The International Schools Review Forum

What is the proper procedure to apply for more than one position at a school? Combined into one email/cover letter or separate emails for each position? Also, how does it look from an admin perspective to have an applicant applying for multiple positions?

There are many arguments against applying for multiple positions. Top of the list is that you appear unfocused and unrealistic about what you are best at or even qualified to do. (This applies triple for all those applicants who apply for every job that's open at my school, plus suggest some additional ones we're not even looking for.)
Lower on the list is that if one really is a better job, in terms of your experience, dreams and realistic aspirations, you should put all your energy into applying for that one. If you tell the school you're applying for Deputy Head of Secondary or English Teacher, they are unlikely to take you seriously as an admin applicant - if you aren't confident, why would they be. Nor as a teaching applicant, tbh, as they will already know you are really looking for something more and would likely be unhappy accepting a teaching post.

But if you really want to, sometimes there are reasons for applying for 2 posts. Most often, it's your dream school/city and you want to be there above all else. Be sure that you really are qualified for both posts. Explain in your cover letter how you would approach each position. Do not go on about the awesomeness of living in Nirvanaville - they want someone who will be great at the job, far more than someone who is looking for a ticket to their location. If the posts have something in common (Head of English and English teacher) that's better than if you're applying for English teacher and Facilities Manager.

The rule is always follow the instructions in the advertisement, and this typically means applying for X vacancy with whatever documentation is requested in the advertisement, so you make separate application for each vacancy. The reason is, you have no idea what screening process the IS is using to organize applications. They may have an office member organize them who may only read the subject line and move them into a folder. They may be using an email filter, or something else. Those systems arent going to duplicate your email application for two different vacancies. If applying for multiple vacancies its best to send the applications a day apart so that your email application isnt flagged as spam.

If it looks like anything, its that your applying for anything and everything so that you can get into the IS, meaning you are more interested in the posting/location than you are in what your best contribution to the IS can be. Most ITs can wear a couple of different hats, but they have a strength, and you should be applying to that vacancy (assuming you understand the market dynamics of the vacancy). If you really are equally as qualified and comfortable in more than one vacancy, or the vacancies have cross curricular appropriateness than apply for them separately as above but highlight in both cover letters that you are qualified and applying for the other vacancy(s) as well. Something like:

Email 1 (maths):

To: director@isgenovia.org
Subject: Math teaching position (with physics)

Email 2 (physics)

To: director@isgenovia.org
Subject: Physics teaching position (with math)

Then in the body of the email in the intro line indicate you are applying for both vacancies. You want to preferably use the subject line, because many basic email filters focus on the contents of the subject line, and an HR or staffing clerk isnt going to read much further than the subject line or first sentence or two of the body.

Surely it would depend on how similar the positions are.

Applying for a math position and an English position would seem like a no-no, but applying to, say, 6th grade math and 8th grade math wouldn't be a bad thing.

What advice would you give to someone whose primary certification and area with the most experience is English or elementary (a more competitive position due to the greater number of qualified candidates) but who is also licensed and minimally experienced in teaching a subject like math or science (a more difficult to fill position)?

@chilagringa

You wouldnt need to apply separately for a year 6 and year 8 maths position assuming they were both secondary school vacancies. If you were applying to a year 8 and a year 11/12 maybe apply separately for those, if you really felt compelled too.
English and maths isnt verboten, more so at upper secondary, but even then there are ITs whose passion is literature, but have expertise in maths and thats what they could get a job in as DTs. Its less so at lower secondary, while social studies and English are the common lower secondary pairing, its not a stretch for it to be maths and English if thats what an IS wanted.

@Teach1010

Apply to the primary/English vacancy first, wait a couple days and then apply for the maths/science vacancy.