The International Schools Review Forum

I haven't had to recruit in a long while.
What are current suggested start dates to sign up with Search etc.
When are people starting to contact schools that interest them.
I am pulling all my stuff together now.
Things seem to be getting going earlier and earlier.
I'd like some updated advice from people on the ground with recent experience in the search process.

Thanks

When I first went abroad in 2000, I signed up for UNI in October, and started to contact schools in January; I ended up with a good job, but that was then...when I was leaving a school in 2007 I found that by October some schools were posting jobs, and I was contacting them at that point. In short, I think you should start collecting materials and registering for fairs in September, and contacting schools by late October. Several colleagues last year took jobs via Skype before the contract deadline in December; I think it's getting to a point where people will fly to visit schools, or at the least have Skype interviews.

On another level, my last job fair was Search & ISS Bangkok in 2007; I was given a job at Search Bangkok that I wanted, and so I did stop by ISS Bangkok just out of curiosity. Several jobs had been given to candidates at Search. Anymore, I don't know if "too early" exists if you're competing for a top school. There will always been second-tier and third-tier schools at job fairs, but the top schools always seem to fill up fast.

I'm forming the opinion that if you're in a hard to fill field; math or science or whatever, you should target an early job fair- probably Bangkok.

If you're a generalist, then those early job fairs might not be for you as Sup's will hold on to openings, trying to interview as many candidates as possible. In that cast the Feb fairs might be more advantageous.

Or at least that's my current thinking. If what ends up is that all the 'good' jobs go early- and that's the job fairs in Asia, then the fairs in N. America and Europe will be relegated to the 2nd tier openings.

When I look at some of the jobs at UNI I can't help but think that the quality of schools is suffering, IMHO. That's obviously my judgment though.