Click on tab below to help answer some of the commonly asked question about the Search Associates experience

General

Registering with Search Associates gives you access to our local office and allows you to access our extensive database showcasing over 700 International schools worldwide. Contact details, hiring policies, visa information, salary and benefits, enrolment, breakdown of teachers and students via nationality, curriculum, important dates and holidays, teacher contact days and school accreditation are all available.

You can pply directly to schools by clicking on a simple link. Schools also have the capacity to access your details.

Receive ‘Daily Updates’ via email, according to the search criteria you select, of the latest job postings.

If you are offered a position and are unsure – we can usually answer any questions you may have about a school. Between all of the Search Associates, we have worked in many international schools, or know of people who have, or know the administrators, or have visited the school or know of their reputation.

Most importantly, you have the association with the Search Associates name, which gives credibility to your applications.

We rely on repeat business – so we try to make sure that the school is the right fit for you.  We want you to be happy!

Preferred candidates should have a minimum of a Bachelors degree and have been teaching for at least 2 years. You will be required to have copies of your transcript and results to be issued a working Visa. There is some flexibility in rare cases for teachers who only have a Diploma of Teaching or for recent graduates.

Intern programs are offered in some schools to accept teachers without teaching experience. Sometimes teachers with prior life experience may be offered a position without experience, but this is the exception rather than the rule.

When you first begin teaching, it takes some time to perfect your craft and this can be a challenging time, even without moving overseas and starting everything from scratch. In Australia and New Zealand, new teachers are usually mentored and helped to gain confidence. In an international school, you are often expected to hit the ground running

Anyone who is a passionate teacher with a sense of adventure and a proven track record makes a strong candidate.

Schools often have a preference for- • Singles without dependents • Teaching couples with or without dependents (usually a maximum of 2 preferred).

For couples with only one teacher working, opportunities are often limited for their spouse. Schools may be able to offer positions such as- school nurse, teaching assistants, or to help with after school activities etc. In developed countries like Hong Kong it may be possible for your spouse to find employment. For self- employed spouses, who work from home, this can be perfect as long as there is great Internet!

A lot of teachers come to us after a couple of years’ experience and before they have kids, whilst others apply after their children have left the family nest. Once you get to 57-59 years of age, it gets harder to get a visa in some countries but by no means impossible if you are open to a variety of locations..

Fill in a candidate application at www.searchassociates.com

We’ll contact you with information on how to request online references from 3 supervisors & 1 parent (… of students- not your own parents)!

You’ll need to have two current teaching supervisors. We suggest your head of school, deputy head and team leader or equivalent.

Your application must be complete before a short meeting is arranged with Nick. This is only necessary if you are NOT able to meet him at a seminar. It gives you both a chance to get to know each other and for Nick to learn about your particular circumstances, wants and needs.

Once everything is approved, you will be invited to become an active candidate and access the database. The fee for this US$225 per person which also includes access to a job fair.

Free Information Seminars

Take the mystery out of the process of applying for international schools. There are thousands of international schools, but those registered with Search Associates have been through an accreditation process and have been thoroughly assessed for suitability.

Search Associates helps you find the school that is the right ‘fit’ for you.

 Have your questions answered first hand, from Nick Kendell who worked abroad as a first time International school teacher, a head of school, and now a recruiter.

  • Nick outlines the qualities successful international teachers possess, shares tips about interviewing over Skype and succeeding at job fairs.
  • Review your current CV with Nick (if you have one). He will assess it from the perspective of a recruiter and help you present it in the best format for international schools.
  • Learn what opportunities exist for experienced teachers overseas and discover what schools abroad really want.

Working and living abroad is an exciting opportunity, but it is a big step to take and we aim to help teachers get a feel for what it is really like –the challenges as well as the opportunities. NOT EVERYONE who registers will get a job. A lot of times, success depends on how proactive a teacher is. Nick explains the best ways to approach schools.

You are very welcome to come to the seminar and listen to the presentation. You do not have to meet with Nick after the seminar. This can take place over Skype, whenever you are ready. However,  given that he is in town, it would be strongly advised to try and make a time to meet in person.

No problem. Come along and listen to one of the ways your degree can take you travelling.

Yes, if at all possible! They will learn a lot and it works best if you are both on the same page.

Job Fairs

Many candidates like to attend Job Fairs to meet multiple schools in one place at one time and possibly walk away with a job offer in hand.

If it’s possible for you to attend a Job Fair, we recommend joining a Search Associates Fair so that you can meet recruiters in person. During a face to face interview, you can make connections with recruiters and really get a feel for the school and the people who work there.

These fairs account for approximately 35% of total Search placements.

When you register with Search Associates, an invitation to a job fair is included in the registration fee. Each subsequent fair attendance is US$75.

Each year, administrators from around the world travel to the Melbourne Search Fair, held in the InterContinental Hotel, in early January, to meet with teachers who are looking for a position overseas, usually beginning the following August. This is a professional networking opportunity where educators are given opportunities to make interview times with school representatives. Contracts may be offered at the fair, which if accepted, even verbally, are considered binding. Many offers also come out later as a result of the fair.

No problem. Use our extensive data-base to research schools that interest you and send emails directly to the schools. We will also help you write a cover letter to send. Over 60% of our teachers find great positions without attending a fair.

Discover a world of opportunity

Get in touch