IN JANUARY 2021: DUE TO COVID-19 RELATED ISSUES, THE HONG KONG FAIR IS COMBINED WITH THE BANGKOK AND LONDON JANUARY FAIRS INTO AN EXCITING ONLINE FAIR. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CHECK OUT THE "JANUARY GLOBAL VIRTUAL FAIR".
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WELCOME
The Hong Kong Fair is held right at the peak of the recruiting season, normally on the campus of the Chinese International School in central Hong Kong, atop Braemar Hill and overlooking the beautiful harbor.
The Hong Kong Fair brings together candidates from a wide diversity of nationalities, whilst 20% of the candidates are ethnically Chinese.
Attending the Hong Kong Fair offers both candidates and school recruiters the opportunity to schedule interviews with each other to determine if a good "fit" exits. In addition, our fairs offer an excellent opportunity to network with other international teaching candidates (as well as recruiters) and get a good sense of the joys and challenges of working in international education.
FOCUS: QUALITY AND INNOVATION
The Hong Kong Fair is attended by schools mostly from the Far East, the Near East and South Asia but also from the rest of the world looking for candidates from a wide range of nationalities all over the world who are either currently based in Asia or are committed to working in Asia.
Started over ten years ago, the Hong Kong Fair has expanded in line with the tremendous growth of international education in this region. The recent fairs in 2019 and 2020 saw it nearing its maximum capacity and further growth in demand for places is likely to see HK close its books early in the future recruiting seasons. In managing its growth the Hong Kong Fair will seek to emphasize a focus on quality and innovation in future years.
There has been impressive innovation in the world of international education across this region in the last few years to meet the needs of a new generation of "glocal" students in schools providing international education. Innovation has been occurring in these schools not only in curriculum designs (both inside and outside the classroom), but also in a variety of other educational initiatives. These schools are rich in resources, innovative in mission, and committed to international education in a cross-cultural context. The schools attending the Hong Kong Fair are leaders in these developments and are looking for high quality candidates who are flexible and committed to child-centered innovative learning in Asia.
Candidates interested in being on the cutting-edge of developments in international education in the 21st century are strongly encouraged to attend the Hong Kong Fair to learn about these new developments and to seek opportunities in our schools for personal growth.
PERSONAL ATTENTION
Among the peak-season January fairs, the Hong Kong Fair is mid-size, selective but still with many schools, so the proportion of candidates to schools is roughly the same at HK as it is at the other fairs. Attending the more focused Hong Kong Fair will enable both schools and candidates to have more time for and attention to each other, allowing for better understanding and “fit”. The better “fit” between school and candidate, the higher chance of success not only at the fair, but more importantly, after arrival at the school.
The two Senior Associates at the Hong Kong fair, Dr. Barry Drake and Ms. Xiaohang Sumner, have outstanding knowledge and contacts in the schools in Asia, esp. Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China. Ms. Sumner also has outstanding knowledge of all practical matters related to working and living in China, having returned to China to set up three innovative schools in the last ten years. We will offer very personalized consultation to help candidates get placements at schools that are “good fits”. Part of the consultation is to advise candidates on the relative merits, qualities and challenges offered by particular schools. Other advice will be provided to registered candidates on
DATES
The timing of the Hong Kong Fair is quite advantageous, as it is neither too early or too late in the international recruiting cycle. School recruiters will be able to interview a large pool of excellent candidates and candidates will have access to a large number of positions available.
The fair is held over a three-day period of time which will consist of school presentations, informative workshops, interview sign up sessions and most importantly, the interviews!
INVITATION
The Hong Kong Fair will open its books for registrations in August. As we were virtually full last year and expect even more growth next year, we will ask schools and candidates to register as early as possible to reserve a place.
RECRUITERS: Please go to your school's dashboard and accept your invitation. If you do not have an invitation yet, please email me at xsumner@searchassociates.com.
TEACHING AND LEADERSHIP CANDIDATES:
• If you are already registered with the Hong Kong office, please email me to request an invitation.
• If you are not yet registered with Search, please contact me for information on joining Search Associates and attending the Hong Kong Fair.
• If you are registered with another Senior Associate, please contact him/her to request an invitation to the Hong Kong Fair.
WEBINARS
For more information on the international school jobs and the Hong Kong job fair, please join us in one of our webinars!
Please sign up by clicking here.
Xiaohang Sumner and the HK Team
