The International Schools Review Forum

Outside of your qualifications, family situation is most important. One hire with a trailing spouse and two or more kids is a difficult obstacle to overcome. Race I'd say is next, but that depends on the location and school. They might be waiting for a white counselor, but I really can't see a school passing on a counselor because of race if they didnt have other options available. Counseling is just that high of demand.
It's more likely they are holding out for a counselor with more college advising experience then the mental health specialist.

I have one kid and no spouse, I guess I just have to wait and see what happens at the fair. Thanks

Private schools will probably look at race. I remember one head getting back to me after offering saying that he has to take back the offer and said sorry, but he can't do anything. This was in china and it was a private school. I know there is a large preference for white teachers in these kind of schools regardless of everything else.

International schools shouldn't care and are probably looking at diversifying their teaching staff.

Don't be discouraged. Race matters but more in the fact there's a preference for a certain type of international school teacher more than a we don't want YOU type of thing. And that goes deeper much than race.

I'll repeat my experience of only having one school contact me before Cambridge and then getting there and having many schools express interest by putting notes in my box. I was so busy that I cancelled interviews out of pure exhaustion.

Every counselor that I have had the pleasure to meet at a job fair has walked away with a job that they were satisfied with (at least at that time). The waiting game is painful but trust that there will be light at the end of the tunnel.

As for me, 3 days until Bangkok...

Wow, and as I flipped over to my email after writing this there is another note asking me to interview with a school that hasn't even posted the position. I'm trying to get over the disappointment of my dream position disappearing this week-when one door closes..

@Mathman... Thank you for information , I plan on only applying to international schools.

@DCgirl... You have been extremely helpful and have given me very useful guidance on my path to international counseling/teaching. I cannot wait until Cambridge to land a job in a desirably diverse school.

Plenty of 'international' schools out there with 100+ nationalities. Just that they are all Korean/Chinese or whatever the locals are with second passports.

It's hard to tell from their marketing materials since teachers kids are always on them, but see how bad the English is on their website.

"International School" is just a name, there is no regulation regarding its use. there are plenty of international schools that are comprised mainly of locals in their student body. In some cases the only real foreigners are teachers kids.

Two solid nibbles! A Skype interview with one school, with a follow up coming soon, and an interview tomorrow after registration at Search.

For everyone who is going to be at Search, good luck! I look forward to talking about everyone's nibbles... and hopefully offers that result from the nibbles.

Excellent news, sevarem! Good luck with the interviews!

Well I am happy to report that I have heard from 3 schools that will like to meet at the fair. Another school wishes to conduct a Skype interview. I guess schools start contacting candidates closer to fair time. However my top choice schools have already filled their position for counselors. I feel so much better knowing that I am not being overlooked. Good luck to everyone currently at the fair

@newcounsel

Great to hear about the interest you're getting. Good luck with the Skype interview.

There end up being counseling postions open even in March, April, and May. I was scoping out jobs on TIE last year, and there were new counseling positions being posted in those months, aside from postings that were up from earlier in the year.