Is your career goal to become an international school teacher?
Do you need some tips on how to land a teaching job?
In addition to learning about the students you’ll be working with and the culture you’ll be living in, you may need to know more about the benefits, compensation, and procedures for applying to international teaching roles.
You can use several available resources to learn how the process works for different countries and school systems.
Deciding how to proceed will largely depend on your career goals, but the first step is to make a shortlist of where you want to teach, what age group you prefer, and what subject matter you hope to share with your students.
International teaching job search and interview tips and techniques will help you get motivated and on the right path to teaching overseas. When things get tough, do your best to overcome feeling desperate.
Let your personal career goals shape your decisions regarding which international schools you’d like to submit your application for review. The first step is to make a shortlist of international schools and write directly to them to inquire about their community’s hiring opportunities.
Once you know more about which schools are hiring and what they are looking for in a new teacher, you can start researching the benefits offered. What the compensation package looks like, and how to begin a job application.
To get the best results from your search for teaching positions in an international school, you can make use of the step by step procedure stated below:
1. Plan Ahead
The first thing you need to do is start the teaching job search and application process as early as possible. Some institutions hire teachers with several months’ advance notice, giving candidates time to plan for their transition and get settled in their new home well in advance of the first day of class.
Other hiring managers or recruiters may fill last-minute vacancies at just a few week’s notice. Apply for a teaching job today and be overseas in a classroom more quickly than you think—use online resources to review various international teaching opportunities and start contacting each of them.
2. Narrow Your List
An excellent way to begin your search for international teaching opportunities is to at least two or three countries where you want to pursue your international teaching career.
Once you have a region in mind, select schools in every country you are interested in and write directly to them. Inform these schools about your interest in becoming part of their teaching staff. Forward all your job application materials, including your resume, cover letter, transcripts, and several letters of recommendation.
Search for schools or programs looking for teachers by doing online research and focusing your search on international job opportunities. Once you have identified the employment opportunities you are qualified for, send your cover letter along with your comprehensive resume, at least a couple of letters of recommendation, and do not forget to include your university transcripts.
If you feel your international teaching options are overwhelming, you can work with a firm that places teachers in international schools for a fee. If you consider using such a service, be sure to do your research and determine who pays the fee and how it is paid to the service before signing anything. Register with a recruitment fair for international teaching jobs.
When you do, ask for information in advance about the number of schools participating in the fair, seeking teaching candidates with the qualifications and work experience you have.
3. Follow Up with Your Contacts
Don’t give up if you haven’t received any calls or job offers after submitting your application and presenting yourself at interviews. Never give up. Instead, it’s essential to follow up on your job applications, as you never know when a hire might fall through and a vacancy might reopen at the last minute.
Keep looking for new career opportunities. If you have particular teaching preferences, you can widen your search scope to new countries, new subject areas, and new-age groups of students.
Never be discouraged when your efforts seem to be slow in producing the results you want in your search for an international teaching job. Many factors can affect your job application, such as your work experience, competition, shortage of demand, and other related aspects of your teaching qualifications. Apply for positions of interest only and with a duration to suits your career needs.
If, for example, you prefer a one-year commitment, but schools in your desired region primarily look for teachers who can commit for two years. In this case, you might need to either alter your expectations for the amount of time you’ll be abroad or consider looking in a new region where you will be able to work on terms more amenable to your goals.
With ample research, strong follow-through, and enough perseverance, soon enough, you will discover your ideal international teaching position. Please be in touch if we can help you with your search.
