The International Schools Review Forum

I am a certified K-12 ESL teacher with a Master's degree and 12 years experience. My husband has been in tech support and the corporate world for 13 years. We are in the US. His company is going through some major changes and he will have no choice but to quit within the next couple years (because he hates his job and because the company is relocating to another state).

My question is, if we decide to look overseas for jobs, who should get a job first? Should he secure a position first (not with an IS) and then I'll apply to international schools in the area and hope I'm hired? Or should I be the one to hunt for work and he'll follow me and research companies in the area once I have a job? If he gets a job first, does that mean I can only be hired as a local hire?

It sucks to be a local hire. Try to apply from the US, line up interviews, and even if that means you have to join your husband a few months later, it'll be worth it. If your husband gets a cushy job with all expat benefits (school tuition, flights, health insurance for the whole family), that's a different issue, but that all depends on how high-end is your hubby's skill set.

Your spouse should do the primary job search, it will be much easier for and ESOL IT to follow the spouse than it will for a corporate spouse who may very likely find themselves in a region or location that doesnt have any opportunities available.

While an LH contract is rarely better than an OSH contract if your spouse gets a full expat package its likely to be be better than an OSh package for an IT.