Three Job Fairs, Three Jobs: An International Teacher Hiring Saga

What teachers routinely wear to the pursuit fair, Feature Photo: Alex France

English clergyman Amy Villagio shares about removing hired for general propagandize jobs.

I was in connoisseur school, as good as we was broke. The easy approach out hovered over me in the unreal mist of financial stability as good as 403b plans: take the pursuit suggest during the propagandize where we had usually completed my tyro teaching. But after the three major firsts of post-undergrad hold up (first real pursuit training English in South Korea, initial trip out of the country, as good as initial craft ticket) we couldnt suppose we do anything else though going behind to learn overseas.

My dreams of the glamorous hold up in Cairo, Bangkok, or Nairobi indispensable to take the slight detour, yet to Waterloo, Iowa, as good as the UNI Overseas Recruiting Fair. So starts the saga of my general propagandize training careerand the longest float upon Greyhound in my life.

Job Fair #1, February 2000:

Early morning, Chicago train station, most most hours after leaving Albany

I wandered around, perplexing to look inconspicuous among the shuffling, muttering masses of transients as good as transfers. Turning the alternative approach as the male got in to the shouting compare with the military officer, we eventually pushed aside some quick food trash in order to camber down as good as hide in the chair for the couple of hours.

Photo: loop_oh

A rest stop somewhere in the Midwest

As it turned out, whilst we eventually done it onto the subsequent train in Chicago, my bag did not. we had no garments alternative than what what we had been wearing for the past 24 hours. we paid for the three-pack of Hanes ! mens whi te t-shirts, logic which out of all the options available, these might be something Id essentially wear again in the future. Remember, we was broke.

Interview sign-ups, Hotel, Waterloo, Iowa

One of the hallmarks of the general training pursuit satisfactory knowledge is the sign-up period. This is rather same to the cattle stampede. Tables have been set up in the huge room arena-style, as good as possibilities conduct to their tip schools, branch in their call in if they have the single as good as signing up for the time slot, or branch upon the sales representation as good as angling to get in to any superfluous talk times. Beforehand youve finished your nation research, noted all accessible jobs in your subject area, as good as prioritized according to countries, schools, as good as assignments. Now its down to following your carefully mapped-out plan of which table to go to first.

Only as straightforward as which all may appear upon the surface, it essentially isnt. Changes occur from hour to hour, notation to notation as positions get filled, brand new ones open up, as good as countries we never even considered, let alone thought were legal for Americans to go to, astonishing become possibilities. Werent they usually in the war? Is which going to matter? Could we unequivocally learn middle as good as tall propagandize English as good as amicable studies? And maybe math?

Everyone else was in suits as good as alternative suitable professional attire. we was wearing the single of my three precious white t-shirts, as good as apologizing to the administrators during the table for looking so casual. You took the train to here from Albany? Okay, we need to come to Turkey. Lets get we sealed up for an interview.

Photo: SteelCityHobbies

School presentations

Throughout the fairs, administrators give sales pitches about wh! y we sho uld come work during their school. we was seduced by all of them, the possibilities of vital as good as training in all these vibrant, exciting communities, operative with bright as good as motivated students, travel opportunities such as hopping upon the train to the Caribbean as good as learning how to SCUBA

Decision time

I interviewed with schools from all over, including Turkey, Mexico, Haiti, as good as Honduras. we was watchful to listen to behind from the few, as good as branch over in my conduct the suggest from Honduras: The pursuit is yours if we want it. You have the decision. You call us if youre interested. A plain pursuit offer, the chance to use my Spanish, SCUBA divingI took it.

Job Fair #2, February 2005:

Ostensibly older as good as wiser, we was behind in the US, vital as good as training in Colorado, as good as ready for the brand new adventure. Now we owned the car, as good as we decided to expostulate to Iowa. This was an perpetually better knowledge than the bus, although the title of the folk song from my DJ days in college kept entrance behind to me: we Hate to Wake up Sober in Nebraska.

Sign-ups

In my summary folder an astonishing yellow call in awaited the single of the tip Eastern European schools, the single we hadnt even unequivocally considered. we bolted toward their table as good as settled in to an already impossibly long line, the longest in the room. After what felt like perpetually we done it to the front of the line, energetically turned in my card, as good as heard, Amy! Its so great to meet you. we wanted the chance to say hello, since we noticed where we went to college. we taught in which town for most years as good as have most lustful memories of it. Well, Im essentially usually interviewing for my hard-to-fill positions right now; youre the usually English clergyman we gave an call in to. If any slots open up whilst Im here Ill be certain to get in hold with you. Best of fitness during th! e rest o f the fair!

Much later, as good as most wiser

Cameroon, Photo: manbeastextraordinaire

I interviewed with schools from Germany, Kuwait, Syria, as good as Thailand. Finally, we was down to my talk with the propagandize in Cameroon. Here we got the tough sell Im offering we the position, youve got about 5 mins to decide, youre my series the single candidate, Ive got alternative English clergyman interviews after yours as good as we cant pledge this after on

I took it. Later we drove behind to Colorado, racking up silly dungeon phone charges calling friends as good as family as good as announcing in spirited shock: Im going to Africa!

Job Fair #3, Jan 2007:

This time it was different we was sealed up with ISS, International School Services, as good as had purchased the bank-breaking sheet from Cameroon to Bangkok, plus reserved bedrooms during the Shangri-La. Administrators had entrance to my file beforehand, as good as proposed contacting me for interviews right away. With the appearance of Skype as good as the mostly exorbitant expenses (did we mention we had already paid for the sheet from Cameroon to Thailand?), fairs have been fast upon their approach to apropos obsolete.

An director from the little propagandize in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, the city Id never listened of before, as good as we proposed talking. Several skype interviews later, he offered me the position, as good as we took it.

May 2010

Three years as good as the horribly costly vacation in Thailand later, we am still in Taiwan during the small though flourishing general school, preparing to come behind for the fourth year of training tall propagandize English. we dont know what types of hiring practice await me in my future, though Im certain my time in the pursuit satisfactory milieu so far has prepared me good for whatever happens next. If we have been! deliber ation this funny though exciting path for your future, heres what we would keep in mind: be flexible, be ready for the unexpected, as good as never blink the energy of the mens white t-shirt.

Community Connection

Have we ever attended the training recruitment fair? Let us know about your knowledge in the comment section.

If we have been deliberation the career in general teaching, check out Matador intern Heather Carreiros beam upon How to Become an International Teacher.