This information can be watched, if you prefer!
SEARCHING FOR A POSITION
The daily bulletins you receive via email, list all new positions as they are posted. You can apply directly for these positions from your email account.
Or, log into your dashboard using your username and password. Then click on the prompt called, ”My Job Search”. Enter your parameters – fewer parameters entered will net a larger search; more parameters will narrow the search down.
Once you see a list of schools, open any of interest to review their school profile and to click on the job title and description.
HOW TO CONTACT SCHOOLS
There are two ways to apply for a position, depending on whether a school is using our APLi management application. We are encouraging all schools to use this free tool as a way to help streamline their application process.
If a school has vacancies posted but are not yet using the APLi system, the blue button “Contact School” will display on the vacancy itself and you can simply click this button to apply.
If the school has a vacancy listed through APLi, please ONLY contact the school through the yellow “APLi Now’ button. (Otherwise, schools will be checking your profile in 2 places and increasing their workload). Please DO NOT also email the school about your interest in the same vacancy.
NOTE: If the APPLY BY date has passed on a listed vacancy, schools DO NOT want to receive later applications.
If a school has no vacancies posted, the button “Email School” will display at the top of the school profile for candidates who may want to send a message to be considered for future opportunities. If a school has listed a vacancy you will not be able to contact the school via this button (even if it is not in your area).
IMPORTANT: Before you send an application! Each school has hiring policies, which are influenced, by the country they are located in. Please read the schools hiring policy, in particular the EXPERIENCE/CERTIFICATION/EDUCATION/VISA REQUIREMENTS. These are usually non-negotiable, and if you do not qualify, you will be wasting your time and the recruiter’s time.
If you’re part of a teaching couple we now recommend that you apply separately, but in your email add a note that your partner is also a registered Search candidate and has applied to XXX vacancy at the school as well.
This first contact with a school should be a brief introduction and expression of interest in this vacancy (no more than three paragraphs). Keep your messages to schools short and simple, as recruiters do not have time to pour over lengthy letters. Your goal is to direct them to your file on the website, where they can also see your information and confidential evaluations.
TIPS ON WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR COVER LETTER
Try to be personal and stand out. Avoid the use of generic emails. When contacting a school via email, please consider the following:
- Please be personal and address the principal of a large school or the director of a smaller school by name. Do not use “Dear Sir or Madam“ or “To whom it may concern”.
- State the vacancy that interests you, what interests you about the vacancy and why you are a fit for the job and the school. (Maximum 2 sentences)
- Outline your qualification and experience as it pertains to getting you the school and the job. (Maximum 2 sentences)
- State which fair (if any), you will attend, and your availability for a Skype interview.
- Mention the name of the school in the email.
- Add something personal that will stand out from the hundreds of emails they are receiving. Why do you want to work there? What can you offer them? Describe an example that illustrates what you have written to help with authenticity.
- Make sure you have done your research on the schools to which you are applying.
When the school receives this inquiry it will come from “Search Associates” so they know you are a member candidate. The email will also have a link attached which will allow schools to easily access your full profile including your confidential references. The subject of the message will automatically be filled in to clearly identify which vacancy the email pertains to and cannot be changed.
For more help with cover letters read/watch this presentation
We strongly encourage you to contact schools this way, as the email that it generates will automatically link schools to your profile and alert them that you are a Search registered candidate.
If you choose not to send them through your dashboard, we always appreciate a copy of your emails, so that we have an idea of where your interests lie.
When to contact schools
Our suggested approach is to email the school firstly through our system and APLi. In a week’s time, and if you a) do not get a response or b) do not get an automated response, please email through your email provider, putting in the subject heading “Search Associates candidate for XX position) and resend your inquiry. Make sure you put in the subject heading “Search Associates “your teaching preference” Candidate”. You will also need to copy us on any of these emails. Although there are no rules about when to contact schools, we would advise starting this from the time you are registered.
WHAT IF THEY DON’T WRITE BACK?
When you contact schools, you may find that many do not reply, or if they do, it is a generic email or a request to complete a standardised form. DO NOT BE DISHEARTENED! Principals are dealing with running a school and planning for staffing needs for the future. Their time is very limited. Personalized replies tend to come from smaller, more isolated schools that do not attend fairs. Our suggestion is to do your homework and research schools and countries of interest.
YOU MAY HAVE A SCHOOL APPROACH YOU DIRECTLY VIA YOUR DASHBOARD OR EMAIL ADDRESS
Please respond, even if you are NOT interested. Recruiters spend many hours searching the database and appreciate knowing you are not interested ASAP so that they can focus on another candidate. Please be mindful of the “areas you are seeking” tab. If you have ticked your interest in mainland China, for example, a school may expect that you are willing to relocate there. If there is no way you would consider a region, please do not tick that box.
NOTE:
You may receive an automated message from the school with specific application instructions. If you are unsure what to do, please contact your Associate for guidance and/or review information they may have sent regarding how to contact schools and what to expect when doing so.
A school will generally respond if they are interested in your candidacy and/or would like to schedule an interview or start a conversation.