I am in the last stages of getting my profile active with Search. I was just told that the Cambridge fair is full with a wait list of at least 30 already. I live in California and am not going to travel over seas for a Search fair. That leaves the only other fair option as San Francisco but that fair seems like a waste of time from what I have heard. For me, that reduces Search to a database, is it worth the cost?
Related: What is the ratio of jobs gotten through skype versus jobs gotten through a fair? I know that there are no hard numbers on this but I would be interested to hear people's opinions....
Is SEARCH ASSOCIATES woth it?
I think it would be worth it to go to the fair. There are always new jobs that come up as well as those that still haven't been filled. While it's certainly possible to get a job using the database or TIE or just contacting schools, I think your chances increase greatly by going to a job fair. I don't have any numbers for you. San Francisco is a late fair but there are still a good number of schools that attend and they will be serious about hiring. Good luck.
Yes, it's worth it.
I got 3 solid offers via skype a month before my fair of choice and 6 offers at the fair itself.
It's not a lot of money to pay for access to a large database. You should still go to the fair..it may be a hassle, but it's your life and a two full years of it at that depending where you sign a contract.
I got 3 solid offers via skype a month before my fair of choice and 6 offers at the fair itself.
It's not a lot of money to pay for access to a large database. You should still go to the fair..it may be a hassle, but it's your life and a two full years of it at that depending where you sign a contract.
If you would be ok seeing how things play out this year and committing to a fair next year, if nothing turns up on its own, then you could go that route as the payment gives you three years. If you feel like you really want to go for the 2013-14 school year then you may as well got to San Francisco. If even half the schools show from that preliminary list of attendees, it will be worth it as there are great schools on that list.
Question for Figure 8.......were those 3 offers you got before the fair due to your profile being posted on the Search database or was that due to your own individual efforts?
Question for Figure 8.......were those 3 offers you got before the fair due to your profile being posted on the Search database or was that due to your own individual efforts?
-
vincentchase
- Posts: 76
- Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 4:34 pm
- Location: Between 1960-69
-
trebleclef
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2012 11:53 am
Our experience: My husband and I are from California, also, and we had signed up for the SF fair and were going through ISS (not big fans of ISS, but I digress...). Before the fair, we had 3 Skype interviews from schools we had pursued on our own, and were offered jobs at 2 of the three. We accepted one, are thrilled with our overseas teaching experience so far, and never went to the fair. Just so you know, ISS does not refund, so we ate the cost (it's their policy, and it is what it is) but it seemed silly to miss school when we had already been hired for one of our top choices. Being new to international teaching, you might want to see if you can set up Skype interviews with schools that express interest, and if you don't get any nibbles, or if you have a decent offer in your pocket via that route, attend the fair anyway, especially if you've already paid for the fair.
Advice
It really depends what your travel and lost work costs are. Your in Cali, the fair is in SF, i dont know anything about your resume, but the SF fair is not one of the big fairs, and its after prime recruiting season, meaning it pretty much leftovers. Would you be happy with the quality of those schools, it doesnt sound like it.
Is $225 worth access to the database for three years (which you assume youd be hired this year), again it depends on the scope of your job search, where are you looking to go and what do you teach? If you are only interested in a few narrow places, you can do it on your own. If your open to just about anywhere or a large region (such as Asia) then getting a daily update and access to new vacancies as they are posted may save you some time.
Understand that Search only has about 650 schools and while thats more then ISS or anyone else its still a very small number of international schools.
If your paying separate fees for both of you, i think the database access isnt worth that price, joining for one of you, personally is.
Is $225 worth access to the database for three years (which you assume youd be hired this year), again it depends on the scope of your job search, where are you looking to go and what do you teach? If you are only interested in a few narrow places, you can do it on your own. If your open to just about anywhere or a large region (such as Asia) then getting a daily update and access to new vacancies as they are posted may save you some time.
Understand that Search only has about 650 schools and while thats more then ISS or anyone else its still a very small number of international schools.
If your paying separate fees for both of you, i think the database access isnt worth that price, joining for one of you, personally is.
-
flyingrob31
- Posts: 22
- Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2012 5:31 pm
@ Psyguy
To answer some of your questions... I am pretty much open to anywhere in Asia or parts of South America. My actual credential is in Physics and Geo-Science. I have also taught 15 years of A.P. Calculus with a 90% pass rate but I do not have a math credential. Personally, I think any Science teacher should be able to teach math.
Since the Cambridge fair is closed my only real fair option is SF and as you stated it is late in the season. So my plan is to get a job via skype. Maybe I am overly optimistic, but I really think that I could get a decent overseas job this season. Also, I can't imagine that ALL of the schools at the SF fair are second rate schools....
To answer some of your questions... I am pretty much open to anywhere in Asia or parts of South America. My actual credential is in Physics and Geo-Science. I have also taught 15 years of A.P. Calculus with a 90% pass rate but I do not have a math credential. Personally, I think any Science teacher should be able to teach math.
Since the Cambridge fair is closed my only real fair option is SF and as you stated it is late in the season. So my plan is to get a job via skype. Maybe I am overly optimistic, but I really think that I could get a decent overseas job this season. Also, I can't imagine that ALL of the schools at the SF fair are second rate schools....
The fairs aren't the only good thing about Search. You also get daily emails about the positions/schools that you are interested in. It saves you a ton of time from having to Google search your way through IS'. Another nice thing is that a lot of the schools that signed up with Search will read your references that are stored on there. I applied to an IS that wanted 3 references and since they were a Search school I just referred them to my Search page. They were perfectly fine with that.
So in my opinion, it is worth it. I look forward to that daily email. Especially when you see your dream position go from possible to definite.
So in my opinion, it is worth it. I look forward to that daily email. Especially when you see your dream position go from possible to definite.