Teaching Overseas Are You The Right Person For The Job
t might be tempting to desperate to fill their remaining
skip over this article, vacancies, single teachers become
sure you are indeed the even more attractive because they
right person for the job, are usually very mobile, in that
however, there is key information they have no dependents to make
included in this article which arrangements for.
will help determine your
employability, your motivation Couples with children would head
for beginning this quest and your up the bottom of the list. One or
preferences for what kind of two children are not an
position you’d like. unattractive prospect for most
schools, but you might find that
Single or married with you will not get extra benefits
dependents? for having more than two
children. Some people I have
Teaching couples are the most worked with that have three
sought after commodity in children have reported that they
international schools because have had to pay tuition fees for
they are the most cost efficient their third child.
to hire. They are hired together
and require only one living Teaching couples
allowance.
Teaching couples and teachers
Singles would come next, and are with dependent spouses and/ or
especially attractive if they are children should apply early on in
willing to share housing. Also, the process when there is more
some schools will only hire flexibility. If you are intending
single people. Towards the to find positions as a teaching
beginning of the new academic couple, you are not likely to be
year, when schools are becoming very successful to attend job
fairs towards the end of the less experienced (which
season. frequently means younger) teacher
financially attractive to
It is often the case that one schools.
member of a teaching couple will
find the perfect job, whilst the If you are used to being on the
other member may have to make do top of the pay scale, you might
with an acceptable or part time want to ask if the salary step
post. you start on is capped. I have
heard that some schools require
Single teachers all new teachers to the school to
start on the same salary step,
Single teachers are able to find regardless of years of
positions through to the experience.
beginning of the new academic
year because they can fill Qualifications and experience
school’s unfilled or unexpected
vacancies easily. Some sources of information on
teaching in international schools
Age (at both ends of the scale) state that you have to have a
degree in education, a license to
Age might be an issue in some teach and two years experience.
countries because of visa This is not true at all. You will
requirements, but usually more need some kind of qualification
mature people are attractive to OR experience, but there are
international schools because opportunities for almost
they are believed to be stable. everyone.
On the other hand, many schools If you don’t have two years
operate a salary scale that makes experience, then you will need to
pay close attention to the qualification at all, and no
sections on finding a job through experience in teaching children,
job advertisements. You will you will need to look at the
probably not be invited to attend section titled ‘What employment
a job fair, as two years opportunities are there for my
experience is one of their non-teaching partner?’, look into
selection criteria for getting a TEFL certificate or one
candidates. This doesn’t mean you of the many non-government
are an unattractive candidate for organisations that sponsor or
schools, just that you aren’t offer internships in teaching in
necessarily going to get a job different countries.
through a job fair.
If you do not qualify for your
If you have a Bachelors’ degree dream job now, do not give up in
and a TEFL qualification you will defeat. There are many
be able to teach in an ESL opportunities to increase your
position in most schools. The qualifications both by going back
nature of your Bachelors’ degree to university full- or part-time,
is usually inconsequential; many or distance learning online. Use
countries expect this basic level this book to help you discover
of education to qualify for a what qualifications you need to
working visa. My first teaching get your dream job, and go get
job was in a private language them.
school in Taiwan when the only
qualifications I had were a Your situation does not need to
Bachelors’ degree in business and stay stagnant, there are always
a TEFL certificate that the ink options to try. If you absolutely
was still wet on. must get overseas now, then you
should seriously consider TEFL as
If you have no teaching you can get a qualification to
teach TEFL in 2-4 weeks full time environments and in the midst of
study. Again, with TEFL culture shock. It’s fine to
qualifications there are distance suffer from culture shock, but
and part-time options available. you must be able to function in
your job whilst going through the
Easy-going, flexible and shock of moving countries.
adaptable people
There is a reason that recruiters
Recruiters are looking for people are looking for these qualities
who will cope well with the move, in applicants. They are needed!
living in a new culture and fit It’s tough enough learning your
in seamlessly to existing way around a new city in your own
staffing situations. home country, now imagine going
through that learning process in
Here are a few personal qualities a different country where you
that recruiters are looking for don’t speak the language and
in candidates: can’t read any of the signs.
* Good sense of humour If this sounds awful to you,
* Easy-going rather than an exciting
* Flexible opportunity, then you probably
* Adaptable aren’t the right person for a
* A good team player position at an international
* Positive outlook school. There are lots of
* Can do anything attitude opportunities for you to work in
* An optimist a country more in line with what
you’re used to. I started out
Recruiters are only going to moving from the NZ education
employ people who they judge to system to living in the UK and
be able to thrive in challenging working in the UK education
system. Check out the resources
and links I’ve put on my website Students are able to sit IGCSE
about finding a position in NZ or exams without being in school for
Australia. the full two years, but they will
need to complete extra study in
This is a better option to maybe order to make up for missing the
work your way up to working in a first year of the course.
really foreign environment. Don’t
try and be what you aren’t when Students who do not complete two
applying for positions with years in the MYP program will
international schools. receive a Record of Achievement
for their final year.
Your children’s education
For your older children, the last
If you have children you will two years of high school in a
need to consider how they will British curriculum school or an
adapt to the new situation. IB Diploma school also comprise
of a two year course. You will
If they are going into Year 11 need to investigate the
(Grade 10), it is not advisable possibilities for your particular
for them to enter either the IB circumstances once you have
MYP or the IGCSE system because identified schools you would like
both of these programs finish a to apply for. Remember that you
program at the end of this year. can ask questions as a
The IGCSE exam is the culmination prospective parent before you
of two years work, and the IB MYP even apply for a position.
will only offer certificates to
students who have completed two Understanding your goals
years in the program and studied
all 8 subject areas. It is important to understand
what you are trying to achieve by * you are curious as to what it
making this change in your life. would be like to live and work
This will help you to focus your overseas
job search on securing the
position that will enable you to All of these goals are perfectly
meet your goals. valid and you probably consider
that more than one of them
Consider whether applies to you. Or your goals may
* you are looking for new not be on this list. Whatever
challenges personally or your goals, you must be aware of
professionally them and keep them in the back of
* you are looking to make your mind throughout the process
financial gains or take a pay cut that follows.
in order to give something of
yourself to developing You might have more self
communities development goals in mind, and
* you want to develop new working in an international
relationships school is a fantastic boost to
* you are looking to fund your your self esteem. I know I am an
move to another country in order attractive employment prospect,
to adopt a child simply because of the many
* you want to fund personal or experiences I have had and my
professional research proven adaptability.
About the Author:
For more information on kick-starting your international teaching career visit http://teachoverseas.info/amx.php?adminid=3853&tid=11523
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