Trojan wrote:
> A great option these days is online work. Be a consultant, or when you
> leave the States, for example, see if you can set up some kind of role that
> doesnt need to be physically present w your current job.
>
> This is becoming more and more common anyways--working from home--and I
> know multiple spouses here at my current school who are doing it.
>
> They make US money too, which is nice!
>
> The good: the money, the flexibility when changing countries, the no hassle
> w visas.
> The bad: no interaction w locals, possible time difference issues.

Trojan, do you know of specific companies or outlets to find jobs like that? We have been looking for something like that for my H. There are a few companies we have found, but it's hard to get a job straight out that is telecommuting.

Typically you are with a company for a long period of time and then they will allow telecommuting...

I think it depends on the countries requirements. I applied for a job in the UAE and they said it would have to be re-certified. Some countries may require that the date on the stamp is after the date of work permit or hire.

Also, I think technically by law, it probably should not be used in another country, since you have filled out a government document stating which country you will use it in and only one country was allowed to be listed.

I don't want to burst your bubble.....but do you have your work permit from your school yet?

You can't get your medical done until you have received your work permit because the date on your medical has to be after the date of your work permit.

I will tell you that the visa process for Kuwait was probably the single most stressful time of my life!! I hated it!

For authentications, you will need to get it redone for each country to you go to. If you remember, when you filled out the paper work it asked you which country they will be used for. So next time, you will need to do it again for the next country.

I am sure there are some countries that are worse and some countries that are much much easier.

The school should be giving you some guidance. I received the steps, etc from my school. If you feel like PMing me your email, I could try to find those docs and forward them to you.

But like I said, you shouldn't be doing anything untli you receive your work permit from your school. It should be couriered to you. And march seems much to early for that... We didn't get ours til late June.

When I want to find blogs of teachers in the country I am researching/going to, I do a google search.

google: Site:blogspot.com teacher in Beijing

or wherever you are going? or maybe teaching in Beijing or expat in Beijing etc

this will bring you blogs of people who use blogger. Another website is called expat-blog.com There are blogs on there and forums for different countries. Those can be blogs of any expat though, not just teachers.

I have a blog, but I am really bad about posting there....mine was from Cairo and now Kuwait.

There is a school here in Kuwait called Fawsia Sultan Intl School. It's a special ed school. I know several teachers from there and they are really happy there.

There are plenty of Special Ed positions, but I don't know much about them. Learning support or ELL support would be a good option.

Your experience technically won't count towards salary steps, but it's good to list on your resume. It's at least teaching exp. to show. Fresh teachers get plenty of offers all the time. The ME is a good place to start, and there are some schools with sped openings.

I am definitely cheaper than you DeDee. I have a Masters and 3yrs exp, 2 of which have been international however. And a trailing spouse but he costs schools nothing if they don't want it to.

However, you bring up a good point. I think a lot of schools did a ton of hiring in Dec/early Jan this year! So a lot of openings were filled even before the fairs. A good friend of mine had the same thing happen. She applied for a school that would be at Search. Had a few Skypes and ultimately they hired her before the fair and just met at the hotel to sign papers. She was signed up for Search London but didn't need to go.

Unfortunately for me, I didn't know I would be leaving until Jan., so that wasn't a possibility.

well Mr.C4ke I sure hope that's what happens this time too. I'm starting to get desperate....but at the same time, might be ok with just going home. I do really want to stay abroad though and don't know how a one year back home would look on my resume. I am sure it won't help me.

There have been like next to no jobs posted on TIE. Last year there was way more than I feel like there was this year. It's difficult. I have applied for several positions where I have ticked all of their boxes including the "preferred" qualifications, schools that would be step down or sideways rather than up, and I've gotten nothing. I'm pretty much grasping for straws at this point.

I've had a really difficult time this year. I still haven't secured a position for next year. I've had interviews with 6 schools. 1 offer that I turned down. Another supposed offer that is coming in, but I will probably turn down as well because the salary is absurdly low.

I've been overseas for two years, in two different countries/intl schools. My last two times recruiting it was super easy for me.

It's making me worried and I think I might end up of having to move back to the US....even if just for a year. I suppose jobs will come along as the final months of the school year progress...but I don't see many quality jobs opening up.

I think it does have to do with increased competition and maybe it's just not a turn over year.

I would probably follow up now, or wait til Sunday/Monday depending on where in the world it is. Just say, "I was hoping to hear from you last week to set up an interview. I am still very interested in meeting with you to discuss my qualifications and learn more about XYZ school. I am available anytime this week (or state times). I look forward to hearing back from you.

I'll PM you.

Hey everyone,

I have been pretty unsuccessful this year recruiting. I have TIE online.

I've heard good things on here about Joy jobs. Do they really post much different jobs than TIE? Is it worth the $40?

I have heard people say that they have seen jobs on there that they haven't seen anywhere else. But are these with good schools?

Tell me more. :)

Really it depends on the laws of the country. Some countries will not issue work visas to people over a certain age. You would have to research that.

I actually just go to the Search website and ISS website and look at their lists of schools.

Then you have to go to the schools websites and see what they offer, etc.

Oh, also AIS is IB, so that is another perk to AIS.

Honestly, Kuwaiti kids can be really quite racist to any one who is NOT Kuwaiti....however, they might be a little intrigued by an American (?) student....but when Kuwaiti kids hang out, they speak Arabic. I would imagine it would be quite difficult for an American to assimilate into that environment. Plus (I'll preface this with saying I've had quite THE day teaching my "lovely" Kuwait kids) Kuwaiti kids can be very inconsiderate. I have a group of girls in my gr 3 class that are such huge drama queens. It is constant cliqueing and secrets and note passing and talking behind each others backs/name calling. It's incessant. At grade 3. Just yesterday, one girl said to another (who is typically her friend) "No one in the class even likes you. Can you even name anyone who likes you?!" in the most snarky attitude.

I do think it would be better to go to another school with some western kids, but the only school that I know of like that is American School of Kuwait (ASK) they have the embassy kids and diplomat kids, oil kids, etc. but I still don't think it's a huge population of kids. I've heard AIS is good too, in terms of the kids being more welcoming. I have a coworker is is Christian Lebanese and her daughter is going to be school age next year and she refused to put her in our school because of the racism and she heard good things about AIS so that is where she is sending her daughter.