Recruitment agencies / fairs for Primary positions

Post Reply
Sonnypest264
Posts: 20
Joined: Fri Nov 21, 2014 5:02 am

Recruitment agencies / fairs for Primary positions

Post by Sonnypest264 »

My wife and I are gearing up to re-enter the cattle market of finding new positions for 2016-17. So far we have always moved on my position, that being High School Maths with extensive IGCSE, AS and now IB experience. However for personal reasons I have been part time for the past 3 years and so I suspect the next move will need to be on my wife's subject. Although she is Head of whole school PE at the moment, her passion is Primary and she has always been the lone primary specialist. She now really wants to focus on the primary PE, in an environment that has other primary specialists, so she can continue to develop as part of a team, rather than singularly.

My question is as to whether it is worth going through Search and if the fairs, most likely Bangkok, cater for primary specialists? She has IB PYP experience and would like to get back into that too. Also has anyone ever managed to secure a part time position at a fair or is it something best left to discuss later when she has gained a position and I can offer my services to help fill gaps the school may have? (Thus saving a SA registration fee.
Thanks
shadowjack
Posts: 2138
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am

Re: Recruitment agencies / fairs for Primary positions

Post by shadowjack »

I would try to contact schools directly. That lets you tailor your approach and your wife to explore things. Keep in mind that many primary positions are kept back for spouses of people like you - the high skills/low availability areas such as math and science. So without you, it might be that your wife is not going to find that ideal situation. Sign up with Search and ISS and see....
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Response

Post by PsyGuy »

I concur with SJ. Your spouse has weaker marketability than you, and ISs tend to save primary positions early in recruiting and only releases them late in the recruiting season.

What is value to you? SA and ISS for that matter provide you convenience their IS database is not exhaustive and any focused career vacancy search will require a significant amount of time outside of a premium agency database. In general when you have a very broad career search agency databases can offer real value in resource savings, and opportunity advantages.

No agency specializes and their is no "primary" recruiting event.

ISs dont go to recruiting events (fairs) for part time positions. They hire locally or as part of a package for a teaching couple, as visa and labor regulations generally do not permit obtaining a visa for part time work. In such cases a spouse is brought over on a dependent visa that allows for part time work, when such permissions allow.

You can save the SA registration fee anyway, either an IS wants a PYP or a PE teacher and they like your spouse for the position or they dont. They have to see your spouse as filling a classroom, once they are their your placement will be easy on a part time basis.
Sonnypest264
Posts: 20
Joined: Fri Nov 21, 2014 5:02 am

Re: Recruitment agencies / fairs for Primary positions

Post by Sonnypest264 »

Cheers guys. So sign up for the database but don't worry about the fairs. Would you suggest mentioning in her cover letter that she has a spouse who can offer IB Maths on a part time basis?
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Reply

Post by PsyGuy »

@Sonnypest264

Id go with ISS over SA.
I wouldnt advise putting it in the cover letter, your likely to find yourself in the position of a recruiter trying to hire you for a position (full time) you dont want. I'd wait until the second interview when your between recruiting and negotiation and using your part time math availability as a negotiation point for an actual offer. A recruiter is going to want to appoint your spouse because they WANT too, and the value she offers to the IS is all her. You dont want to be in the position where the offer is contingent on both of you as a package deal, and that package becomes more of a work load than you are comfortable with.
Post Reply