Search BKK in January: Am I qualified or wasting my time?

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Rubbertree
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2015 11:27 pm

Search BKK in January: Am I qualified or wasting my time?

Post by Rubbertree »

I'm registered with Search and am planning on attending the BKK fair in January. However, reading all the posts about how difficult it is to secure a position (unless you're uber qualified) is giving me pause.

Me: Single, American, male, mid-40s, no spouse, no dependents
Subject: IB English Lit A
Certified English 6-12 teacher
Teaching experience: 14 years
International school experience (one school): six years at a (very) third tier school
IB teaching experience: In my third year
I'm also the IB Coordinator at my school (very small program) and Extended Essay coordinator.

I feel like my limited IB experience will preclude me from getting a job at a Tier 1 school; if that's the case, then what's the point of attending the January fair? On the other hand, if I don't try, I will never know, right? (and I do tick some of the boxes - IB experience, single).

For those who have attended, how do you rate my chances? Thanks a lot.
chilagringa
Posts: 335
Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2011 7:19 pm

Re: Search BKK in January: Am I qualified or wasting my time

Post by chilagringa »

Geez, I hope you are qualified or I'm screwed! I am hoping to hit BKK my next time recruiting, and I certainly have less experience than you, although maybe in a better international school.

Do I have a chance? By the time I go recruiting next, I will have about 5-6 years teaching experience, 3-4 years in a tier one L.A. school teaching MYP humanities. Hope so!
sid
Posts: 1392
Joined: Sat Dec 02, 2006 11:44 am

Re: Search BKK in January: Am I qualified or wasting my time

Post by sid »

You're an experienced DP Coordinator. Hopefully for a couple of years? That could be a huge advantage.
Fstop
Posts: 29
Joined: Sat May 05, 2012 6:57 am

Re: Search BKK in January: Am I qualified or wasting my time

Post by Fstop »

You'll get something. How many students at your 3rd-tier school?

I'm also English A. I've got 5 years of IB experience (12 overall) + 3 years as an examiner for Lang & Lit. But I've got a trailing spouse and a non-school aged child. I still got invited to the BKK fair but I'm not optimistic about my chances of getting hired. However 3 years ago I went (at that time I only had the trailing spouse) and still got hired by a tier 2 at the fair, so you never know.
sciteach
Posts: 258
Joined: Sat Dec 13, 2014 7:49 am

Re: Search BKK in January: Am I qualified or wasting my time

Post by sciteach »

To put it simple. There will be people with more experience than you there - but you will also have more experience than other people there as well.

You probably have a reasonable chance of getting a job there - but my biggest suggestion is to be flexible in the schools and locations you choose. Being too fussy means that you might have only 3-4 jobs you might be able to get compared to 10-15 which makes a big difference.

I'd also say try and get interviews with schools that might not want to 100% work for - as it's experience in interviewing and sometimes you find out that you actually want to work for a school which you may not have previously considered.

I'm now at a school which I would not have considered 2 years ago because I was being a location snob at the BKK fair. Now I'm reasonably happy and have a good chance to grow both personally and professionally.
shadowjack
Posts: 2138
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am

Re: Search BKK in January: Am I qualified or wasting my time

Post by shadowjack »

Rubbertree

there are jobs going now for DP Coordinators. Have you applied? If not, why not? If you don't put yourself out there, it is highly likely that nobody is going to come looking for you - unless there is a shortage of candidates this recruiting season, as sometimes happens.

You have experience. Get out there and get going! Don't wait for the fair, though. You should be making contacts now.

Good luck and keep us posted!

shad
PsyGuy
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Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Response

Post by PsyGuy »

Youre competitive for BKK, my only caveat is that you seriously consider what you want.

If your only looking for an elite tier IS or only in WE/Japan at a first tier IS the candidates you will be going up against are going to be just as marketable as you and more so.
the other issues is what your looking for. You will likely find more TLR options at a lower tier IB IS in a less desirable region.

IB ISs are not typically the elite tier ISs, those are NC embassy ISs. Its the second tier that has a lot of the IB ISs in as IB bridges the experience gap between third tier and 1st tier ISs.
Rubbertree
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2015 11:27 pm

Re: Search BKK in January: Am I qualified or wasting my time

Post by Rubbertree »

I'm kind of freaking out about my prospects. I've applied to about 60 schools on Search and tieonline; of these, I've gotten three interviews. I've gotten another five personal emails from schools (i.e. not autoreply emails indicating that they will be interviewing later) but haven't heard anything from them since then.

The thing that concerns me is this: I haven't heard anything from the schools that are attending that BKK fair that I am interested in. I'm not deluding myself into thinking I can get into a Tier 1 school, but I figure with my qualifications I at least have a shot at a midrange Chinese school. I haven't heard a peep from these guys.

I talked to my Search associate and he said he looked at my file and saw no flags. Is this lack of response standard? Are they so inundated with applications that they just don't bother to reply? Is it still too early? Or am I setting myself up to spend $1500 to go spend four days of getting my self esteem bashed against the wall?
steve416
Posts: 45
Joined: Sat Nov 02, 2013 5:13 am

Re: Search BKK in January: Am I qualified or wasting my time

Post by steve416 »

I don't really have the experience to give you anything that resembles a definitive answer but I think you need to chill. Other posters seemed to indicate that you are in the middle of the pack so to speak, English also seems like a saturated market. It makes sense that schools may dedicate their time to filling their hard to find spots first.

The only evidence I can provide is that I have noticed that there are still lots of schools adding vacancies to the search database). Also most of the vacancies that are disappearing seem to be admin/co-ordinator and science/math spots (admittedly I don't know how quickly schools pull vacancies from search).

I can relate to your anxiety about attending a fair. I feel much the same about the London fair, it's a lot of time and money to invest in something with no guarantee of return. The way I am justifying it to myself is that the cost spread across the next couple of years (assuming you accept a position) is pretty negligible. If you don't end up with the position the experience and indication of your relative value in the industry will also be invaluable as you continue to make decisions about your future (at least this is what I am telling myself).

Just my 2 cents to be taken with a giant grain of salt.
PsyGuy
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Location: Northern Europe

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Post by PsyGuy »

No, its not standard for competitive candidates. ISs are recruiting, offering appointments and concluding contracts, at least for master class ITs they are. A number of vacancies are filled on the first night before the actual fair and signup begins. These are ITs whose appointments were finalized with a meet and greet during "leadership" recruiting (thats what SA decided to call it to save face).

If you are aiming for mid level ISs you are at the wrong fair. Their are 2nd tier ISs at BKK, but they are their because it benefits them when a high class IT is not successful and they begin to panic and would prefer to accept an appointment as opposed to leaving with nothing. ITs are not the client, but the commodity.

The rule is when an IS wants you, they act like they want you. BKK is brutal, a LOT of ITs that are the loan shark in a small lagoon, are brutalized when they discover that everyone else is also a shark in the IE waters. You really need a Teflon coated outer skin, its no joke when there are ITs crying at the end of the fair because they already submitted their resignations or intent letters and end up leaving the fair with not a single offer and no backup for them or their families because they thought they were so awesome where they came from. There really are ISs with pre-screeners in the line that will dismiss you before even getting to make your 15 second pitch to the actual senior recruiter, if you dont have the right resume. There are recruiters and ISs where a single question makes or breaks and interview opportunity (from do you have a teaching spouse to do you ahve 5 years IB experience, etc.).

So yes, you may very well be spending $1500 (and probably more) to have your ego/pride/self esteem/etc. bashed to pieces against a wall. If you cant handle that, you should reassess your goals. Otherwise BKK is the one opportunity a year for ITs to get F2F time with recruiters and leadership from the elite ISs in IE.
shadowjack
Posts: 2138
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am

Re: Search BKK in January: Am I qualified or wasting my time

Post by shadowjack »

Rubbertree,

no worries. Unless you are a physics/chem or HL Math, you might not be contacted before the fair. At the fair you might find some notes in your file at the start. Be open, spread the net far and wide and see what happens.

Good luck!
wrldtrvlr123
Posts: 1173
Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:59 am
Location: Japan

Re: Search BKK in January: Am I qualified or wasting my time

Post by wrldtrvlr123 »

To any who are reasonably qualified and have the invite then by all means go to BKK. It's a quality fair with many decent to great schools. If you are open to location and willing to interview/consider schools that weren't necessarily on your radar/dream gig list then you have a good chance to get an offer and/or make connections that will lead to an offer.

Full disclosure: We have been to BKK twice and walked away both times without jobs. First time, we (naively) hoped/expected that schools would be more willing to work with us on our son's special needs. Second time, I had several interviews with great schools that I honestly felt I came up just short on (and one did contact me after the fair when I already had secured my current dream gig).

It's worth the risk for chance at a good job and the experience. And if it is in the same hotel, it's worth it to eat in the restaurant around the corner from the hotel. Hands down the best Thai food (and maybe the best food) we've ever eaten. It almost healed our bitter disappointment.
senator
Posts: 384
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2006 1:53 am

Re: Search BKK in January: Am I qualified or wasting my time

Post by senator »

Unless you are already overseas, attending the Bangkok fair is a foolish waste of money. The few thousands of USD required - airfare, food, lodging, etc. is ridiculous.

You have great qualifications - even though you do teach English - so my advice would be to send apps online and go to Cambridge.

It is a shame that the Bangkok fair will probably never be eliminated due to so many sleazy school heads wanting to play around in one of the world's sleaziest cities.

THAT'S why so many schools attend the Bangkok fair.
PsyGuy
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Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

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Post by PsyGuy »

Its a hard truth but thats why the BKK fair has persisted for so long in that location.

@Rubbertree

You would find less frustration at the LON fair with your IB experience, but the rule is you always go the best fair you can get into, you just have to be prepared for the likely gut punch of walking out empty handed from a casting call where you didnt get a part and appreciate the value of the peripheral benefits/advantages.
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