In your experience, do you notice a difference between male and female admin in terms of their management styles?

Is it me or is there an over representation of former PE teachers in Admin at international schools?

What are the best schools in Africa?

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@PsyGuy — interesting take. Elaborate? Why do you think that is?

More interested in the crickets than the question on this one.

There is always that one fateful morning when it is different. You wake up and you don't want to go in and that sentiment comes from a deeper place. We all need blinders on to a degree, but that voice hits when the blinders come loose and we don't want to put them back on again.

Hey. I've met plenty of mid career international teachers in my years overseas. They often make outstanding teachers. Last one I knew was a geologist in the petrol industry who teaches chemistry now in Shanghai. He switched for similar reasons as you described, and was one of the happiest guys at the school. There are a handful of certification experts on this board that I'm sure will have more focused replies than mine, but I just wanted to lend a few words of support. Best of luck on the road ahead.

This recruitment season should lead to a further re-evaluation of the conference model, and with it, the overall relevance of Search. Why should a school pay Search a fee for a candidate that they Skyped with, when they can simply Skype with candidates independently? Once upon a time, the conference model gave Search relevance and made them essential players in the IE job market. I just don't know that this is the case anymore, and like so many other things, Covid should accelerate this.

As for this year, most of the people I speak with are staying put where they are until Covid blows over. Meanwhile, many schools have cancelled contracts for this year. Others have shuttered for the year in hopes that they can open up when things improve. I would guess that Search's revenues for the 2021 season will be down by at least 40 percent.

Depends on what you need. Are you a relative newbie looking for a first or second contract? If yes, then they are probably worth it. Looking for China and the Middle East? These regions keep Search in business, and you'll be flooded in openings from these schools, so if this is a goal, they might be worth it. But if you are a seasoned international teacher, you should have a sense of what the landscape looks like, where the good schools are in each region, and you can apply to these schools directly as they post openings. At this point in your career, you will probably know people at a few of the schools you are interested in. So I'd say that if you are doing things properly, then you should need Search less and less as your career progresses.

There are some gems in Paris. I won't name them here, but yes... they are there. PsyGuy is 100% correct in his last statement. If you are lucky enough to live and work in Paris, most fall in love with the quality of life and see no reason to leave because, as PsyGuy says, "Where do they go 'up go'?

Anyone ever consider requesting the CV of the prospective admin during a job interview? I've never made the request, am not sure what the response would be, but it is something I think of from time to time. When you accept to work under a school administrator, the leverage they have over you is so disproportionate. I should be able to know more about the background of such an individual before entering into such a lopsided power dynamic. Looking back, I can think of a few school admin I never would have worked with if I'd known their background before accepting the job.

To echo what many on this board have said, you first need to go somewhere where you can save a lot, likely the Middle East. Earn as much as possible, save as much as you can. But this won't be enough. You'll need the market. Index funds are one approach, but if it is possible, you should attempt to learn to trade. The margins are much higher if you can learn to trade individual stocks, learning to recognise trend reversals and take advantage of volatility. This can be learned.

To what extent is being attractive an asset when interviewing for a job at an international school? To what extent is being attractive an asset when seeking promotion?

Can I ask what region or country this school is on?

How real is this? Does Search really ban people for life for breaking contract or leaving bad situations without their blessing?