The International Schools Review Forum

I am reposting this in forum 1 because forum 2 seems kind of dead and I'm really interested in hearing from some of you veterans! Thanks to the couple people who did respond in forum 2.

I'm in the process of getting my first job abroad. My question is looking down the road a ways to transitioning from one international job to another or transitioning back to the USA. It sounds like in December (or whenever) you must tell your current school if you won't be returning the next year so they can interview at fairs. However this is early and you probably can't get a new job before you give that notice. As an elementary school counselor, how am I to know if there will even be any openings I'd want and that I would get a job before I give notice I won't be returning to my current job for the next year? I would like to be able to take several international assignments over the years to come. But I'm concerned I could end up in a foreign country with no job to transition to and I'd have to come back to the USA without a job to hang out for a year before hopefully getting another international job and going abroad again! I don't want to be stuck in one location long term because it's to risky to give up a job before getting another one. How are you veteran's handling the job hunt abroad and the issue of giving notification before having another job?

It seems your query was answered on the other forum. What else are you looking for, information-wise? That people on Forum 1 will tell you you will definitely get a job??

No, I'm not looking for someone to tell me I would definitely get a job. That would be dumb, since no one could possibly tell me that! I'm wondering how the veterans actually handle that situation. Do you ask for time off your job to travel to a job fair? Are most administrators good about giving you time off to do this? Do you typically visit school campuses during your travels and try to make contacts in preparation for your next job move? Once you're in the international scene, have you had good success getting jobs without going to a fair? Do you start making contacts in October/November in an effort to see if there is a decent chance there will be openings in your field before giving notice? Do you make cold contacts with schools you're interested in? And also, have any of you been in the situation where you didn't get a job and you had to figure something else out. See . . . there is actually a wealth of information you guys could share about your own experiences that would help newbies like me understand how the whole thing works. I'm not looking for you to give me an answer or tell me what to do. I'm interested in hearing about your experiences.

Yeah its kind of dead on there, but you didnt really get a huge response because there wasnt a lot of disagreement or controversy on this issue.

Many initial contracts are for 2 years, and most schools ask for confirmation of returning staff around November/December for the next year. Some people give notice and dont find a better position, some dont give notice and just leave at the conclusion of their contact. Some break contract and leave.

While it does happen very few teachers once being in the international market go back to teaching in the states, so it doesnt happen often. I havent been back in over 5 years and have no desire too. Most teachers dont transition too often. Each new contract is a two year commitment, and most teachers put down roots pretty quickly (around the 6 year mark is average) when they finally get into the region they want. So the average teacher doesnt change positions too many times.

I'm really sorry but there isnt a secret formula or strategy. Some people end up unemployed or taking less desirable positions then the ones they had. Counseling is a position people usually stick with and while their are vacancies every year its an admin position, and most schools dont have more then one counselor, so their arent a large number of positions yearly.

You seem pretty risk aversive, and really focused more on a working vacation, the reality is people that succeed in this market have a certain sense of adventure, and dont really share your cautious approach when it comes to job searching. Maybe you should stay home if you want a guaranteed job???

OK that being said, I'll answer your question:

So in addition to being risk aversive, I sense your also a rules junkie. The reality is if you want to jump ship, you dont give notice to your current school, and you search for a better job. If you accept a new position, you leave at the end of your contract. It doesnt matter what your old school thinks, because you already have a new job and contract.

Schools really only check work history at your last school, and after two years even if they went back further, any negative reference is going to be a couple years old already. Even if they did what are they going to say you did? "You left at the end of your contract". You didn't give them as much advance notice as they wanted, not really a horrible crime. At some of the elite schools they might frown on it, but if they wanted you anyway, thats not going to stop them.

About the only time this becomes a problem, is in some countries in the middle east, and China where employers have some strong influence over work visas, etc. In China for instance if you break contract, you could have a problem getting your visa and work permit renewed at another school in China. In Saudi Arabia, you cant get an exit visa without your employers permission. It could cause problems in other countries as well.

If you don't like risks, this may not be the career for you. Every time you go to a new school it's a risk --how will you cope with the new country and its conditions? will the new community be one in which you will be happy?

A reality is that international teaching sometimes means jumping off the cliff into unemployment and then looking for a job. If you're considered valuable where you've been, there will be a job for you. You may not get your first choice but it's sometimes the unexpected places that are the most rewarding.

Worry about getting your first job, enjoy all that the school and job has to offer and THEN worry about your next job.

Thanks for your reply PsyGuy. You always have some good nuggets of information and I was actually hoping to hear from you. However you definitely have me pegged wrong!!! My friends and family wish I were more risk aversive & less adventurous! They’re never sure if I’ll come back from my latest travel adventure or flying trapeze class alive!

While it’s true that I do hope to have the opportunity to do lots of travel while I’m abroad, I am not looking for a long vacation. I have always wanted to live abroad because I love learning about different places, cultures, and not always being one of the majority. I think the reason for my post that seems very cautious is that I like to see the big picture as much as possible. I’m adventurous, but not impulsive. I know it’s impossible to know what’s going to happen down the road if I should want to look for another job abroad. However I realized that I was moving into this new chapter of my life without taking any consideration beyond just getting the first job. When I realized this is done much differently in the international job scene than it is from what I’m used to in the USA, I decided I really needed to think about this with more of a long term perspective. So I guess that is more cautious than many people are. However I’m trying to be responsible and I was just curious how you guys make it work because I really have no idea. I do currently have an amazing job I love so I think I should seriously consider the ramifications of giving it up. Also in my mind, when I give up my current job, I expect to spend the rest of my career abroad. I don’t plan to go for 2 years and then come back to the USA. Who knows what will happen, but that is my mindset. And I hope to experience living in several places over that time. It’s very good to hear you say many of the counselors stay put for a while. That might not create as many job openings but it probably means people are happy in their jobs.

While I think it’s smart for me to not be too impulsive about this decision, I guess I need to remind myself to not worry about things down the road too much. My personal belief is that God has a plan for my life and he will open and close doors for me. So I have to continuously remind myself to have faith and trust in Him.

I've known people who were granted leaves of absence from their schools to go teach abroad for two years, then returned to their old schools. You might ask your admin if that could be a possibility for you.