Thank you for your online application and interest in an international teaching career

We invite you to take a few minutes to watch the video above for a thorough understanding of the next steps involved in your application.

We’ll need some time to review all the information on your profile (including your confidential references) before deciding to accept you as a candidate.

If you don’t have time to watch the video, the following information is a very brief overview of the next steps to apply for a position overseas.

Click the links (in blue) for more information –

1. Check if you will be a competitive candidate. Many teachers who do not fulfill all criteria are still placed, but it may take longer or be more difficult.
2. Is your Profile complete –

• Are all the red tabs now blue?
• Is your address and date of availability current?
• Is your CV updated?
• Is your teaching spouse also ready? (If applicable). We cannot accept/activate one member of a teaching couple until the other member has completed all requirements.
• Is your experience up to date?
• Do your bio notes reflect who you are as a person?
• Have you thoroughly read your agreement and contractual obligation?
• Have you uploaded your teaching qualification and police check documents?  These can also be found on your “Documents” tab on your candidate application.
• Areas of Interest on “Seeking Tab”. We strongly encourage candidates to check AS MANY geographical locations as possible that you would CONSIDER. This will open up a lot more opportunities for you to connect with recruiters. Many times, schools will search by “areas of interest”. They will not see your profile if you don’t have that box checked! In addition, a limited search will make you less competitive when looking for a job.

NOTE: Flexibility is one of the key factors to finding a position abroad.

3. References

Please access the “Manage Your Confidential References” link on your candidate dashboard, for detailed instructions regarding online references.

NOTE: If you are unable to meet the reference requirements above, please contact us for guidance.

We do NOT accept open letters of reference.

Although we request 5 online confidential references, we will accept a minimum of 4, as long as three are professional references submitted on either our Teaching Reference forms, Leadership Reference Forms, or Counselor/Librarian Reference forms.

Search Associates reserves the right to ask for additional references, beyond what is required if we feel it is necessary.

Choose either A, B, C, or D depending on the type of position you are looking for –

A. Leadership Candidates: (candidates applying for ADMIN roles)

Five “leadership reference” forms submitted from referees who can speak to your ability as an administrator. Board member references are welcome as well as direct supervisors.

• Please make sure you select the “leadership reference” form when submitting your reference request
• Although we request 5 references, we may accept a minimum of four, if necessary
• References from your current school and past employment are mandatory
  

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B. Teaching Candidates: (candidates applying for teaching positions)

Two references submitted from current employer/supervisors

• One from the principal level or higher
• The second from the assistant principal, or similar level, or higher. If you are unable to provide a second reference from this level (strongly preferred), please submit a reference from the level of academic coordinator, year level coordinator, dept. Head, etc.
• Please choose the “teaching reference” form when submitting your reference request,

And one reference from past employment (within 6 years)/or another from your current school

• From the assistant principal, or similar level, or higher. Only if you are unable to provide a reference from this level (strongly preferred), can you submit a reference from the level of academic coordinator, year level coordinator, dept. Head, etc.
• Please choose the “teaching reference” form when submitting your reference requests

One or two “parent” references (parents of students you teach or taught)

If you are unable to get parent references, please request one additional supervisor reference in its place.

• Please choose the “parent” form when submitting your reference request.

C. Counselors and Librarian Candidates:

Two references submitted from current employer:

• One must be from someone at the principal level or higher
• The second should be from the assistant principal, or similar level, or higher. Only if you are unable to provide a reference from this level, (strongly preferred), can you submit a reference from the level of academic coordinator, year level coordinator, dept. Head, etc.
• Please choose the “counselor/librarian” form when submitting your reference requests

One reference from past employment (within 6 years)

• From the assistant principal, or similar level, or higher. Only if you are unable to provide a reference from this level (strongly preferred), can you submit a reference from the level of academic coordinator, year level coordinator, dept. Head, etc.
• Please choose the “counselor/librarian” form when submitting your reference requests

One or two “parent” references (parents of students you teach or taught)

If you are unable to get parent references, please request one additional supervisor reference in its place.

• Please choose the “parent” form when submitting your reference request.

D. Teaching/Leadership Candidates: (seeking both types of positions)

A minimum of four confidential references from current and past employment

You must submit two leadership references (principal level or higher) from those that can attest to your skills as an administrator.

You must submit two teaching references (assistant Principal level and higher preferred) from those that can attest to your skills as a teacher.

Best practice:

Please have your supervisors submit the reference using their school e-mail address. The school e-mail address is preferred; however, there might be circumstances in which a supervisor needs to use their personal e-mail address (retired, changing schools, etc.).​

Follow up: Once you submit the “reference form” you should immediately follow up with your referee to see if they received an email from Search Associates with the link and instructions to complete the form. Managing the timely submission of your confidential references is the candidate’s responsibility.

Find answers to commonly asked reference questions: Confidential References Q and A

4. Once you have received notification that all your references have been submitted email us to tell us that you are ready to become active and to arrange a time to speak online with Nick, or in-person in Launceston or call +61459222156 (Australian business hours).  This informal chat provides an opportunity to explore your educational and professional background so that we will be better placed to give you a candid appraisal of your chances of gaining overseas employment.

5. Let us know if you would like to attend a Search Associates job fair. We are running a combination of virtual fairs this year and face-to-face fairs. For the most up-to-date information on fair dates click here. We do our best to extend an invitation to the fair you are interested in, however, it is our job to make sure you are attending a fair where you have the best chance of securing interviews. Factors that may prevent you from attending your preferred fair are:

• Teaching experience
• Teaching subject (fair is oversubscribed in the area in which you teach)
• Competitive nature of the fair (some fairs are more competitive than others)
• Space available
• The date you requested your invitation
• The number of dependents/non-teaching spouse, etc.

If this is the case, we will always offer alternate options so that you have an opportunity to attend one of our job fairs. However, keep in mind that around half of our candidates find positions overseas without attending a job fair through the connections they make with schools through our database.

Please note that the early fairs fill quickly and request an invitation through your dashboard.

6. Email when you are ready for your file to become Active. We will review all information and when everything is in order, please pay the Database Access Fee which is US$100.
7. Hopefully, you have had a chance to watch Nick’s last in-person seminar on international schools and on using the database to research schools and apply for jobs. If you have, then arrange a time to speak with Nick. He can advise on the best way to move forward. We have found that informed candidates have the most success!
8. Maximising Your Profile- Edit/update your application every 6-12 months. This is key to keeping it as good as it possibly can be.  We want you to present yourself to school recruiters in the best way possible. The optional fields are very important too and will strengthen your application.

Your registration lasts for 1 year or until you get a job in an international school (with Search Associates or without).

Once your file is activated, recruiters (school heads and administrators) will be able to see your online profile, as well as your confidential references. You will have access to the Search Associates database of schools and your own online profile. You will start to receive daily updates of job postings (you may opt-in and out of the updates from your dashboard). Once you are an active candidate, you also qualify to receive invitations to the Search Associates job fairs.

Please feel free to email us at any time with any questions you may have. When you email the Search Office in Tasmania you will get a reply from one of the following people:

Nick Kendell – the Search Associate for Australia & New Zealand. He has worked in Hong Kong at Hong Kong International School as a Senior Administrator. He then moved to the Independent Schools System in Australia and most recently has been a Principal at the New Cairo British International School in Egypt.

Paula Kendell is a primary school teacher and has taught in International Schools in Hong Kong and Egypt.

If you have questions or concerns about the process, please don’t hesitate to contact us.  We are assisted in our office by Search Executive Assistant, Deidre Fischer, who has extensive educational experience.  As a team, we look forward to assisting you and hope that your “Search-assisted job search” will bring you success in finding an exciting new post.