on the positive reactions of previous interviewers!

I got back to my room and saw an email from a principal back home in his country who wanted to second interview with me. We skyped even though it was about midnight his time! He was very easy going and relaxed. Even seemed happy that he was even being included in the decision making process. (This was from a Friday interview I had with the Director here at the fair).

At the end of two long days I went back to my room and wrote some notes. A few to let schools know I was still interested and a few to thank people for their time (who had rejected me). I went down to the bar and had a glass of wine and some dinner, then another glass of wine talking to a lovely Canadian couple teaching abroad for 13 years with their two girls, and then a final glass of wine with a guy who I had seen numerous time throughout the weekend and had just landed a job in Brazil.

In the end I had 14 interviews. 3 rejections. 1 school that just didn't have a spot for me (Africa School). 1 School MAY potentially get back to me in the distant future. 2 second interviews (including the one that will happen tomorrow and therefore still a possibility of getting the job). That leaves 7 schools which have not given me a yes or no. Essentially that's 9 schools with possibility (10 counting the one with distant future possibility). It feels a bit of a let down to not have a job by Saturday night but I know that it is not over yet. I think that with my possibilities narrowed some, I know what my first choice would be. There are a few that I would be happy with as second choices, and there are some that might not be perfect fits but that I could potentially take. This is so different to my last fair where I got my first choice job on Saturday am and had a very stress-free experience.

Fingers crossed for good luck!

Thanks guys. I've had a couple of rejections so far today but nothing I'm too upset over and it just narrows down the choices. Hoping I start getting some offers today!

I hardly slept last night but that was mostly due to a hard pillow. Got up at 6am to be down before 7 for breakfast. My roommate had a Skype interview at 630 so I tired to stay out of her way. I had a quick breakfast and was in the ballroom by 7 to check out "the scrolls" to see what the final postings were. I located all of my schools and only 2 or 3 no longer had a position but I wasn't disappointed. I finished looking and had more than 30 minutes left to relax and wait for the sign ups. Recruiters started setting up around 740 so a lot of us too the chance to jump right in. I got three interviews before 8 am. I tried to strategize by avoiding long lines and hitting up the tables I was most interested in first. In the end none of the mattered because 2 hours was more than enough time to get to all the tables I wanted. Even waiting in one huge line. In the end only about 2 tables gave me a flat out no and I could see how my experience didn't quite match up. Second sign ups session I had fewer schools that I was targeting. I quickly got all my interviews and then walked around and picked up one more that wasn't on my list. My old head of school was there along with the assistant head so I showed them my list and they were impressed with all of my schools/interviews. They both promised to be a reference for me and I said I would do the same for them. I was out of the session by 11 with plenty of time to relax before my first interview at 12:30.

The first three interviews went well and I has a small break between each one. School one is a good location, good school, not sure about the package. School two has an AMAZING package and not a great location. Though I've talked to people who worked there and they enjoyed their time. School three was a follow up to a pre-fair Skype and I'm still on the fence about them. I had another hour break so I got some lunch and relaxed a bit. Next up we're 4 interviews back to back. The first interview talked ALL about the school and didn't ask me a single question. Also said I was their top choice. The second interview was a follow up to a Skype interview. Love the school, love the head, the country, not SURE i want the specific position. Third school really sold me on the location and was super personable. I also know a teacher there who likes the school. Last school was a huge school in china. I didn't have any connection with the head and he didn't sell me on the school or location at all. My least favorite interview.

It's almost time for the reception and I'm most looking forward to finding people applying to my last city and talking it up! I want people to know how great it is.

I expect I will get at least a few call backs. This year is so hard because I really have no idea where I want to go. If I could have any job on my interview list now I couldn't tell you which I'd pick.

I have 6 more first interviews tomorrow.

I made it all the way across the country with no flight delays (great considering my associate told me some folks were stuck in Atlanta and might not make it!). I arrived at the hotel and it looked like the fair was already in full swing. I rushed upstairs to get ready noticing it was only 30 minutes until the orientation. I came down stairs, had a quick check of the mail boxes (one interview slip from a school I'm not interested in), put my messages to schools in their boxes (so glad I prepared them in advance), and then went over to make it in time for the orientation. It didn't seem like an orientation was about to start so I checked with one of the search people and discovered I set my watch forward an hour too far! With a whole extra hour to spend I went back up to my room to get organized and relax. I met my fair roommate who seems a little high strung. I had kind of gotten that impression over the phone though.

Looking through the packet we got at registration I can imagine it would be quite overwhelming if you showed up to the fair unprepared. Luckily, I have read all the materials, researched my schools and countries, and have a general plan of attack. Also noticed we were given a sign up sheet to record interview and school presentation times and it looks pretty much EXACTLY like the one I made myself on excel. Except mine already has the school presentations I want to attend listed.

Next up: orientation, dinner, bed.