The International Schools Review Forum

I will be starting my first year of teaching overseas next year, but it's on a maternity cover for one year. That said, I'm right back in the recruiting game next year. I am certified in middle school math grades 5-9, but this year will teach classes as high as 11th grade. I will have 5 total years, but again this will be my first international. I have no IB or AP experience.

I'm trying to decide on my strategy for this coming year. The easiest job fair for me to get to will be the Search Hong Kong fair, but assuming they'll let me off for a few days, I could get to Search Bangkok as well. From what I've heard about Bangkok, is it even worth it for me to go with no IB experience? Is Hong Kong something that would work for me? I know it's very specialized. Are there any reasons to think I'd be a bad fit there?

This past year, I went to Search Cambridge and it was a very frustrating experience. Outside of IB jobs, there were 4 jobs. I set up interviews for all, but only 1 was still available when I reached the door for the interview. I ended up getting my job through a Skype interview. One thing I did learn at the fair is that teaching computers would have been my best path at that fair so I'll approach my resume with a much broader perspective this time. Will Skype be my best path next year or will one of the fairs be a good idea? Thanks in advance for your help!

As a language and social sciences teacher, I cannot really give you any pearls of wisdom about the best fair for a maths person, but most students I encounter teach ME about computers, not the other way around. It does not seem to me that there is a huge sense of demand for "computer teachers", though, of course, computer competence is basically a must. Maybe I am wrong on this.

At the end of the Cambridge fair, I spoke to a head who said that there were 4 candidates at the fair for about a dozen computer jobs. My Masters was in Interactive Technology, but I've only taught math. The implication from the head is that there were quite a few schools who would have offered if I had come into the fair focusing on that. In some ways, I'd love to move on to computers as the pressure that faces a computer teacher is not even close to what a math teacher faces for the same salary.

Hi Antitravolta,

I have been a tech/computer teacher off and on for the past 20+ years. Recruiting as a tech teacher is hot and cold, just like math. Honestly, some years there is a glut and other years there is a famine. This year there seemed to be more jobs than candidates: however, it may be (and I am not suggesting that it WILL be) that next year there are a lot of math jobs open and not as many tech jobs open. I had friends go recruiting technology a few years back and there were a lot of tech teachers chasing not so many tech jobs. You should keep that in mind.

As a tech teacher, you should be able to do a wide range of topics. Can you teach or sponsor yearbook (have you done yearbook before?). What about programming - not just the Java, but HTML, CSS, Python? Video production? Journalism and desktop publishing? ITGS for IB? iLife Suite, as well as Adobe, and Office? Keyboarding? Do you have philosophies, approaches and best practices in place for your different curriculums? The broader you can teach in technology, the more options there are.

One thing I would suggest is talking to your associate about which fair would be the best fit for you. Another is to monitor the job postings and either create two CV's for use at the fair - one for math and one for technology, or modify your current one to highlight both areas and show your strengths and background in each one.

It is great that you are finally starting on your international career - is the school you are going to an IB or AP school so that you can pick up stuff and maybe get some training?

[quote="shadowjack"]Hi Antitravolta,

I have been a tech/computer teacher off and on for the past 20+ years. Recruiting as a tech teacher is hot and cold, just like math. Honestly, some years there is a glut and other years there is a famine. This year there seemed to be more jobs than candidates: however, it may be (and I am not suggesting that it WILL be) that next year there are a lot of math jobs open and not as many tech jobs open. I had friends go recruiting technology a few years back and there were a lot of tech teachers chasing not so many tech jobs. You should keep that in mind.

As a tech teacher, you should be able to do a wide range of topics. Can you teach or sponsor yearbook (have you done yearbook before?). What about programming - not just the Java, but HTML, CSS, Python? Video production? Journalism and desktop publishing? ITGS for IB? iLife Suite, as well as Adobe, and Office? Keyboarding? Do you have philosophies, approaches and best practices in place for your different curriculums? The broader you can teach in technology, the more options there are.

One thing I would suggest is talking to your associate about which fair would be the best fit for you. Another is to monitor the job postings and either create two CV's for use at the fair - one for math and one for technology, or modify your current one to highlight both areas and show your strengths and background in each one.

It is great that you are finally starting on your international career - is the school you are going to an IB or AP school so that you can pick up stuff and maybe get some training?[/quote]

Thanks Shadowjack. I'm not convinced that I'd truly be a competitive candidate in computers. I have some experience in fields you mentioned, but not sure I have the broad set of skills that will probably be needed. I still expect under most situations that I'd still be more competitive in math. I might be able to get some AP training this year. They mentioned that being a possibility, but not sure how much they want to invest in me as a maternity cover. I will get in touch with my associate. Does anybody else have any thoughts on my fit with Bangkok and Hong Kong?

I went to the Hong Kong fair this year, as a Math teacher with 2 years of international (non-IB) teaching experience. Schools at the fair broke down into three roughly even groups - HK schools, Mainland China schools, and everything else.

Competition for jobs in HK schools was fierce. Seemed that all of the candidates were aiming for the same top-tier HK schools. I went into the fair primarily interested in finding work in HK, and wasn't even able to get a single interview.

If you are very open about location and don't mind going to an undesirable location or a bottom tier school, you might find something in HK. However, HK is a smaller fair, and also relatively early in the recruiting season. Since I don't think you would be competitive (at this point) for a top-tier HK school, I don't know how worthwhile the fair would be to you. You might have a better shot waiting till later in the season and interviewing on skype.

Thanks for the info. You confirmed a lot of my thoughts on the Hong Kong fair. I'm kind of leaning toward the Skype route. I figure I should be a much better candidate just in the fact of showing up in Asia to teach this year and that route worked this year. I spent a lot of money to go to Cambridge this year with almost no chance at a job. As a safety, I don't even hate the thought of teaching in a language school if all else fails as I could at least have more choice of which location to go to (Bangkok, Hong Kong or Japan), places I have very little chance of landing as a math teacher.

Antitravolta - word to the wise. As a math/computer teacher targetting those jobs, you won't be doing yourself any favours working at a language school. Better to work in a crappy tier 3 school teaching in your subject area than to teach at a language school.

Just my thoughts on it.

I can see recruiters looking at your CV and saying, "This candidate is so hopeless, the only job they could get was in a language school. Not the person for us!"

[quote="shadowjack"]I can see recruiters looking at your CV and saying, "This candidate is so hopeless, the only job they could get was in a language school. Not the person for us!"[/quote]

Hmmm...hadn't thought about how that would affect my resume long term. I can definitely see your point. Thanks Shadowjack.

@ Grumpy,

You might not notice lots of postings for "computer" teachers, but if you check out IT, ITC, or technology, there are many jobs going, depending on the year.

Teaching technology involves a wide range of skills which are in high demand, depending, of course, on the year.

IT/ITC moves in cycles because when the market has a lot of vacancies those vacancies get filled with standard two year contracts, meaning that the next year its slim pickings because last years new hires are still under contract. Its just the cycle if IE (International Education)

The HK fair is just a swap meet. Its really a local fair, as Its teachers in HK looking to move up to the handful of top tier schools in HK, and the other schools looking to fill the vacuum. Unless you can get invites from schools in advance, you cant arrive there cold and expect much of anything.

You need to go to BKK, why because its going to have the most vacancies, and have recruiters from schools you wont otherwise even get to meet at a later fair. If you werent successful at BOS, your not going to be successful at BKK, but you will build a broader network then you will at BOS so that later in the year when a school has another maternity leave or other such last minute hire, they will have met you and be able to put a person to a resume.

The great benefit to you is that in 2 years you will have two schools and two references along with IB experience. That puts you in a very good position when looking for a position in the future.

Really with a one year maternity contract you dont stop. looking. Y

Thanks Psyguy. Do you think I'd have any chance at Bangkok? With no IB experience and only part of a year overseas, I want to make sure it's worth my time and money. Boston was a huge expense for there to be essentially no chance for me to get a job. Bangkok wouldn't be quite as expensive this year, but it would still be substantial.

Antitravolta,

The person to ask would be your associate. Keep in mind that more candidates apply for the Bangkok fair than are accepted, so you might not necessarily be one of the lucky ones. However, your associate will give you an honest answer (usually!), and usually has it right. I went to Bangkok with Mrs. Shadowjack (trailing spouse) and had two offers and could have had more if I were more assertive about working at particular schools.

You should also use TIEonline and send out a lot of CVs via email to schools on both Search and TIE. After I returned from the Bangkok fair I had three other schools express an interest in me/us.

Good luck as you sort out next year and keep us posted!

@antitravolta

no i dont think you will have a chance in BKK if you define chance as walking away with a contract. You werent very successful at BOS, and half a year of IB experience isnt going to make anyone do cart wheels. You need to redefine success as expanding your network of schools and administrators. BKK is going to give you access that short of a RTW ticket and a maxed out visa card your not going to have a chance to see in one place at one time.

Your associate has an interest in getting you hired, sicne thats when they get paid, but my experience is that they are very indifferent about WHERE you go. You may want a specific region, but they will advocate for whatever position regardless of its location is on the table.