For many teachers, the recruitment season in international schools is an exciting time. It's an opportunity to explore new possibilities, land a dream job, and maybe even experience life in a new culture. However, the reality of securing a new position in the international school scene can be incredibly stressful, especially for those who don’t have well-established connections or an inside track to jobs.
The Privilege of Connections
For some, finding a new international school position is as easy as reaching out to colleagues they’ve worked with in the past. This kind of professional network is a privilege. If you’re one of the lucky few with these connections, recruitment can feel less like a daunting task and more like an exciting adventure. You can skip the recruitment fairs, avoid paying steep subscription fees to agencies, and land in a new country, ready to embrace a new community.
However, not everyone enjoys this advantage. For many teachers, especially those who are newer to the international teaching scene, recruitment season can feel overwhelming, stressful, and downright anxiety-inducing. The process can have a toll on mental health as candidates navigate the uncertainty of moving from one job without securing another. The highs and lows, the silence after applications, and the rejections can feel like an emotional rollercoaster.
The Reality for Most
For the majority of teachers, finding a new international position requires navigating expensive recruitment agencies, attending fairs, and applying to countless job postings—many of which may already be filled internally. There’s nothing more frustrating than finding your “dream job” posted online, putting together a detailed application, and only later discovering that the position has already been filled.
Equally frustrating is the silence that follows after sending out applications. Some schools never reply, even with a simple automated, "Thank you for your application." You find yourself waiting, holding out hope for that dream school, only to be met with nothing but radio silence. In these moments, the common saying, "No news is good news," doesn’t apply. The uncertainty can weigh heavily on your mental health, leaving you wondering, “What's wrong with me?”
The First Interview: The Real Test
If you're fortunate enough to receive an interview, that's where the real stress begins. The hours spent scrolling through the school’s website, memorizing the mission, vision, and values, preparing answers to all the potential questions. Yet, often, that first interview is more about seeing if you’re a fit for the school's culture. It’s the “get to know you” phase where the panel may already be deciding, "Do I like this person enough to work with them?" or "Do I see them fitting in here?"
Here are three key strategies to help you stand out in that crucial first interview:
The Waiting Game and Bouncing Back After Rejections
After a successful interview, the excitement builds. You start imagining your life in a new country, looking up flights, and daydreaming about the culture and community. But then, more interviews come your way. You go through the same emotional highs, but the wait becomes unbearable. Days turn into weeks, and you start hearing about others landing contracts and getting multiple offers, while your inbox remains silent. It’s easy to start questioning yourself.
This waiting period can be one of the most emotionally draining parts of the recruitment process. You may have received a rejection or, worse, heard nothing at all. The silence can be deafening, leaving you questioning whether you'll ever land a position. This can all take an emotional toll. But here are three ways to manage the stress and pick yourself up after a setback:
The Rollercoaster Doesn’t Stop
Sometimes, the dream school doesn’t come through, and that’s okay. One constant in the recruitment process is keeping an open mind. You may not have considered a school or country initially, but an interview might lead to something unexpected and exciting. It’s important to remember that every experience can be an opportunity for growth and staying open to new possibilities might just award you that growth. I’ve learned two key lessons over the years: Timing is everything and you always land where you’re meant to be. Sometimes, rejections are blessings in disguise, and sometimes your dream job turns out to be less than ideal.
I once worked with a young colleague who was ready to leave international teaching. He said he would only stay abroad if one of his three dream schools offered him a position. By April, he had already started packing, preparing to return home. But just before our school year ended in June, one of his dream schools reached out. A teacher they had hired backed out, and suddenly, his dream position was on the table. Ten years later, he's still living the dream. Call it luck or fate, but the point is—never count yourself out.
Recruitment in international schools can be a rollercoaster, filled with highs and lows, excitement, and disappointment. But through it all, it’s important to stay grounded, take care of your mental health, and remain open to opportunities that come your way. Prepare well, always put your best foot forward, stay grounded, and trust that the right position will come at the right time. After all, it’s not over until it’s over.
Riedwaan Kader is the diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) coordinator and middle school humanities teacher at the International School of Nido de Águilas in Chile.
