Big year!!

[Mike]

All the teachers at our school who went to ISS Bangkok received job offfers, we got our new jobs in September. I think there are lots of new schools and lots of good jobs out there and the entire interviewing process is changing for the good (For us, the teachers).

Reasons: Better pay for teachers in the USA, more international schools, silly fears of terrorism.

Any other ideas?

[fog]

Hey Mike...

Congrats to all on your job offers at the ISS Asia fair. I will be attending the UNI fair in N.America (Iowa) on Feb1-3. I noticed that most of the schools posted at the fair you just attended will also be at the UNI location. Do you think there will be alot of cancellations? It seems the later the fair in the hiring season, the less chance for securing a job......

[Mike]

Sorry fog, But some of the jobs will be long gone by the time UNI rolls around. If you have a hard to find job (music, library, conselor) you will be allright. Also there are lots more school now than in the past. I am sure you'll find something good, but the recruting habits of schools sure is changing fast.

[guest5]

I wouldn't worry so much. UNI's fair is still pretty early. Last year our superintendent came back from the ISS fair in Boston (last fair of the winter) and said that there were three jobs for every candidate there. While it is true that there are lots of positions already filled, there will be new positions which will open up.

[fog]

Thanks... had I realized the timing, I would have made the trip to Asia. Why are there still fairs as late as June? Do teachers back out of contracts? FOG

[JISAlum]

Thanks... had I realized the timing, I would have made the trip to Asia. Why are there still fairs as late as June? Do teachers back out of contracts? FOG

Yes they do. You also get maternity openings, as well as changing class size expectations. We got a call in late June, and were overseas in under 30 days.

When we went to UNI a few years back, you always heard from Principals that they had to interview at job fairs later in the schedule before they could commit. However I believe the reality is that those openings that are hard to staff, or those candidates that are clearly desirable will get hired on the spot. Those early job fairs will be more advantageous to teachers the harder it gets to recruit teachers.

There really is no way to get firm numbers on the percentage of teachers that don't get jobs based on fairs.

[fog]

Thanks...I did attend the SEARCH fair late last June, in part because I live just 30 miles from where the fair was held. True, there were postings due to broken contracts, class size, but the choice of schools was minimal.
Nothing in my content area...just a few offers at hardship posts, which I declined

[LillyRose]

There are plenty of jobs out there. My first fair I went to the last ISS Fair- as a single and not hard to fill post. I was told by several principals that I was the only one there with my specific resume. I met with 6 schools and got 5 job offers- my first posting overseas. I know plenty of really good people who walked away from fairs as they didn't like the offers there and got calls a week or two later for their dream jobs. There are plenty of good jobs out there.