The International Schools Review Forum

I am thinking of recruiting for next school year. The only problem is, I am not getting any younger, or thinner, or better looking. I feel in spite of a pretty string CV, I really struggled to land a good job last time around. Being honest with myself, I believe it could have been in part due to how I look compared to other candidate vying for the same jobs.

What are your impressions? How much of a role does physical appearance play a factor in hiring decisions?

Not everyone is lithe, young and equipped with supermodel cheekbones.

But everyone can dress neatly and professionally. A well-fitting suit, in a classic style and fabric, properly pressed and without the smell of moth balls, goes a long way.

And everyone can be nicely groomed. Tidy haircut, properly combed, freshly washed. Good shave or closely-trimmed beard for the men (I can't recommend anything but the shortest of beards). Evidence of regular bathing. Potentially light aftershave or perfume, nothing too heavy.

Professional shoes with a fresh shine.

Avoid all fashion extremes in color and style. Ladies, be modest of neckline and hemline.

And if you can look comfortable in all that, as if it's close to your daily appearance, so much the better.

The aim is to make your appearance so professional that it falls into the background, and your personality, skills and experience shine forward. If the recruiter is distracted by your appearance, you've likely lost the battle.

For men, jacket or no jacket? My wife and I have been debating about that.

I think I look just as professional with a nice shirt+tie, pants.

Thoughts?

Wear a jacket. If you don't, you'll be one of the very few men at the job fair without a jacket.

Definitely jacket.

[quote="sid"]
Tidy haircut...[/quote]

Are long hair for men considered as a shortcoming?

^I would say yes. You should appear clean-cut and professional. Facial hair is shaved or cut in a professional way. I saw very few men with long hair at the BKK fair.

The tropics is a pretty hot place to wear a jacket/suit.

If you are going to be overlooked on that basis then I really wouldn't lose too much sleep on those schools with such an attitude .

Do we parade around the classroom in a jacket? Shirt and tie are absolutely fine.

The tropics are hot, but even in an unairconditioned school in Central America, most teachers trot out a suit for parents evening.
Interviews are different than a run of the mill school day. You should be presenting yourself at your best, not at your mediocre normal level.

The advice I've given is not about what we feel 'ought' to be the case. It's about the reality I've experienced, and what to do to best set yourself up for a successful fair. Personally, I'd rather wear jammies and slippers all day every day, but that's no recipe for success. So I do what needs to be done, wear the clothes that are required so my jammies don't distract anyone from the quality of my work.

Actually, I'm with Sid on this one. Smartness never hurts in a professional (and competitive) environment.
One of the things that always used to gall me was seeing the national teacher union conferences on the BBC years ago. Just about everyone seemed to be going out of their way to be scruffy. It was so annoying because being smartly dressed is no guarantee of professionalism and conversely, being scruffy does not mean you are an idiot. In contrast to other conferences and meetings that were covered, the appearance of the teachers always seemed to mitigate against them.
Therefore, I think that a high degree of grooming and care in public and high stakes professional interactions is always indicated.
Good luck finding your dream job!

I think the OP is correct. There is certainly a preference for a certain look in international teaching. If you don't have it, you don't get it by dressing in nicer clothing. However, any obstacle can be overcome and there are certainly jobs out there for those who don't fit the mold.

When I recruit in Bangkok, I never wear a jacket and wouldn't expect a candidate to do so either. A shirt and tie should be fine. It's the tropics. It's 95F outside. What do you do with your jacket when you want to go for a breath of (hot) air outside?
If I'm in London or Boston recruiting, I always wear a jacket - but then again it's usually 35F outside.

[quote="Walter"]When I recruit in Bangkok, I never wear a jacket and wouldn't expect a candidate to do so either. A shirt and tie should be fine. It's the tropics. It's 95F outside. What do you do with your jacket when you want to go for a breath of (hot) air outside?
If I'm in London or Boston recruiting, I always wear a jacket - but then again it's usually 35F outside.[/quote]

My thoughts exactly.

I think that it does depend on where you go to some extent. My impression has always been that the better schools really don't seem bothered about appearance at all, but lower schools do show greater emphasis. This was certainly the case when I was in Bangkok years ago. Better schools seem to focus on skills, personality and what you bring to the job rather than appearance. Lower schools seem to have this thing about teachers really "looking the part" to show all the parents how wonderful they are. It's ridiculous really.

Personally, I agree with Sid that "The aim is to make your appearance so professional that it falls into the background, and your personality, skills and experience shine forward".