Job Discussion Forums

ew4055 · Joined: 28 Oct 2013 Posts: 12

I got invited to a Skype interview for this upcoming Monday for an international school in Spain. It's my first ESL-type interview.

I've had lots of interviews, but not for international schools. What kinds of questions do you think they will ask? What kinds of questions should I ask them?

I don't have an EU visa.. can I still teach in an international school? What should I know about teaching in international schools?

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

No, you can't teach in Spain unless you hold an EU passport. Didn't you indicate your nationality on your CV? If so, it's odd this particular employer didn't catch it.

In regard to your questions about teaching in international schools, if you're qualified for a position, then there's no reason why you can't apply for it. Obviously, you need to choose countries where you can legally work.

ew4055 · Joined: 28 Oct 2013 Posts: 12

He knows I live in the US, it clearly states it on my resume. I'm not sure why they contacted me for an interview. Maybe I'll email him to clarify the passport thing.

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

Your nationality should be prominently stated on your CV; employers can't always determine citizenship from an address since many EFL teachers apply for jobs while outside their home country. Best to email him asap to let him know you don't hold an EU passport. Anyway, scratch this one off your list and perhaps look into teaching jobs in Asia.

HLJHLJ · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 1218 Location: Ecuador

Actually, there may be an exception here. When you say an international school, do you mean a 'real' international school, one backed by a foreign government? Or is it just a school with an international ethos? If it's the former, some of them issue diplomatic visas to staff and the rules are different. If it's the latter then yes, you are out of luck.

ew4055 · Joined: 28 Oct 2013 Posts: 12

I think it's definitely a real school because it says on their website they are a member of the European Council of International Schools. Along with a bunch of other memberships.

HLJHLJ · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 1218 Location: Ecuador

Sorry, I didn't real as in not fake, I mean is it government backed? There are lots of different types of perfectly legitimate international schools, but only the government backed ones can issue diplomatic visas. It should say on the website if it is. If you are not sure what I mean, you can PM me the website and I will check for you.

ew4055 · Joined: 28 Oct 2013 Posts: 12

Okay, he just responded to me and said yes I am still eligible. He said whoever is hired, they support getting them the appropriate visa to work in Spain. Okay, interesting...

Thanks everybody.

Well, now that mystery is solved, does anybody have any advice for my interview?

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

I get the impression you didn't apply for this position---that somehow this employer saw your CV posted on a job site.

Anyway, start with the school's website to learn what you can about the place, the students, the curriculum, the teaching staff, etc. That's where you'll get ideas for questions to ask the employer. There might be reviews on the school, so give International Schools Review a look. In terms of what you'll be asked, it's hard to say outside of the usual questions about your background and experience. Be prepared to answer the standard, "Why do you want to work for us," question.

HLJHLJ · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 1218 Location: Ecuador

Why do you want to work in a school?
What experience do you have working with children? (If you don't have any, do you have any experience you can talk about? Younger siblings, baby sitting, youth group work, etc).
What do you know about their curriculum?
Are you comfortable working with a wide range of ages?
How would you manage a classroom of 4 year olds, or 14 year olds?

Things to find out before the interview:
How big is the school?
How many kids?
What ages?
How many teachers?
Does it have a specialism?
What country's curriculum does it follow?

Things you could ask them:
What ages will you be working with?
How big is the ESL dept? Are they any other teachers?
Class sizes?
Will you be working with whole classes or providing individual/small group support?
What proportion of their students are native English speakers?
Do they use specific books/materials (if so, what?) or will you be creating your own?
Are the children language tested before they are accepted in the school? If so, what is the minimum language level?
Do they encourage any formal/external language testing (Cambridge Young Learners, etc)
If it's secondary level, what is the school's average IB grade?

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Please note that there have been a number of SCAMS recently where unscrupulous operators have hijacked the information from real schools to bilk the unwary.

If this company asks you to pay any money AT ALL, it is a scam.

If it turns out to be a scam, please post the relevant info on the General Europe forum thread about scams on the continent.

The biggest red flag is that, unless you have real specialist qualifications that the school is unlikely to find in any European candidate for the job - or if it's a legit school specifically needing a US citizen for some reason likely related to their charter (in which case said US citizen would still likely be chosen from among the top-qualified), it's just not probably a legit job.

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

Spirals right. I remember one about a Spanish school recently. Make sure they have a legit email address and it wouldn't hurt to call the school as well.

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

grahamb · Joined: 30 Apr 2003 Posts: 1945

"I think it's definitely a real school because it says on their website they are a member of the European Council of International Schools. Along with a bunch of other memberships."

Don't take their word for it. Look on Google to see if the school actually exists. Check their details on the European Council of International Schools website: http://www.ecis.org

Check the alleged memberships of other organisations.

If they offer free accommodation and air tickets and then ask for a "processing fee", you'll know it's a scam.

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Also check their email address. One of the tip-offs of the scam is that the contact details of the people you are talking to don't match up with those of the actual school.
Again, it's really common for scammers to hijack the sites of real schools. Another way to check is for you to contact directly someone from the website.

My personal bet is that this is a scam. Please do let us know how it works out - and good luck!