Job Discussion Forums

[SeaveeBlue]

How do I figure out where to send resumes? I would really appreciate some advice.

I am a little overwhelmed by all the information. I looked at the job listings on this site as well as others. I see lots of things, but I am hesitant to send out resumes blindly. I can't figure out which listings are legitimate and which are not. I suppose I could be a little over paranoid, but I would hate to end up a scam victim.

I have tried searching the Forums for information, but half the time the search function just doesn't work. If I enter a query the result is often a blank white screen. When it does work, it doesn't seem to accept standard query strings. The results are so broad it is hard to sift through.

Ttompatz posted a few links to international schools in another thread. I looked into them but they were pay services. I may decide to use one anyway, but I want to think about that a little first. It isn't an insignificant amount of money.

I did fill out the applications with teachaway.com. I have read a few posts on these Forums that verify that Teach Away is a decent company.

I have read advice to just go to the country they wish to teach in, but I really don't think that is an option right now. I am not sure I can take that financial risk at this point.

[nomad soul]

[SeaveeBlue]

Thank you.

That is great to hear. I did a web search on them a while back and got similar information. They seem like a good company. If nothing else, I deeply appreciate the organization of their application process. It is well designed and easy to follow. More companies could benefit from their example.

[nomad soul]

Also do a search on international schools review. If you're unsure about a school, you can see if it's been reviewed on that site. Plus, there's plenty of useful info for teachers.

[tttompatz]

Legitimate sites (like the ones I listed in an earlier post) charge a fee to keep out the riff-raff. Search associates also hold regular job fairs (a great place to find work abroad if you are qualified).

They avoid the unqualified teachers (those without licensure or without graduate/post graduate level credentials) so the jobs are not entry level, they do pay well and usually have full benefit packages.

If you just want an entry level job in EFL then it really does depend on the country/region you are looking at.

(EFL jobs)

A LARGE part of the job market in Asia is working with kids (k-6) with a much SMALLER part of the market teaching 7-12, and almost miniscule part by comparison teaching university students or adults.

Korea, China and much of the middle east is done through recruiting services. The only thing to keep in mind is that you should NEVER pay a recruiter for their services. They are paid for and employed by the school.

Think about they much the same as you would a used car salesman.
You walk onto the lot (look at their website).
If you see something you like then you talk to the salesman (see a job you send an application).
If things go well you make an offer (get a contract).
Have YOUR mechanic check the car (do your due diligence and check out the school).
It's all good so you pay for the car, do the paperwork and drive away. (you sign the contract, get your visa and get on a plane).

S.E.Asia on the other hand is very much a "boots on the ground" job search for entry level jobs and there are lots of jobs to be found. Moving up from that entry level to something decent will usually take about a year and you need to make some connections. It really is more about who you know and more importantly who knows you than it is about what you know.

Sending out resumes is not that big a deal. Keep them short, and to the point. Most employers and recruiters (at least in east Asia) won't get the fine nuances of resume writing. You're not going to be working in America.

Name and contact information. passport type photo at the top.
Academic credentials: school name, credential granted, year.
Job history: reverse order. employer name, city, basic job title.
Other relevant information.
ADD a scan of your passport information page (they WILL need to confirm that you are eligible for a visa).

[SeaveeBlue]

Thank you.

Your comments bring up another question.

Is it absolutely necessary to send my passport and diplomas with initial resumes? I have seen lots of positions that ask for this. I wrote a paragraph in the cover letter stating that I would send copies upon request. Do you think that is going to be a serious problem?

I am nervous about blindly sending copies of things like my passport or my degrees out into cyberspace but it that is what I have to do I will do it. Unfortunately it could cause a delay. I have copies of my diplomas but I am waiting for new copies of my professional certifications. I just had a renewal so I get new copies of everything. Even if I had the old ones (which I don't) they would have expired dates.

Should I write something explaining that I am waiting for copies, or should I just refrain from applying for those positions until the copies come in?

There is a website that allows anyone to check on the certification credentials of Florida Teachers. I could probably find a link to that. Do you think that would help?

[SeaveeBlue]

I will consider using the paid sites. I hate to spend the money but if they are reputable then it may well be worth it. Working in one of the IB Schools would be interesting. I have taught AP and IB students here in the US. I don't have a lot of experience with IB, but I do have some.

I have the resume written already. I think it is fine. I read a decent amount of advice on these Forums and a few other places. I adapted accordingly.

I was initially leaning towards Thailand, but the "boots on the ground" issue pretty much eliminates that option. Unless I happen to get lucky and find something another way, I will focus on China and the Middle East.

I spent most of today contacting recruiters. For some reason it has been a little easier evaluating the recruiters for the Middle East. Most of the websites I have found have been well written and well organized. I did supplementary searches using the names of the recruiters and schools. I was able to find enough discussions of them on other sites to indicate legitimacy.

The Chinese recruiters have been a little harder to evaluate. I have seen a lot of low-quality web design and very poor writing. When I do supplementary searches I don't find as many outside references. I found a few that seemed pretty good and I sent information and filled out applications.

I wish I had made a list of all the sites I looked at so I could give examples. That would have been a smart thing to do.

[nomad soul]

[SeaveeBlue]

I will photograph the things I have. I guess I will just have to accept the delay on the rest. Hopefully the documents will arrive soon. They really should have come by now but you never know with this kind of thing.

[SeaveeBlue]

Do you think I should put everything on one page in a Word document or should I send individual photos?

[nomad soul]

[tttompatz]

As one who actually is responsible for recruiting and has final say in hiring for our schools I can tell you what I look for in an (e-mailed) application:

- Brief (1 page) cover letter that lets me know a bit about YOU (as a teacher).
- Resume that is concise, complete and short (I'm not going to wade through 10 pages of tripe and fluff). Stick to the facts. (Think "executive summary").
- Scans of your:
-- passport,
-- degree,
-- transcript and
-- police check
to ensure that you meet visa requirements (and have them available to use in the visa application process).

If it is complete it makes it to the short pile for a more detailed look and potentially an interview/job offer.

If it is not it hits the reject pile without a further glance.

Boots on the ground isn't an issue for entry level jobs in EFL in SE Asia.

Jobs outnumber qualified applicants by about 2 to 1 in SE Asia hence why there is such a large number of unqualified "teachers" in the region.
The determining factor is timing. You have to be here about 30-60 days before start of term (varies from March to June with the exception of China) for the bulk of K-12 and University jobs in Asia.

For this term (academic year 2013-14, starting in May 2013) I needed about 15 new (English speaking) teachers to fill various expansion positions and 5 replacement teachers.
I advertised for 11.
I received in excess of 300 applications.
ONLY about 25 (of the 300) were qualified and complete.
(the job postings were very detailed and explicit so there was no reason for error on the part of the applicants.)
20 of them are working today.
I have over 130 faculty on staff. My annual turnover rate is less than 5%.

Watch for the big job fair in BKK in January (I think it is Search Associates who do it) for proper "international" jobs in Asia.

In case I didn't mention it before, you might want to look at the NET program (high schools) in Hong Kong. It pays well and has a decent benefits package too.

.

[SeaveeBlue]

I don't have a scanner at home. My office is currently locked for summer clean-up. I used a light box and the document setting on my camera to take pictures of documents. That is why I said "photos". It looks pretty much the same.

I only mentioned it because I was just thinking about compressing the file size so it does not bog down slow internet connections.

[SeaveeBlue]

My resume is only one page. The cover letter is slightly more detailed than I would use in the US. I added to it based on the advice I read on these Forums.

I will go ahead and scan/photograph other documents. I will just have to wait until the new copies get here. They should have been here by now. I think it is taking longer because of summer vacation. Most of the support staff in the county and state offices are working shorter days and shorter weeks. It must be slowing things down.

I am not sure what you mean by "entry level." That seems to entail different things in different countries. I am not going to take any job that happens to come my way.

[tttompatz]