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Welcome to Search Associates! Completing your online application is the first step to becoming an active registered candidate. We appreciate your choosing our organization to help you in your search for a position abroad as a teacher, administrator or intern. Although we certainly do not want to discourage good candidates from applying to Search Associates, we feel it is important to give you as the information below in order to help you make an informed decision as to whether teaching abroad is right for you and whether or not you would be a competitive candidate.
Most international schools have high standards in their hiring preferences which make securing a position abroad very competitive. There are many variables affecting the possibility of receiving job offers which include, but are not limited to:
- The strength of your Search Associates completed file
- The teaching preferences you list
- The strength of your interviewing skills and ability to “connect” with the interviewer
- The quality of your confidential references
- Your adaptability and geographical flexibility
- The time of year you begin your search
Bachelor's degree, teaching diploma, or recognized equivalent, from a reputable college or university.
Few, if any, schools will hire teachers unless they have completed a BA or BS degree or its equivalent.
A minimum of two years recent, full-time teaching experience in a reputable school at primary or secondary level.
Most school recruiters are looking for teachers or administrators who are currently doing what they will be expected to do overseas. Some schools may waive (or possibly waive) the experience component, particularly in scarce subject areas, so long as the applicant has completed student teaching and is credentialed. Still, the more experienced a candidate is, the more competitive they will be.
Teaching certification/credential or qualification preferably from an English speaking country
Approximately 60% of schools we work with state they will not hire a candidate without a teaching credential. Much of this is the result of host country restrictions in obtaining a VISA/working permit. While not all schools require a valid teaching credential, many do; thus, having a teaching credential will enhance your competitiveness.
Flexibility
Candidates, who are willing only to go to Europe for example, greatly diminish their chances of securing a position. Candidates willing to go almost anywhere greatly improve their chances of securing a position
If you do not meet all or some of these qualifications, you are more than welcome to contact a Senior Associate for more information or contact our Executive Administrative Assistant, Melinda Williams.
Bachelor's degree, teaching diploma, or recognized equivalent from a reputable college or university.
Few, if any, schools will hire administrators unless they have completed a BA or BS degree or its equivalent.
A minimum of two years experience in an educational leadership position appropriate to your field of application.
Most school recruiters are looking for administrators who are currently doing what they will be expected to do overseas. Administrative positions are extremely competitive. The more administrative experience you have, in the area you are seeking, the more competitive you will be.
Flexibility
Candidates, who are willing only to go to Europe for example, greatly diminish their chances of securing a position. Candidates willing to go almost anywhere greatly improve their chances of securing a position
If you do not meet all or some of these qualifications, we discourage you from applying as we think it will difficult for you to secure an administrative position.
College or university senior or very recent graduate.
Our intern program is geared towards college or university students who do not yet (in most cases) have a teaching credential and do not have any full time teaching experience in a k-12 program.
Strong academic record. In U.S. terms, a grade point average of at least 3.2 or higher, is preferred.
Experience working with children.
This could be through camp counseling, tutoring, teaching assistant and so forth. Although this is not mandatory, it will enhance your competitiveness.
Flexibility.
Candidates, who are willing only to go to Europe for example, greatly diminish their chances of securing a position. Candidates willing to go almost anywhere greatly improve their chances of securing a position
If you do not meet all or some of these qualifications, you are more than welcome to contact our Intern Coordinator, Diane Sherman, for more information.
Family Status.
Almost all schools will hire teaching couples and single teachers without dependents. However, international schools incur exceptional expenses when hiring personnel from abroad, such as airfares, shipping, relocation and, in most cases, housing provisions therefore, the more dependents, the more expensive the teacher becomes. Generally, teaching couples with more than two dependents will find significantly fewer options, and beyond that the odds of success diminish rapidly. Single teachers with a dependent child will find that budget considerations may make it more difficult to obtain an offer from most schools. Therefore, you may find that schools which interest you greatly will not consider your candidacy. Teaching candidates who have a “non-teaching spouse” and no dependents should be relatively competitive in most parts of the world. However, there are some schools which will not hire this category of teacher.
Age restrictions.
Search Associates does not discriminate based on age. However, we work with schools in almost 140 countries and each country has its own laws and regulations concerning residence visas and work permits. As best we can determine, around 30% of the countries do not impose an age limit for issuing visas/work permits. For those countries that do impose restrictions, the age is generally 65. The most common location for age limits is in the Arabian Gulf, where the restriction is 59 yrs of age. Once you have access to our database, you can easily see each school profile and determine whether or not they have an age restriction based on the country where they are located.
We hope we have provided you with enough information to feel comfortable moving onward to complete your online application. However, please feel free to contact a Senior Associate in your area or our Executive Administrative Assistant, Melinda Williams, if you have any questions or need additional information.
