Hey everyone, happy recruiting season to you all! I have a question about those top schools in Europe, Japan, and Hong Kong that the forums say many will gun for and few will qualify. What ARE the qualifications to be competitive for positions at AS London, AIS Japan, AS of the Hague, et al. ? We're trying to decide if we want to go to SA London in January.

Thanks in advance,

UnCloudy

PsyGuy wrote:
> I generally concur with @UnCloudy
>
> 1) Overdress and pay particular attention to things such as personal
> hygiene such as your scent and clothing choices that dont go noticed in
> virtual interviews such as your shoes, etc.
>
> 2) Be early, but not too early, 15 minutes is about the limit. Plan to
> travel casually you dont want to get to the interview all sweaty or
> frustrated.
>
> 3) Dont learn everything you can about the IS, 2nd interviews are more a
> conversation, if you know everything you leave the founder very little too
> talk about and your inquiries will be canned/staged.
>
> 4) Whats an intelligent question? I would say, ask your questions
> intelligently.
>
> 5) I wouldnt be completely honest if you havent been up to this point. This
> is still a social function and dumping something adverse to your candidacy
> at this stage isnt going to go over well at all. If you feel the need to
> confess do so later over email.
>
> 6) Absolutely send a real thank you note.
>
> Second interviews with ownership are not about job skills they are about
> finding "fit" with a candidate, do they like you, do you like
> them. Its more important to appear confident and at ease and
> "real" then nervous about giving the right answers. Have a
> prepared anecdote about what motivated you to go into education, and
> another about a personal challenge you overcame. Keep those stories as
> safety/backup.
>
> Error on the side of being conservative, but dont make it a chore for the
> interviewer to search for questions. You get to that point in an hour long
> interview where you can tell the interviewer is trying to get you to
> express and emote more. Again this is a conversation not a Q&A.

Heh, I especially like #5 - you're right of course, don't tell the truth now if you haven't been!

Overdress
Be on time
Let your enthusiasm show
Learn everything you can about the school
Ask intelligent questions
Be completely honest
Send a real thank you note

Are you going to ASL??? Please post how it goes if you are and good luck!!!

Yeah, no. PsyGuy everything you said would've *maybe* been true a year or two ago, not now. OP, MAKE SURE you talk to more than one teacher who is currently living in Caracas. Talk to the single women who arrived this year. Ask lots and lots and lots of questions. That's all I can really say.

Love ours - he responds within 24 hours with a complete and personal email every single time. Michael Williams - can't say enough good things about him.

@auntiesocial - that was exactly what our last school as like and i agree that it was pretty ideal. our new school is clique-ish in the most tedious and sophomoric of ways and I am long past caring whether someone thinks they are or i am a cool kid. it's amazing how it affects the overall culture of going to work.

Thanks @sciteach. I think that is good advice and holds true most places. After speaking to our recruiter it is clear that when a place is in as bad shape as this one, and getting increasingly very very dangerous - two years is plenty. Maybe things will get better - I'm at a great school!

@Monkey, that's what we heard back from our Search recruiter, too....he said absolutely no one would ever hold it against us - not with what is happening where we are. Thank you!

Thanks everyone, I appreciate it. We didn't want to shoot ourselves in the foot!

Thank you @martalin - it is just a two year initial contract. We definitely aren't looking to tour the world with two year stints....we just happened to land in a location that is falling to pieces and we have a child to consider. If things turn around here, I would be thrilled to stay long-term!

Hey everyone, Happy Friday! Here is my question: some of you know where I am and that this is our first position overseas. Overall we are adjusting well and having a reasonably good time as the school we are in is great (tier 1 I believe, as far as those things go). Is it ok to leave after 2 years here? It's our first time out and while we would love to stay somewhere long term, we don't feel this is that place. Thanks in advance for your reply.

reisgio wrote:
> Yes, the private message function is currently not operational it appears.
> Uncloudy, I followed your entire story last year, and I am hoping for the
> best for you. Have things not gone according to plan? I always say safety
> first, and I hope you are able to do that for your family in Venezuela.

Thank you :) When do things ever go according to plan? Lol. It's really as @calciodirigore said - great school, but the country is tanking and we aren't particularly sheltered from that reality (aside from financially). The situation has gotten considerably worse since we initially accepted our positions, and there is no real hope of improvement (or stabilization) in the near future. While we are hanging in there, it would be difficult to recommend Venezuela as a good destination for a family.

Happy to if you just want to PM me?

calciodirigore wrote:
> I would not go back any time soon due to very common and violent crime and
> a an increasingly unpleasant and unstable political situation.
>
> Venezuela is stunning but travel within the country is dangerous. Travel
> around SA is expensive and incredibly inconvenient.
>
> I would never take a family to Caracas.
>
> Shame. Brilliant school and amazing country.

We are there now, I'll just say calciodirigore is spot on.

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