Does it matter where your foot goes in the door?

[chilagringa]

This is more a hypothetical than anything immediate, but I would like some advice.

For a first international posting (for a newly qualified teacher... I taught for a bit pre-certification but I know that doesn't matter much), how much does the reputation of the school matter? I mean, if it was between a better-known school with no IB, and a pretty much unknown school with IB, which would be the better move? (Let's assume for the sake of argument that both would be equally tolerable places to work.)

[shadowjack]

There are some real hell holes out there. Most IB schools will tend to hire experienced non-IB teachers and expect them to train or train them, rather than inexperienced.

As a newly qualified teacher, go to someplace like Kuwait that loves hiring cheap teachers and do your two years, and move on. Do your homework - there are some schools out there that will eat you up within two or three months - and you won't really be able to tell which ones they are until you are there...

Good luck!

[chilagringa]

If a fairly unknown IB school was in the cards, though, would that change what you said?

[Briz]

I think it most definitely does matter. Some schools will not look at you if you do not have the right background, and that also means where you have taught. However, this is lenient if you get IB training. If you are American, the AP options are out there, and British still have A levels. Unless you get into the opposite programs from across the pond there is usually little interest so again where you have been matters. Elementary is a whole different bag of fun tricks. As a teacher of the little ones you have major competition, so many more reasons to cross you off a list, thus where you have been matters.

If you want to get into a tier 1 and have no experience, I suggest waiting for the job that will get you IB training and 3-5 years ( 2 contracts minimum). You might make it in 2nd time through if you have an excellent track record and great recs, more likely you will need a 2nd stint at a better school than your first. Then the world might open up to you. That being said someone out of university within 6-10 years could possibly be whereever they wish. Or you get lucky and land your dream job...

Good luck.

[eion_padraig]

I think this issue comes down to what individual recruiters think. For instance, I know that our past school principal wouldn't hire teachers from another international school in our city. Our current principal doesn't have this same bias.

So are there some recruiters who will look at where you worked previously and rule you out? Sure, I'm sure there are, but it's hard to know how widespread that bias is amongst recruiters.

I think personal networks amongst recruiters and the networks you build as a teacher are more in play. By that I mean, the administrators and teachers you work with will know other international administrators and teachers. So if a recruiter knows the school you worked at is a friend/respected colleague two things are relevant. First they can probably ask about you even if that person is not a formal reference. Secondly, they may also regard your experience as more valuable because they know that the admin is good at your school. This second factor can work in reverse if they think the people in charge of the school are terrible. They may worry you've picked up 'bad habits' or that you feel you last school is a good model to follow in the future. That's where being able to articulate your teaching style and methods may be very important.

So as your future colleagues move on from your first school to others and the geographic spread of your network will increase. If you are well regarded by colleagues that can help you tremendously. In that sense, I do think going to a school where people are going to continue to work internationally.

I think it can be hard to know about this stuff when you're new to international teaching. And for as much as hiring fairs can be unpleasant (someone was ranting against them in another thread), it can be a great jump start on international school networking. I know our school recruiters play a long game where sometimes an individual isn't a match for a current position, but they keep that person/couple in mind for future openings at their current school or at the next school where they recruit.

[teachaway]

This is a great question. I'm going to be going to my second international school (in a completely different culture, lifestyle, climate than where I am in now) in August and I've always wondered the same thing. While searching for a job this year I saw so many IB / PYP requirements and it was a bit discouraging.

[chilagringa]

Thanks for the advice everyone. You gave me some good things to think about.