London Search Newbie Job Fair Diary...
Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2015 10:42 am
So just finished me and my partner’s first Search associates London job fair!! Here is a small recount of how the fair was for us.
Day 1 – Thursday
Day 1 was definitely the calm before the storm, this first day of the London fair is mainly just presentations and the fair orientation. Fair registration was between 1-5pm as we couldn’t get the full day off from our current schools. We arrived at the fair at about 4.45pm just in time for candidate registration. We collected our names badges, put our jackets down and had a stroll around the hotel. First stop- the candidate lounge which was filled with eager teachers scanning available posts (like eagles) on A3 sized sheets mounted on walls by the schools attending.
We had been approached by schools prior to the fair and found notes in our candidate folders asking us to drop by them during interview sign up which would be the following morning. We then attended the orientation which was a 20-30 minute presentation that addressed some of the dos and don’ts of a fair and general housekeeping. After this we went back to the candidate lounge and double checked the schools we had researched before the fair still had vacancies and also made a note of schools that weren’t on our radar before but now had vacancies for us both.
It was good to chat to other people and trade stories, there was definitely a community feeling within the candidate room. Next, we posted our CV’s and Ichiro’s with a note requesting an interview with all the schools we liked the look of and had vacancies for both of us. This cover note acts much like a letter of application. It should be formal, address your interest and be brief. Do not take offence if recruiters are unable to view this before interview sign up. We handed out 13 of these and of the 13 only about 6-7 had actually seen them. I would definitely recommend in future arriving to the fair at the start of registration on the first day and handing in CV’s into the recruiter’s mail boxes upon arrival this will give the recruiters enough time to pick up your CV and have a good look first before the rush and also before the sign up sessions on the morning of Day 2.
Accommodation: We stayed in a hotel within a 10 minute walk. This gave us solace from the madness of the fair during the evening.
Day 2 – Friday
Up bright and early, day 2 was the interview sign ups. Sessions started at 8am for leadership candidates and 8.30 for other teaching position. Everyone was held in the candidate lounge and wasn’t allowed to enter the sign up room until 8.30am. The entry process to the sign up room was actually quite organised, for one there were two entrances depending on your surname. Everyone was let in at the same time although the sign up room was split over two floors which was a bit awkward as some of the schools were downstairs and others were upstairs. So if you weren’t organised or you missed out on a school while walking around you would be trekking up and down a big flight of spiral stairs. The sign up was frantic and you literally had 30 seconds to sell yourself to a school. Some already know who you are (which was reassuring) whilst others use it as an opportunity to screen you. We managed to secure 8 interviews, 4 for that same day and 4 for the day after. Some schools had queues upon queues outside their stands. While other schools looked derelict. As soon as the sign up was completed it was research time as the interviews we scheduled were in quick succession.
Day 3- Saturday
Our final 4 interviews took place. The candidate lounge was tense with nerves and emotions running wild. Being in a teaching couple has its advantages and disadvantages. Firstly, we did interviews with some schools who only had a guaranteed place for one of us and a tentative vacancy for the other. This was mainly for experience and connections being our first fair. This was very productive and helped us network efficiently and gain some fantastic feedback.
Some interviewers interviewed us separately, others interviewed us together and some interviewed us one by one and then invited us together to answer questions as the end. Every recruiter had a very different approach.
All in all it was a very successful first fair for us. We received 2 firm offers and have 2/3 tentative offers. We would definitely recommend and attend other fairs in the future.
Tips
•Research, Research, Research BEFORE you arrive at the fair, have a good idea of schools you are interested in that have vacancies available for you and approach them first. Schools appreciated this with some commenting on the fact that we approached them straight away.
•Network and talk to other teachers, swap emails and details as the international scene is smaller than you think, and you will be surprised what can become of a conversation.
•Have an open mind about locations and schools as you may be surprised where you could end up.
•Attend as many presentations as possible as this may sway your decision to apply or accept an offer from a school. It also gives you an opportunity to ask direct questions outside of an interview scenario.
•Have a large breakfast as days are long and tiring and you are often on your feet and time can be very limited.
•Dress to impress- ensure you are dressed in formal business attire as this is definitely seen as a plus and eludes to your professionalism.
Day 1 – Thursday
Day 1 was definitely the calm before the storm, this first day of the London fair is mainly just presentations and the fair orientation. Fair registration was between 1-5pm as we couldn’t get the full day off from our current schools. We arrived at the fair at about 4.45pm just in time for candidate registration. We collected our names badges, put our jackets down and had a stroll around the hotel. First stop- the candidate lounge which was filled with eager teachers scanning available posts (like eagles) on A3 sized sheets mounted on walls by the schools attending.
We had been approached by schools prior to the fair and found notes in our candidate folders asking us to drop by them during interview sign up which would be the following morning. We then attended the orientation which was a 20-30 minute presentation that addressed some of the dos and don’ts of a fair and general housekeeping. After this we went back to the candidate lounge and double checked the schools we had researched before the fair still had vacancies and also made a note of schools that weren’t on our radar before but now had vacancies for us both.
It was good to chat to other people and trade stories, there was definitely a community feeling within the candidate room. Next, we posted our CV’s and Ichiro’s with a note requesting an interview with all the schools we liked the look of and had vacancies for both of us. This cover note acts much like a letter of application. It should be formal, address your interest and be brief. Do not take offence if recruiters are unable to view this before interview sign up. We handed out 13 of these and of the 13 only about 6-7 had actually seen them. I would definitely recommend in future arriving to the fair at the start of registration on the first day and handing in CV’s into the recruiter’s mail boxes upon arrival this will give the recruiters enough time to pick up your CV and have a good look first before the rush and also before the sign up sessions on the morning of Day 2.
Accommodation: We stayed in a hotel within a 10 minute walk. This gave us solace from the madness of the fair during the evening.
Day 2 – Friday
Up bright and early, day 2 was the interview sign ups. Sessions started at 8am for leadership candidates and 8.30 for other teaching position. Everyone was held in the candidate lounge and wasn’t allowed to enter the sign up room until 8.30am. The entry process to the sign up room was actually quite organised, for one there were two entrances depending on your surname. Everyone was let in at the same time although the sign up room was split over two floors which was a bit awkward as some of the schools were downstairs and others were upstairs. So if you weren’t organised or you missed out on a school while walking around you would be trekking up and down a big flight of spiral stairs. The sign up was frantic and you literally had 30 seconds to sell yourself to a school. Some already know who you are (which was reassuring) whilst others use it as an opportunity to screen you. We managed to secure 8 interviews, 4 for that same day and 4 for the day after. Some schools had queues upon queues outside their stands. While other schools looked derelict. As soon as the sign up was completed it was research time as the interviews we scheduled were in quick succession.
Day 3- Saturday
Our final 4 interviews took place. The candidate lounge was tense with nerves and emotions running wild. Being in a teaching couple has its advantages and disadvantages. Firstly, we did interviews with some schools who only had a guaranteed place for one of us and a tentative vacancy for the other. This was mainly for experience and connections being our first fair. This was very productive and helped us network efficiently and gain some fantastic feedback.
Some interviewers interviewed us separately, others interviewed us together and some interviewed us one by one and then invited us together to answer questions as the end. Every recruiter had a very different approach.
All in all it was a very successful first fair for us. We received 2 firm offers and have 2/3 tentative offers. We would definitely recommend and attend other fairs in the future.
Tips
•Research, Research, Research BEFORE you arrive at the fair, have a good idea of schools you are interested in that have vacancies available for you and approach them first. Schools appreciated this with some commenting on the fact that we approached them straight away.
•Network and talk to other teachers, swap emails and details as the international scene is smaller than you think, and you will be surprised what can become of a conversation.
•Have an open mind about locations and schools as you may be surprised where you could end up.
•Attend as many presentations as possible as this may sway your decision to apply or accept an offer from a school. It also gives you an opportunity to ask direct questions outside of an interview scenario.
•Have a large breakfast as days are long and tiring and you are often on your feet and time can be very limited.
•Dress to impress- ensure you are dressed in formal business attire as this is definitely seen as a plus and eludes to your professionalism.