No experience... International school job possible?

[westcoaster]

Hi all,

I will be graduating next December with a B.ed (secondary science) from an university in BC, Canada and would like to work at an international school.

So, I am wondering if I will be able to get a job at an international school with (a) no experience and (b) in January 2011?

I have taught EFL for 2 years prior to returning to school in South Korea but I don't know if that counts for anything.

I am particularly interested in working in South Korea, Hong Kong or other parts of Asia.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

[Gipper]

a) Without question

b) August of 2011, no question, but January of 2011 would be more difficult, circumstances do arise where a school may need someone mid-way through a year, but not that often.

[JISAlum]

I've seen some long term subs on some school sites as I've been trolling. Some mention the possibility of becoming full-time next year. I'd be concerned though that you'd get overseas hire benefits- not local.

[westcoaster]

Gipper and JISalum- Great! Thank you for replying to my post. It's good to hear that I won't have a problem getting an international school job as a newbie.

But I forgot to add that I will be going overseas with my husband (who doesn't have a teaching certificate but lots of experience teaching EFL) and our toddler. I'm thinking that my husband could get a job in the EFL sector (such as NET in Hong Kong or EPIK in Korea). Would schools be hesitant to hire me with a non-certified teaching spouse even though he could easily get a job at another school?

[JISAlum]

There aren't many options for a non-teaching spouse and dependent. IMHO it comes down to demand though. If you're in demand enough then they might consider you. Some larger schools are interested in non-teaching spouses to fill non-teaching roles. You're benefits will be less as well. You might think what kind of value your spouse could bring to a school. I think the trick for you is finding that school that sees value in your hiring, and flexibility in whatever your spouse bring to the table.

*The above comment is by no means a highly educated, nor one based on any direct experience, and should be viewed with skepticism. Give it a shot.... :)

[markholmes]

I am in a somewhat similar situation to yourself. I am currently a TOC with the VSB. If that means anything to you, you know where I live. You must be at the uni up the hill.

I qualified in 2009. My wife will qualify as a Kindergarten teacher in 2010, but doesn't want to start work until Jan 2011 (I want to start in Sept 2010). We have a four year old.

In the past four weeks I have sent out 50 resumes/cover letters (covering both of us). So far I've had one rejection, two emails from interested schools (schools I applied to) and one email from a school I
didn't apply too, but they found our resumes on www.tieonline.com .

I don't know what will come of them and we are also applying to places in Canada and the UK. I'm quite happy with the response we've got so far. Nothing ventured, nothing gained as they say.

If you want more info, post your email address and I'll keep you updated on where we are.

[westcoaster]

JISalum- Thank you for your opinion. It is much appreciated.

markholmes- I know what VSB stands for. Congrats for getting onto that board! I'm not up the hill but on the southern part of the big island.

I'm glad to hear that there is someone else out there with a similar situation. I definitely like to hear how it works out for you in your job search.

My email address is murphyster at gmail dot com

BTW- What other parts of Canada have you applied to? I'm just curious.

[Overhere]

Just wondering whether you will have your certification in Jan of 2011 if you grad in December? Most schools/countries will want to see the paper trail before offering a job.

[westcoaster]

Good question. I was told that it would only take 2 weeks to get my certification processed because December is a quiet time of the year for the BC College of Teachers.

[Molson]

Hiya,

I worked in Korea for 10 years before going back to Canada and getting a B.Ed. Six of those years were in a private elite high school teaching non-ESL subjects like composition and critical reading.

I was able to get a job at an international school due to this past experience. I teach English in China and my past experience with ESL and Koreans was a big factor in the headmaster giving me an interview.

What nationality is your husband? There are ESL jobs in places like Korea, China and Japan, but they are for native speakers.

I have a daughter and she gets free tuition. As long as you only have the one kid you should be fine.

My advice is to apply in advance. I lucked into a last minute spot. I had a few last minute people applying to me (teachers who signed contracts or letters of intent do drop out last minute in June or July due various reasons - the guy I replaced told my school his kid had cancer so he was staying put) and some of the locations were less than desirable at places with some bad reviews on this site. Luckily the school I am at now is half decent.

[the Hippo]

A friend of mine has just resigned from a Secondary Science teaching post at a school in the UAE. He said that he was "swamped" with job offers and had no problems getting another job.

[westcoaster]

Hi Molson- Good to hear that you were able to get an international job after finishing your B.Ed and that your prior EFL experience was an asset. My husband is Canadian and has plenty of EFL experience.

I was going to ask when I should be applying for jobs but you answered my question.

The hippo- Thanks for your reply. It is good to hear that your friend got lots of job offers mid school year.

[Molson]

[quote="westcoaster"]Hi Molson- Good to hear that you were able to get an international job after finishing your B.Ed and that your prior EFL experience was an asset. My husband is Canadian and has plenty of EFL experience.

I was going to ask when I should be applying for jobs but you answered my question.

The hippo- Thanks for your reply. It is good to hear that your friend got lots of job offers mid school year.[/quote]

You should be applying for jobs now, as in in January/February. Lots of jobs have been posted in the past month. I have also seen that many jobs have already been posted as filled. I know at my school my headmaster is looking to fill all our openings before the Chinese New Year break.

If you husband can work ESL jobs though I would suggest South Korea, Japan and Taiwan with Beijing/Shanghai as a last resort.

[westcoaster]

Hi Molson- I just wanted to clarify- you said that I should apply now for jobs but I won't be finished my program until December 2010. Is it okay to apply now or should I wait till the fall?