A Quick Guide for First Time Recruitment Fair Attendees

The decision to move overseas to teach in an international school usually culminates with attendance at a teacher recruitment fair. The experience can be overwhelming, with a wide array of imagined futures for participants. The anticipation and excitement of the event mirrors the mixture of emotions tied to moving to teach internationally for the first time. Are you ready to make the leap?

Establish Your Why: Country, Curriculum, Career

Long before you turn up at the recruitment fair, be clear about why you are doing this. Think positively about what you want to gain from the experience. Here, three ‘Cs’ might act as a stimulus: country, curriculum and career. Are you set on a particular destination, or are you open to moving somewhere unknown to work with a new curriculum, such as the International Baccalaureate? Similarly, if you are currently in a middle leadership position, would you be willing to step down to a teaching position for the right school in the right destination? In essence, the relative importance of country, curriculum, and career are what you will need to juggle at a recruitment fair. There is not always a perfect fit for all three! Recruiters will often start with the “why” question during an interview, so it is best to be prepared. If your “why” is not clear based around one or more of these Cs, then perhaps reconsider. This will be the thing that allows you to make informed decisions at the recruitment fair.

Vacancies: What Is Available?

International schools will ask their current staff to confirm their intentions about the next school year well ahead of recruiting season (most teachers are hired on two-year contracts). This informs the vacancies which are advertised on school websites, databases, and ultimately dictates what is available at the recruitment fair. Pay attention to vacancies moving from tentative to firm as the fair draws closer.  With many schools making use of online interviews to pre-screen candidates ahead of time, the recruitment fair often represents the end rather than the start of the hiring process. Take every opportunity to connect with schools by email or schedule interviews before the fair. By the time you arrive at the fair, the vacancies and your expectations in terms of three Cs will give you a clearer picture. If one country and its schools have no vacancies, are you willing to think regionally? 

School Information Sessions: Fact Finding and “Feel” 

Attend as many as possible. Information sessions provide a chance to meet senior leaders from the schools. These will be the same people interviewing candidates later in the fair. Use these sessions to fill in the gaps in the research you have already done. You can then establish a baseline of the expectations of schools on your shortlist. As a first timer, you can then judge if you will fit with the profile of the school. This is about fact finding, but also about “feel.”  You can learn a lot about what a school values from what is presented. For example, does the curriculum get a high profile? Are examination results or wellbeing programs spotlighted? Whilst there will always be an element of sales pitch to information sessions, recruitment fair organizers encourage open question and answer sessions. A good “fact finding and feel” question to ask is how a new member of staff is supported to settle in the school and in the country. Some schools will help you with both aspects, others will expect you to fend for yourself soon after you land. If the latter is the case, is this still your dream school?  

Interview Sign Up: Realistic, Optimistic, Open-Minded

With hundreds of candidates all here to be interviewed, there can be a nervous energy at this part of the fair. The interview sign up session can be made less stressful with a few simple steps:

Firstly, be realistic: some schools will be clear about the experience that they expect to see and offer interviews based on strict criteria. Approach interviewers at sign up with a clear idea of the position that interests you, which matches with the experience you have.

Secondly, be optimistic: a recruiter will always appreciate (and remember!) a teacher who can quickly and concisely introduce themselves. Remind them if you have already corresponded or attended the information session. Have copies of your résumé on hand in case they ask to see it. If no interview spots are available, thank them and move on.

Finally, be open minded: going back to the regional approach, if one destination looks oversubscribed, look at countries and schools in the same region. Is a smaller, younger school a place to scale up your international experience? Remember, a long queue next to one school is only an indicator that there will be fewer interview spots available. Don’t forget to record the time and place of your interviews and make a note of the people who will be interviewing.

Interviews: How Will You Fit In?

In a short space of time, interviewers are trying to judge how well you will fit in with three key groups: students, parents and faculty. It is worthwhile to prepare some answers to some standard questions. What does a good lesson look like in your subject? How do you promote inclusion? What other subjects or activities are you able to offer the school? In addition, they may ask you how you cope when things go wrong. This question helps judge how well you are going to cope in a new country and setting. Culture and perspectives will be different from country to country, so take care with your use of humor, and keep your tone and language simple.

Decision Time: Things Move Fast

The pace of the recruitment fair often surprises first time candidates. Screening, first, and call back interviews, followed by a job offer could all come in the space of a day. This is a necessity for schools who have limited time and may lose a strong candidate to another school if they do not move quickly. Each fair will have specific rules about making job offers that all schools must follow. Usually, a verbal offer made by a school is binding, with a formal contract being drawn up following your acceptance. It is normal practice to be given until the end of the fair to decide. The organizer of the recruitment fair will be able to support you with advice on these aspects. Beware any schools that expect you to decide on the spot during an interview.  

Decision Time: Things Move Fast

If you are deciding on a career as an international teacher, this will not be your last recruitment fair. If you are unsuccessful at securing your dream position first time around, developing your experience in another setting will help make the step to your preferred location. The recruitment fair is a unique setting with schools, leaders, and teachers all in one place. Take the opportunity to talk to as many people as possible. This exchange of perspectives is great professional learning about the landscape of international education. Hopefully all this advice will make the “leap” feel more like a positive, planned first step on your journey as an international educator.