June 12, 2018

10 Tips to Land a Teaching Job Abroad

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In early August, I am moving to the Netherlands where I will be teaching in an international school.

Many people have been asking me, “How did you get this job?”

The other day, I wrote a blog post announcing my new job and big move. I briefly described how I made the life-changing decision to accept the offer, and outlined my next steps as I prepare to move from the USA to Europe. It makes sense that after reading all of that, people have questions. How? Why? What? When? Where? How long? 

About a year ago, I started dreaming of living in a different place for awhile- immersing myself in a different culture, exploring a new place, expanding my horizons, seeing new sights. I thought about living in Greece for a summer and working as a bartender. Then I started thinking bigger. Could I live and work somewhere for more than a summer? It finally hit me: I could teach English in Asia.

At that time, I thought the only way I could use my teaching skills abroad was by teaching English to kids in a place like China or Thailand. I had no idea what international teaching was. Not a clue.

One day, someone heard me talking about my idea and they said to me, “Why are you only thinking about teaching English? Have you ever thought about teaching at an international school?”

An international school? What on earth is that?

I then learned that there are international schools all over the world- and they hire teachers from all different countries! So I didn’t have to teach English in Asia. I could teach anywhere, and I could teach everything- like I do here in the states. This news was groundbreaking.

I spent most of July and August 2017 researching international schools. How did I find them? I went to Google. I searched “American schools in _________” and “International schools in ___________” and simply inserted countries that I was interested in. I had no idea how many there were!

In Maryland, I work at an IB school. Having IB experience is very helpful when applying to international schools, as many of them are IB as well! My IB background already put me one step ahead of all the other teachers applying without IB experience. Of course, teachers who have never worked in an IB school can get a job at an international school.. but if there are two applicants with similar skills, years of experience, and certifications but one has IB experience and one doesn’t- most schools will go with the IB candidate. Learning this really boosted my confidence.

After a lot of Google searching and reading about various schools, locations, and programs, I began building my Curriculum Vitae (CV). When you apply for an international teaching position, a simple resume is not enough. In Europe and Asia (I think most countries outside of the USA, actually), you’ll need a CV when applying to jobs. A CV is basically a long record of all that you’ve accomplished in your life- much lengthier than a resume.

Once my CV was finalized, I started narrowing down the list of schools I was interested in. I made a table in Microsoft Word that included a column for location, school name, salary and benefits (if found), curriculum taught, contract length (if found), and other valuable information so that I could easily compare them all.

Then, I let it go. For awhile. I didn’t think my parents would ever let me do it. I talked myself out of the whole idea. I had only spoken with my sister about my idea of teaching at an international school in Europe. But it could never happen. A dream is all it was.

Fast forward to January 2018. A couple of colleagues and I were chatting outside after school and traveling came up. We then chatted about international teaching a bit. I told them that I’d be very interested in doing it, but it would never  happen. The next day, a colleague called my classroom phone before the kids arrived and said, “I am browsing online and saw that a school in Switzerland is now looking for a primary teacher! You should apply! I think you’d be perfect.”

That got the ball rolling again. I started looking up vacancies at various schools and seeing what I was qualified to teach. In February, I began seriously applying to those vacancies that interested me. And now, here we are. I’m moving abroad in just two short months.

So, Want to secure a teaching position abroad- for free?

1. Google international (or American, British, etc.) schools in various countries you’re interested in moving to. Create a list of your findings.
2. Build a CV that includes your picture, nationality, and marital status in addition to your education and work experience. Any groups you’re a member of should also be listed- plus your skills, accomplishments, and so forth.
3. Take another look at the list of schools that you made earlier. Rank them from your favorite to least favorite. Begin searching for vacancies at those schools.
4. If you find a vacancy that you want and feel qualified for- apply for it! Apply for every single one that you possibly can!
5. If there is a school you’re really interested in working at, but there are no vacancies listed, or none that are a good fit for you, “favorite” the page so you can continuously go back and check as time goes on.
6. Unless the school website specifically tells you NOT to do this, I recommend emailing a brief yet informative blurb about yourself to either the head of the school or the hiring manager/HR person. Also attach your cover letter and CV. I did this many times.
7. When someone reaches out for an interview, or to ask you some follow-up questions about your CV/application, respond as quickly as possible. There are hundreds of other applicants applying for that same position, and you don’t want to be forgotten about and back at the bottom of the pile.
8. When scheduling an interview, be flexible. You may have to have a super early or super late Skype interview, based on the country you’re hoping to work in. I normally wake up between 6:00-6:15am for work each morning, but in order to interview with schools in Europe I had to wake up at 5:00am to get ready for my 5:30 or 6:00am interview. It’s not fun, but it needs to be done. 
9. Think about what makes you stand out. Why should this school hire you? What will you bring to the table? Jot your reasons down on sticky notes. Also, research the school you’re interviewing with and jot down any key points or ideas you find interesting. Bring those points up during your interview! Never go into an interview unprepared. I always had prepared sticky notes near my laptop that I could refer to if necessary during my Skype interviews.
10. Most importantly: don’t give up.

Well, that’s all folks. That’s how I did it. And you can do it too. I didn’t join CIS, ISS, or Search Associates. I did not pay a membership fee anywhere. I did all of the legwork myself. Just make sure that before you begin the process, it is something that you really, really want to do. It is a long, drawn-out process. Just creating a CV is very time consuming. Researching schools and searching for vacancies is time consuming. Personalizing countless cover letters is time consuming. And moving to a brand new place can be scary (believe me). I’ve begun selling many items of mine (my couch, end table, etc.) and honestly, staying put here in Maryland would just be so much easier. So much more convenient.

So ask yourself this: Do you want easy? Do you want convenient? Or do you want adventure? A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? Are you ready for a huge life change?

I am. And I thank you for reading my posts and following me on this new journey of mine! I know there will be many ups and downs. But I read a quote the other day that really resonated with me. It read…

“Don’t live the same year 75 times and call it a life.”

―Robin S. Sharma

 

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