Important Information for International Teaching Candidates

Please be aware that:

• The competition for overseas positions can be very keen (especially for administrative candidates) depending upon such variables as the time of year, the location and reputation of the school, the flexibility of the candidate, the strength of the candidate’s file, etc.
• To qualify as a Search Associates regular teaching candidate, you should ideally have a minimum of one, or preferably two, years of recent, full-time teaching experience in a recognized school program. However, demand is now high for teachers in many fields. Teachers with less than two years experience who can demonstrate strong potential, such as earning a credential or other recognized teaching qualification for primary or secondary schools, are positively encouraged to apply. To qualify as a Search Associates administrative candidate, you must have a minimum of two years experience in an educational leadership position appropriate to your field of application.
• To qualify as an intern candidate, the candidate must be at least a college or university senior with a very strong academic record. (In U.S. terms, a Grade Point Average of at least 3.2 or higher, is preferred. A copy of your official or unofficial transcript is required.)
• FLEXIBILITY is very important. Search Associates will usually accept only those candidates willing to consider several countries or regions of the world.
• Many international schools will give hiring preference to single teachers without dependents or to teaching couples (both qualified teachers) with no more than two accompanying children. (This is often because of housing or financial constraints). However, nearly half the schools registered with Search Associates will consider teachers with non-teaching partners.
• Initial contracts are ordinarily for two years and are renewable. (Contracts for interns are for one year.) Round-trip transportation and other benefits are invariably provided. Salaries and benefits are generally competitive but vary widely from school to school.
• For intern candidates -- For intern candidates -- There are no registration fees or placement fees for interns; any placement fees are paid by the recruiting school. There is, however, a modest data base user fee of $100 for interns who have met our standards, who have been deemed viable candidates, and who have been accepted by Search Associates. This fee, which covers a three year period, gives unlimited access to the extensive Search Associates database containing information for some 600 international schools, including their contact information, and their up to the minute vacancy postings. It also includes attendance at one of the Search Associates Recruitment Fairs (Job Forums).
• For non-intern candidates in international placement -- If a candidate is placed successfully through Search Associates, no placement fee is payable by the candidate – the placement fee is paid in full by the recruiting school. Most branches of Search Associates charge a modest non-refundable user fee for those who have met our standards and have been accepted as viable candidates. This fee of US$200 (or the equivalent in another appropriate currency) is good for a three year period, or until the candidate is placed in an international school (whether through Search Associates or otherwise), whichever comes first. The fee includes activation of the candidate password, which provides unlimited access to our extensive data base and up-to-date vacancy lists posted by some 600 schools. The fee also includes attendance at one Search Associates Recruitment Fair. There is an additional fee of US$50 (or the equivalent in another appropriate currency) for attendance at any additional recruitment fair should this be necessary. For legal reasons, different arrangements apply to those candidates applying for registration with the British Branch of Search Associates – for details contact David Cope, Senior Associate, at dr.cope@virgin.net
• When a candidate accepts a position and is thus no longer available, his or her application and online references will be removed from our database and placed into our electronic archives for future use. Whenever he or she wishes to reactivate his or her candidacy to find another position, the three year registration cycle begins again with the submission of an updated online application and, where appropriate, the payment of a new data base user fee.
• Please remember that acceptance for registration with Search Associates, or for a place at any Search Associates Recruitment Fair, is BY INVITATION ONLY and is extended only to those teaching, intern and administrative candidates that we believe we can assist in meeting realistic goals. We do not accept payment of the data base user fee unless we believe that there is a reasonable (though not guaranteed) chance of success.
• These are the basic requirements. If you believe you meet them, please go ahead with your application. Once you have submitted your application to Search Associates, we will carefully review all of the information. If we believe you are a competitive candidate for international school placement with us, we will invite you to register with Search Associates, at which time you may wish to pay the appropriate data base user fee.

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