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Search Associates

 
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CdnTeacher



Joined: 29 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Sun Feb 16, 2003 5:00 pm    Post subject: Search Associates Reply with quote

SEARCH ASSOCIATES:

Some people were asking about this placement service. I know a friend that went. This is what he told me, so it's second hand info only. Here's how it goes:

They ask that you have 2 years experience, although you can still go if you want.

You pay a fee to attend, I think he said it was 150$ US or something like that.

They put your pic and resume up on the website, and give the school the list of candidates.

1st evening is wine and cheese, and you mingle with the directors. Everyone gets messages from schools that are interested in an interview.

Next two days are interviews. Where they basically check to see if you have a pulse. My friend said two schools didn't even ask for a hard copy of his resume, and offered him the job. You can also line up and request interviews with different schools, positions are crossed off the board as they become filled.

He said it was a real meat market. The desperate schools (places where no one wants to teach) almost message every person there. So you just send a message back that says no thank you.

The really desirable places (with a lot of coin and benefits) are VERY hard to get into. And the positions are mostly science and Math. Like in Canada there is a shortage everywhere for those subjects.

Then if you do take the job, Search Associates then demands more money, I think a minimum of 300 US$ or a percentage of your salary.

What I would do, is just get a list of international schools from another website, or do some research, apply to the ones you want. If they say they are going to be at the SEARCH fair, ask to meet them privately at their hotel for an interview.

Search doesn't do any follow up with you, they are basically a middle man to help introduce you to schools. They didn't even check my friends references.

You can do better on your own, and save yourself the $500.00 + US you'd end up spending on them. He got alot of offers from places, but none were very lucrative. The highest paying were in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. All contracts were 2 years min. He's single with no kids. Which is why they took an interest in him. If you're married with kids, forget about Search Associates.

I don't know about the other fairs. But the Search fair in Canada is relatively small. Maybe 15-20 schools max. With the majority from Colombia. I've heard the pay in Colombia is ok, better then Mexico and the Carribean anyways. Mexico and the Carribean are basically volunteer jobs, the pay is pathetic.

I haven't heard anything about the larger US and European Fairs, but I've heard they are much larger then Search.
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mad-artist



Joined: 07 Feb 2003

PostPosted: Fri Feb 21, 2003 4:01 pm    Post subject: SEARCH ASSOCIATES Reply with quote

I'm registered with Search-Associates and while I agree with a lot of what you say....NOT all. I can't work out why you posted this on Daves as they DON'T deal with Hagwons.............only International schools?
I'm married with a child and just last week was offered a High School Art job in Japan, Yen 550 000 a month/free housing/flights/relocation/medical/retirement plan/bonus etc.............BUT turned it down as 25% tax and the cost of living in Japan would have seen me come out even or a couple of grand ahead compared with my Hagwon job in Korea. Yen 550 000 = W5.5 million a month. Japan is very expensive, and my mate who has lived in Tokyo for 8 years basically said I'd have to try for 'Company-private' work at night to come out with GOOD coin, and the demands of an International School ARE far more than an English Hagwon; trust me I know. I work 5 hours a day here, great staff, small school(only western teacher) for W2.5 a month. I CAN teach, have 2 degrees in Ed. and am a great communicator, plus blonde(thought I'd throw that in.) We live on W1 mill. a month (and live well, all bills,gym,restaurants etc) = Yen 106 000...........and would spend Yen 300 000 a month (W3 mill) just for bills and basics in Japan. Plus 25% tax is a killer. I'm off track now, but I did my research and for me Korea is fine. We'll leave Korea with Aud.$100 000- after two/half years work here (my wife works too); pretty good as in Australia there is NO way we could save a quarter of that.(32% tax in Oz.) You reap what you sow; remember to be STRONG when negotiating contract/wage...................and rember YOU are their trump card.
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CdnTeacher



Joined: 29 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Sat Feb 22, 2003 12:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The reason I posted this reply on Dave's was because someone had asked about it. I know they only deal with international schools. But the schools they do deal with don't appear to be high paying schools, and they charge alot for the hook up. You're better off on you're own, doing your own research. Just my opinion.
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mad-artist



Joined: 07 Feb 2003

PostPosted: Sat Feb 22, 2003 2:19 am    Post subject: SEARCH ASSOCIATES Reply with quote

Sure 'DUDE' search on. What I should have said is NOTHING. Search Associates is for qualifed teachers with experience in the real teaching world..............Hogwans don't count. P.S. W5.5 mill=a month(not good coin???) Not attacking YOU personally.............but your the one with second-hand infomation.............yes?
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CdnTeacher



Joined: 29 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Sat Feb 22, 2003 8:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I can't stand reading posts by people who USE CAPS TO MAKE A POINT. Rolling Eyes

If you read the post, you will see I was putting it up for people who were asking about Search. There are certified teachers in Korea, not everyone works at Hagwons. There are also international Schools in Korea.

In no where in my post do I make a link to Search and Hagwons. A certified teacher had asked about Search in a previous post before the board got split up.

My main point is, you can get a good Job at an International School without using them. I'm speaking specifically about the Canadian job fair that my friend went to. In my post I said I didn't know about their overseas fairs. If you don't mind paying the coin to Search then by all means use it. But with the Internet, and most good International schools online, it's not hard to reach them yourself.

Hope this clears things up for you.
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The Lemon



Joined: 11 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Sun Feb 23, 2003 5:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
you can get a good Job at an International School without using them. I'm speaking specifically about the Canadian job fair that my friend went to. In my post I said I didn't know about their overseas fairs.


There are some issues with getting a job at an international school that would inhibit many of us here in Korea. I have a BEd and a MEd, and solid teaching experience, but am considered undesirable by many IS's because my wife is not a teacher. Teachers with non-teaching spouses - especially those whose "teachables" are of lower-demand subjects (ones that aren't math and sciences related) - are generally less sought-after by the better international schools. Seach Associates, as well as the administrators of the Queens University job fair in Ontario, both acknowledge this.

Other than that, once you're in the loop, you're in for good. One of my buddies has been bouncing around between European and Asian IS's and has done really well. If you can do it, go for it.
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elephantman



Joined: 31 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Sun Feb 23, 2003 9:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think this board is fine for discussing int'l teaching jobs as they are another possibility in Korea. I have both an MA-TESL as well as a BEd so I can reasonably work at either type of institution. That being said, I would suggest the Queen's University int'l job fair (100$ CA) which is held every January or the teaching job fair that is held at the Holiday Inn in Toronto every Feb (free) if you are Canadian. There is also another really big one at the University of Northern Iowa every March (also free - or very inexpensive). All of the same schools come to these fairs. If you have a little experience and a couple of degrees you can earn 30-40,000 US/year at most reputable int'l schools. You should specifically look at American, Canadian, or British int'l schools. They also provide free housing, health insurance, pension etc. To my knowledge they pay reasonably well in Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mid. East, Europe and Brazil. The real question, however, is work load. You will work much harder at an int'l school than teaching esl at a university in Korea, Japan, or the Middle East. Try getting a job doing that. We each make 40,000/year in Abu Dhabi, UAE for 16 hrs teaching/week and no marking with 2 months vacation/year

"I'm not an animal"
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