Job Discussion Forums

[technodrome]

When do schools typically post openings? One website I looked at (for an establishment in China) -- advised applicants to make contact in December or January. It's hard for me to believe that schools know the number of vacancies they'll have eight months in advance...

[Velocipedaler]

Well, since you're in the Russian & C.I.S. forum, I'm not sure how much light we can shed on the China situation. Regarding Russia, I've set stuff up over the summer, usually later in the summer than I would like, but that's Russia... I've also taken on new work in late January/early February after the long Russian holidays.

If Russian schools are getting work permits for foreigners, they have to submit papers to the gov't for quotas early in the year, but these are usually forecasts, that is, they won't fill these positions until later.

[technodrome]

[coledavis]

It might help you to know that it takes at least thirty days for the school to get your letter of invitation through the administration (I think this is by law). That's before they then send it to you for your part of the visa application in the UK or US or wherever. Then given that some applicants only take their own timing into account when calculating these things, before deciding or not deciding to carry on with things, then schools need to multiply the application times considerably to make sure that they don't advertise a teacher locally (to recruit students - another lag) who then doesn't show up. So they can't really do the 'just-in-time' advertising that characterises work applications in our home countries. Administratively, it just wouldn't work.

[zeke0606]

AMEN, coledavis!
zeke