The International Schools Review Forum

I am hoping someone can clarify a few things for me. Can a person/ teaching couple register with both Search Associates and ISS? Do these agencies review your credentials and decide either to accept or reject you? In what ways do they assist you in locating a position (other than allowing you to participate in the annual job fairs)?
As always, thank you very much for your help!

For my past three job fairs, I've always registered for both and had no problem. In the "old days," and I'm talking about 2000, Search Associates was supposed to screen candidates and only let the most qualified ones into their fairs, but my directors, both past and present, have told me that's a myth. As for myself, when I used Search, my associate did nothing to help me find a job; she, or in the second case he, just walked around and chatted with the heads. So, don't expect a lot of personal help. I'd actually be interested to hear from someone who did receive a lot of personal attention from a Search associate.

As for ISS: it's my opinion that they let basically anyone in. Their fairs tend to be larger, but no less more of a meat market than Search fairs.

I've only done search. What the diff between the 2?
Thanks

I am currently in Russia enjoying my first international teaching experience. I started my job search in October by emailing my cover letter, CV, and references to principals of various schools. I secured six Skype interviews from this alone. That being said, I joined Search in the middle of the process to ensure that I obtained a job. My Search associate was friendly enough, but I am not sure what he did for me. I ended up getting three job offers from the schools I found on my own. When I shared this info with Search, my associate said he was "pitching me" to a school in the Philippines. So, who knows?

My Search associate never did anything for me that I could tell. For me the benefit of SA was being in their database (that schools could and did search), having access to their information on schools, salaries etc and being elegible to go to job fairs.

I think anyone serious about teaching overseas should invest in one of the major organizations just to have the information they can share. That being said, my wife and I both got our current jobs in Beijing by sending out CV's and emails outside of SA or the fairs.