The pluses:
I have experience in US HS system (3 yrs), DP (7 yrs), MYP (5 yrs). I once been HOD for 2 yrs and now I'm DP Coordinator. My field is Mathematics and I have worked in NYC, Philippines, and in China. This current school year is my 10th year in teaching Mathematics.
The minuses:
I have a non-teaching spouse and 2 children. Neither of us are American or native-English country passport holders. I have EU passport and my wife and 2 kids have Filipino passport.
What do you think my chances are for getting an offer at the upcoming Bangkok fair? It's quite nerve-wrecking, to say the least.
What are my chances?
Reply
The EU schools are going to love you, but youd starve in most places on one salary. I think youll do very well, you have lots of IB experience, your subject is in demand and your qualified for it. Your the type of candidate that schools will "create" a position for your spouse, probably on a local package, but your the exception not the rule. Id be shooting for a one of the tier 1 schools in Asia. Seriously, your the type of candidate that other candidates are going to hate, because your going to have every school with a math vacancy wanting to interview you, and your going to have your choice of several very good offers. Thats going to be the hardest part for you is deciding on a school before having all your interviews and potential other offers on the table.
When you go to signup rank order your schools. Then wait inline first for your top pick school and schedule that interview as early as possible. Then schedule your second pick interview after and so on. This way when you get an offer you wont have to worry about the "what if" one of your higher ranked schools gives you an offer before even meeting them.
Ok so what id really do is contact your top schools and ask about an interview the day before signup starts. Seriously your that kind of candidate. You could have an offer at your top pick schools before the fair starts. Everyone else will hate you, but your not at a fair to make friends. You can then spend the rest of the weekend celebrating and a mini vacaction.
When you go to signup rank order your schools. Then wait inline first for your top pick school and schedule that interview as early as possible. Then schedule your second pick interview after and so on. This way when you get an offer you wont have to worry about the "what if" one of your higher ranked schools gives you an offer before even meeting them.
Ok so what id really do is contact your top schools and ask about an interview the day before signup starts. Seriously your that kind of candidate. You could have an offer at your top pick schools before the fair starts. Everyone else will hate you, but your not at a fair to make friends. You can then spend the rest of the weekend celebrating and a mini vacaction.
-
Speculative Bubble
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2012 1:34 am
Re: Reply
[quote="PsyGuy"]The EU schools are going to love you, but youd starve in most places on one salary. I think youll do very well, you have lots of IB experience, your subject is in demand and your qualified for it. Your the type of candidate that schools will "create" a position for your spouse, probably on a local package, but your the exception not the rule. Id be shooting for a one of the tier 1 schools in Asia. Seriously, your the type of candidate that other candidates are going to hate, because your going to have every school with a math vacancy wanting to interview you, and your going to have your choice of several very good offers. Thats going to be the hardest part for you is deciding on a school before having all your interviews and potential other offers on the table.
[color=red]I sure hope you're right about this. I've contacted several schools (pretty much all that had a decent offer and a Math opening) and got 2 rejections, 8-10 automated responses, and 1 "you're shortlisted, see you at the fair". I don't feel I'm as sought after as you say.[/color]
When you go to signup rank order your schools. Then wait inline first for your top pick school and schedule that interview as early as possible. Then schedule your second pick interview after and so on. This way when you get an offer you wont have to worry about the "what if" one of your higher ranked schools gives you an offer before even meeting them.
[color=red] That's the plan.[/color]
Ok so what id really do is contact your top schools and ask about an interview the day before signup starts. Seriously your that kind of candidate. You could have an offer at your top pick schools before the fair starts. Everyone else will hate you, but your not at a fair to make friends. You can then spend the rest of the weekend celebrating and a mini vacaction.[/quote]
[color=red]I only hope this at the moment. I'll write back once the fair is over.[/color]
[color=red]I sure hope you're right about this. I've contacted several schools (pretty much all that had a decent offer and a Math opening) and got 2 rejections, 8-10 automated responses, and 1 "you're shortlisted, see you at the fair". I don't feel I'm as sought after as you say.[/color]
When you go to signup rank order your schools. Then wait inline first for your top pick school and schedule that interview as early as possible. Then schedule your second pick interview after and so on. This way when you get an offer you wont have to worry about the "what if" one of your higher ranked schools gives you an offer before even meeting them.
[color=red] That's the plan.[/color]
Ok so what id really do is contact your top schools and ask about an interview the day before signup starts. Seriously your that kind of candidate. You could have an offer at your top pick schools before the fair starts. Everyone else will hate you, but your not at a fair to make friends. You can then spend the rest of the weekend celebrating and a mini vacaction.[/quote]
[color=red]I only hope this at the moment. I'll write back once the fair is over.[/color]
Comment
Those schools and recruiters are just playing hard to get. Really, if they arent looking for you (with your resume) they arent looking for anyone. They just dont want to come off as salivating teenagers talking to a cheerleader.
Every single recruiter knows how to play it cool, doesnt matter if they are an elite school or a bottom 3rd tier school, they all act like they have the greatest school on the planet (and most think what makes their schools so great is themselves). They act as if they are doing you a favor just by letting them walk into the same room as them. If you have a couple minutes at signup look at the european schools or ASIj with the line across the room and then look at one of the middle east schools (not armaco) with no one in line, the recruiters all have the same posture, pose, an aloof attitude. Its all spectacle pageantry. No one would take them seriously if you saw the reality which would be the elite schools sitting on a pedestal as candidates brought them sacrificial offerings while the third tier schools were running around like hunger crazed animals.
As a mathematician you know thats not true, that they all cant be great, having any quality such as great requires something to compare and contrast too, that having good schools necessitates there being bad schools, and knowing that the vast majority of these phenomenon exhibit a normal distribution, we know that the number of truly great schools is going to be small, and the number of really bad schools is going to eb small, with a lot of them in the middle and mostly indistinguishable from the others. Really and truly when you get to schools within the same tier as each other the differences boil down to preferences between teachers. Some teachers prefer money, some prefer western culture, some like asian woman some want warm weather, some want to live near a beach, some want IB, some want AP, some want UK etc, etc, etc.
These recruiters are just playing on your insecurities, they make you feel unwanted and non competitive, when in reality they have a school to run that requires teachers (they need someone in that classroom), and you have a job back home to go back to. Its just like back in high school wee the "cool" guy who treats woman poorly, and makes them want him more. You need to go to the fair with the mind set that your doing the school a favor in providing them a great teacher that will ensure their students success, add value to the school and make the school more desirable with its client base. Dont go in there on your proverbial knees grateful that they are just talking to you.
Every single recruiter knows how to play it cool, doesnt matter if they are an elite school or a bottom 3rd tier school, they all act like they have the greatest school on the planet (and most think what makes their schools so great is themselves). They act as if they are doing you a favor just by letting them walk into the same room as them. If you have a couple minutes at signup look at the european schools or ASIj with the line across the room and then look at one of the middle east schools (not armaco) with no one in line, the recruiters all have the same posture, pose, an aloof attitude. Its all spectacle pageantry. No one would take them seriously if you saw the reality which would be the elite schools sitting on a pedestal as candidates brought them sacrificial offerings while the third tier schools were running around like hunger crazed animals.
As a mathematician you know thats not true, that they all cant be great, having any quality such as great requires something to compare and contrast too, that having good schools necessitates there being bad schools, and knowing that the vast majority of these phenomenon exhibit a normal distribution, we know that the number of truly great schools is going to be small, and the number of really bad schools is going to eb small, with a lot of them in the middle and mostly indistinguishable from the others. Really and truly when you get to schools within the same tier as each other the differences boil down to preferences between teachers. Some teachers prefer money, some prefer western culture, some like asian woman some want warm weather, some want to live near a beach, some want IB, some want AP, some want UK etc, etc, etc.
These recruiters are just playing on your insecurities, they make you feel unwanted and non competitive, when in reality they have a school to run that requires teachers (they need someone in that classroom), and you have a job back home to go back to. Its just like back in high school wee the "cool" guy who treats woman poorly, and makes them want him more. You need to go to the fair with the mind set that your doing the school a favor in providing them a great teacher that will ensure their students success, add value to the school and make the school more desirable with its client base. Dont go in there on your proverbial knees grateful that they are just talking to you.
Hello Bubble
I am in similar shoes, and also Hungarian. Currently teach in Beijing with a non-teaching wife and child. Where are you now?
-
Speculative Bubble
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2012 1:34 am
Re: Hello Bubble
Small world. I signed a 2-year contract with WISS (Western International School of Shanghai). Contact me at tilistyakd@yahoo.com.
[quote="hogyorgy"]I am in similar shoes, and also Hungarian. Currently teach in Beijing with a non-teaching wife and child. Where are you now?[/quote]
[quote="hogyorgy"]I am in similar shoes, and also Hungarian. Currently teach in Beijing with a non-teaching wife and child. Where are you now?[/quote]
-
shadowjack
- Posts: 2140
- Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am