The "Doldrums"

[Lebenstraum]

Last week I got an email saying we were entering the doldrums:

"Welcome to what we’ve come to call the “doldrums” period.
Unfortunately, the lack of response by schools has come to be “normal” at this time of year. This can be explained, at least in part, by the fact that many schools are feeling inundated with applications as they begin announcing their open teaching/administrative positions for the next year – with the result that some schools simply don’t respond, or they take their time in sorting through their applications before responding.
Our message to you is: We feel your pain. We realize it’s disconcerting not to receive a timely reply from schools. But try to keep your spirits up, try not to get discouraged and don’t take lack of response as a sign that a school is uninterested in your candidacy (necessarily).
Also keep in mind that you shouldn’t dwell too long on any specific school or position. It is best to keep responding rapidly to positions as they open up, cross your fingers and hope for the best."

They go on to talk about contacting a school again in a couple weeks if you haven't heard anything. What about if you've gotten a form letter response noting that they received your application? How much contact is too much that it is pushy and off-putting (since they are getting inundated with applications)? There is one job in particular that I feel my husband and I would be perfect for. I know they will also be at the Boston fair, but I don't know if I should email again or just let it go and wait for the fair. This IE newbie could use some logistical advice. We are still applying for other positions, but there are some I am especially interested in. Is the protocol to wait it out until the fair or continue to contact? How do you experienced ITs handle the doldrums? Thanks!

[jimmycajun]

Thanks for sharing, as that is exactly where I am..."The Doldrums". It is comforting to know that while others may be getting interviews, and perhaps offers, we may not be as left in the dust as it seems.

[steve416]

I feel your pain. Though I am in primary and I honestly don't expect to here anything until January sometime. Hoping that by applying now I will be more able to cast a wide net.

I am also interested in hearing from experienced people about how much contact is too much?

[chilagringa]

Don't forget that there's always sloppy seconds! I got my job - at a great school - at the end of April. I also know a couple other people at my school who got hired like that, and all are really happy. Seems like there is something for everyone if one has patience.

[emilysue1212]

My husband and I got this same email. ;). We still are anxious to hear back from SOMEONE! We've applied to more than a dozen schools we thought ourselves to be well-matched for, but haven't heard anything back. It's torture!

[senator]

Sorry, Guys, but you are going have to get A LOT tougher if you want to play in this game. Rejection and being ignored is just part of dealing with school heads and human resource people, who, if they had any brains or skill or integrity, would be in other lines of work.

Just apply for anything that interests you, cross all your t's and dot all your i's and let karma do her thing.


Remember, stress not only kills, but it bores the hell out of the rest of us.

[shadowjack]

There are a few things happening this time of year. 1. The really big schools are already interviewing their top candidates for their must-fill positions such as sciences and maths. 2. Smaller schools are still collating CVs and looking at stuff. Most are in between. Schools in harder to hire for locations might be hiring to lock in their staff for next year.

Last time i was recruiting we had contacted about 20 schools in different places we were interested in/willing to go to. We had heard back from 4 or 5 saying thanks, no thanks. Then the big silence.

You might be contacted in December by a school that thinks you a particularly good fit. Otherwise, before the fair, you might get an email or two asking you to stop by and arrange an interview.

My concern is if you have only applied to a few schools, it tells me you are being quite selective. My question is, "What's your fall back plan if you don't get an interview/job offer from one of the six?" I believe in casting a wide net - not to settle for less, but to increase the likelihood of going home with the signed contract at the end of the fair. You do not want to be those people on the last day of the fair calling your current director to ask for your job back, or in tears in the candidate lounge because you had no interviews.

In heartening news, last time I recruited, I returned home and had 3 or 4 emails from other schools asking me to interview or letting me know that they were interested in talking to me further. Hiring takes place over months, so don't panic. It isn't you, it's just the nature of the beast.

[Lebenstraum]

Shadowjack and Senator,
Thanks for the experienced replies. I wasn't trying to complain about the waiting period, but I'm new to IE and was really looking for some logistical advice. We are applying to jobs and casting a wide net. My question was about whether or not I should send follow-up emails. It seems like postings happen months before the fairs and I didn't know if they send out the openings and then sort of sit on making a decision until they do the face to face interviews or if I should be more proactive for the couple of positions I am especially interested in (while continuing to apply to postings) because those get filled before the fairs. I am trying to get a better understanding of the IE job hunting protocols since this is very different than how my US school works - where jobs are posted and filled within days.
Thanks.

[PsyGuy]

Many ISs will either include in the form response or in the vacancy post itself that do to the number of applications they cant respond personally or individually and if you dont receive further communication by X date you should consider your application unsuccessful. If you see the vacancy removed from whatever venue you found it you should also assume the vacancy is no longer available (not that it necessarily has been filled).

They really dont get inundated with applications, at least recruiters and senior leadership dont. There are two processes used in the recruiting system, the fist is screening thats building the applicant pool, then there is selection which is removing applicants from the pool. Leadership may only want a short (short) list of 5 candidates to interview. Someone on staff or HR creates the vacancy, the mailbox filter, etc and then goes through the process of building the applicant pool (screening), discarding applicants that dont meet the minimum requirements (such as having a professional teacher qualification) or who submit incomplete application materials, etc (whats left is the "long list). Then someone (or someones) from the junior leadership or an AP/VP/DP from the senior leadership goes though the applicant pool building the candidate/interview pool (selection), this is the short list. That moves up to the recruiter/senior leadership team and they reduce that further to the short, short list. That short, short list is the 5 people who get interviews.

The problem with this system is that the contact point you have is someone in HR or the staff who really isnt ina position to do anything to help you. At the lowest level they are just sorting applicants into "qualified" and "unqualified" pools. Sending them a follow up isnt likely to produce much, and in such recruitment systems is likely to be filtered to the email trash/bin. This is why you will read posts that specify a certain subject in the subject header, they are using basic filtering rules in the software to sort applications from other business correspondence. If you send a a followup to that email address its just going to trigger another form letter.

In those times when you are actually communicating with senior and executive leadership, its imperative to remember that they created a process that allows them to maximize the efficiency of their (not your) time. Recruiting is singularly important to you, but to leadership its just another task on the never finished "to do list". Rest assured if you got the form response or other response your application materials were received, and will be processed an evaluated in due course (whenever that may be).
In general I advise against follow up letters. Pay careful attention to the application instructions, and there really isnt anything more to do. Only when something changes such as a fair, or additional vacancy, change in application, etc.. is a cold followup warranted.
In regards to the fair, I would wait until a week or two before the fair (Mid January) and send a brief note asking for a confirmed interview time. If the recruiter is willing to give you a confirmed time slot, great, if they say stop by the their table, not so great. If they say "no thanks", then move on.

I realize you believe you would be perfect for X vacancy, but from the leadership/recruiter POV (in which they may agree with you as well), they may have other candidates who feel are as "equally" perfect for a given vacancy, you simply arent aware of.

Master and veteran ITs dont have duldrums, really such a period doesnt exist. Recruiting isnt about you, its about the ISs. They are very active right now with early and pre-recruiting of ITs and leadership vacancies. There is nothing of a duldrum about it. Its very much like standing in line at immigration at the airport. You are sitting in that long zig zag line moving your carry-on a foot at a time, just waiting. The agent/inspector at the counter your waiting for isnt in a duldrum, they are just as busy with each moment of the process as they were with the previous traveler and will be as busy with the next traveler.

I do agree in practice with @senator, IT recruiting has a lot of disappointment and frustration in the process. Many ITs entering IE feel they are 'special' the reality is everyone is 'special' and neither ISs, leadership or recruiters are going to be comforting or reassuring thoughout the process. The rule is when an IS wants you, they act like they want you, they dont play waiting games or throw up obstacles, they help you manage what needs to be done to hire you. If a recruiter is acting uninterested , or disinterested, or unenthusiastic about you, thats because (and this will sting a bit) but because they are. You need to get comfortable with having your ego vested somewhere other then with an IS recruiter.
At fairs you will find ISs with lines long enough that junior members (handlers) of the recruiting team pre-scan resumes in-line before you even get your 10-15 seconds to pitch to the senior recruiter. Dont have 5 years IB experience, sorry no thanks, no need to even trouble the senior recruiter.

Vacancies do get posted and filled in days, even hours in IE. Some ISs with a lot of turnover for example may have a need for 3 maths ITs or primary Its, but to reduce costs only post one vacancy with a recruiting agency and dont remove it until all the vacancies are filled.

[Lebenstraum]

Thanks PsyGuy - very helpful advice! Much appreciated. Your comment didn't sting at all - a good reminder that teachers shouldn't pine after schools that aren't interested...move on and find a good fit with a school that is interested. Sounds a bit like dating advice, but it's worthwhile to step back and think about it in that manner. Thanks for the perspective.

[senator]

There is no rhyme or reason and no hard and fast rules. The world of IE is strange. First year teachers with zero experience get hired at top schools while experienced teachers can't get hired. One teacher sends out follow-up emails and gets hired while another is snubbed.

The only thing you can do is apply for all jobs that interest you.

You are at risk of thinking this thing to death. Just take it as a challenge and enjoy it.

And DON't feel you have to accept an offer just because it is the only one you get - or because you are afraid it may be the only one you get.

[fine dude]

'senator' made some valid points. Even the most experienced teachers don't know where they end up when they quit their current jobs. There are so many personal variables that come into play. This whole idea of giving notice, quitting job, attending multiple rounds of interviews is so old-school and stressful not just for the teacher, but for the entire family.
I just wish international schools had exchange programs on a rotational basis where they swap teachers based on some set criteria (certification, yrs of experience, IB/AP results etc.).
Who knows, some of us might even be teaching online full-time in 10-15 years from now.

[vandsmith]

senator wrote:
> There is no rhyme or reason and no hard and fast rules. The world of IE is
> strange. First year teachers with zero experience get hired at top schools
> while experienced teachers can't get hired. One teacher sends out follow-up
> emails and gets hired while another is snubbed.
>
> The only thing you can do is apply for all jobs that interest you.
>
> You are at risk of thinking this thing to death. Just take it as a
> challenge and enjoy it.
>
> And DON't feel you have to accept an offer just because it is the only one
> you get - or because you are afraid it may be the only one you get.

agree with senator, especially the last part. my wife and i are in the same boat.
it's still really early so don't worry.

good luck.

v.