The International Schools Review Forum

Who is going to Cambridge? It's not my first fair but it is my first BIG fair. I almost signed up for BKK and am wondering if it was a mistake not to go. Several close friends landed contracts with great Tier 1 schools. I'm thrilled for them (they are singles with no dependents, with DP/MYP experience- though less than 4 years- just as an aside to younger teachers: I hope this encourages you!).

I'm signed up and ready to go to Cambridge but I am starting to stress out as heaps of positions are being snapped up right and left and there are still two more weekends of other fairs before Search Cambridge gets going.

I've got IB DP and MYP qualifications for both my teaching subjects so I'm not especially worried about the experience part. I can coach two sports having played one of them at the international level and I've got lots of experience working with ELL and SPED programs. I am not a math or science teacher though (my friends at BKK were and they told that many teachers with my teaching subjects left BKK empty handed). My last two teaching posts were international. My current school wants to keep me and my position there has yet to be filled but I need a change.

I keep going through the attending schools lists because even though there are schools that remain interesting to me on the list, many of the remaining schools are not IB schools. I know I want to stay on teaching IB so it would be a step backwards for me to go the non-IB route, though I am very open to IGCSE and already have also taught American and Canadian state/provincial curriculum in the past.

Do new schools pop up at the last minute at these fairs?

Also if nothing happens at Cambridge would you sign up for the Spring BKK or London fairs? I really hope it doesn't come to that but I suppose I could always go back to advertising and PR if nothing works out right away at a good school.

To all the vets - tell me there's hope! Have any of you had something turn up at the last minute? Or if things were a little rougher how did you ride it out and eventually get back?

To everyone who landed something at Bangkok- Congratulations! Really thrilled for you guys!

It is completely normal to feel jittery about an upcoming fair and the jobs being scooped up in the early fairs. My husband and I were recruiting last year and felt the exact same way as you did watching the Search database during the Bangkok fair. We kept kicking ourselves for not going to the Bangkok fair. We went to the London fair and got a job with a great school that wasn't at Bangkok. Friends of ours did the same at Cambridge. New jobs will be posted just in time for your fair and some excellent schools have later dates for returning teachers to make their decisions and so will be attending later fairs.

It is true that some of your dream jobs will be scooped up in Bangkok or London, but it is also true that some new dream jobs will present themselves only in time for Cambridge. It's best not to get stuck on what could have been and instead focus on what opportunities are available to you. I know this is tough and the emotional roller coaster of job hunting is truly awful. You sound like a solid candidate who will be in very high demand at Cambridge and will likely have your pick of great jobs!

My boyfriend and I will be attending Cambridge. I agree with you that it's nerve-wracking watching certain positions open and then close as the fairs progress. I will be monitoring the database carefully on Sunday/Monday; I assume some schools will update their listings after BKK and I'll have a better idea of how to prepare for Boston. I plan to do the same after London.

I actually find that most of the positions open for us are for IB or British-system experience, which we don't have. I have experience with AP and the American system- go figure! I do feel fortunate that I have advanced-level experience at least, even if it's not IB.

The current librarian at my school spent 8 years teaching abroad, including 3 years at one of the best international schools in Asia. He's given me a lot of advice (and contacts/connections) for the fair. He said the position he and his wife initially took in the ME was only open at the fair and was not listed previously. I have decent expectations that the same situation will occur this year as well.

Best of luck at the fair, Mac1030! Hopefully, we'll both find something great.

@ National
Thanks for the encouragement. I appreciate it. Job hunting is so crazy at times! I'm glad to hear things worked out nicely for you and your friends at a later fair.

@ Peregrination
Best of luck to you as well! I'll be doing the same with looking at the updates. It's great that you have contacts at the fair. It is also so helpful when you have a colleague with a lot of fair experience. A couple of friends have been walking me through the procedure.

The ISR forum community rocks- you guys are great!