The International Schools Review Forum

This is a school we applied to, which has asked to schedule an interview with us. So no job offer or anything like that yet.

Is that normal? I keep seeing warnings here and there about scams and since no other school so far has asked for anything to do with our passports, thought I'd check here.

Thanks!

i wouldn't do it. there's no reason to do so yet. they wouldn't need that until preppping for a visa.

v.

Its common on the circuit in IE for lower tier ISs to request a passport scan in their application. Its their way of confirming that you are a westerner, and not a native English speaker from the Philippines, etc.

Do you really want the position? You can skip the passport scan in your application, if they ask for it then you can decline and tell them why but they may pass your application over and not schedule the interview, or they may understand and schedule the interview, the probability of either is about 50/50.
Understand though that if its a scam where they are harvesting personal identifying information, nothing about the interview, or even an offer would be a great challenge. Contracts are just paper, visa applications are just paper, and the interview could be nothing more than a voice at the other end of the line.

Be nervous and concerned if they ask you to send them your actual passport, but a copy, especially black and white isnt very useful.

Thank you to you both for your replies. To answer your question, psyguy, we aren't sure whether we want the position. The location is a mixed bag and just may not work for our kids (I have another thread about it). I did originally ignore the requirement for the scan when I first sent them our application documents but then they emailed requesting that we send it as well (same email that said they wanted an interview).

What's especially appealing about them is that we'd be doing IB (first time for both of us and we want to gain that experience. The package seems pretty typical compared to others I've seen.

@Nutella

Understand the person asking may only be office staff following instructions. If it is worth it to you write them and thank them for responding but you are uncomfortable providing them personally identifying documents at this stage of the application process and that you would be happy to do so as it becomes required for employment and visa purposes. Ask them what information from your passport they require, and that you are a Caucasian, X nationality, and Y is your age/birth date. If they insist beyond that, then you can decide if you want to provide them the passport scan, personally at that point I wouldnt.

PsyGuy wrote:
> @Nutella
>
> Understand the person asking may only be office staff following
> instructions. If it is worth it to you write them and thank them for
> responding but you are uncomfortable providing them personally identifying
> documents at this stage of the application process and that you would be
> happy to do so as it becomes required for employment and visa purposes. Ask
> them what information from your passport they require, and that you are a
> Caucasian, X nationality, and Y is your age/birth date. If they insist
> beyond that, then you can decide if you want to provide them the passport
> scan, personally at that point I wouldnt.


Thank you, that sounds like the right approach for us right now. It doesn't look like this place will be the right fit anyway, unfortunately. I would have liked to make it work. Right now I'm trying to decide whether to even move forward, or just pull the plug.

@Nutella

You can always use throwaway interviews as practice, an opportunity to try out your negotiating and hard push approach. When they ask a question, answer it briefly then turn it around and ask them a hard question. Put them in the hot seat, who cares what they think you arent going to take their offer anyway.