Attending a virtual job fair

Our Search Associates VIRTUAL job fair platform provides a safe, friendly, and cost-effective way for both recruiters and candidates to meet and interview for positions worldwide.

Virtual job fairs do not compare to a face-to-face experience for making connections, networking, and professional development. However, we aim to put you in touch with as many interested schools as possible and ensure that you are fully informed about the schools and employment specifics.

Our fairs have been carefully designed with a specific curriculum or location focus in order to cater for different time zones and to narrow the field for both candidates and schools.

Puzzle pieces

There are a lot of dynamics at play for schools attending a virtual fair. They have specific priorities in mind and are looking for different candidates to complement their faculties. They will sometimes seek out older, more experienced teachers, while at other times look for teachers who have less experience, or a teaching couple, etc.

Recruiters attending early fairs may take their time to sign a contract because they still have months to find someone. Due to visa processes, some countries have other restrictions and are looking for in-country hires.

Just as teachers see schools and jobs come and go before their eyes, schools see the same dynamic with teachers coming and being hired before they can interview them.

Schools may not get back to you

Unfortunately, some schools will not always respond to interview requests in the busyness of a fair weekend, so please do not become disheartened or take this personally. It in no way reflects the quality of your candidacy and is not a judgment of who you are as an educator and a person!

All schools have your contact information and hopefully, you will hear from some of them either pre-fair or during the fair. It all depends on their openings and how many candidates they will shortlist for each position to interview. You will have plenty of time to request an interview from a school that you would like to meet with provided that you answer their pre-screening questions correctly. Many schools have done their homework and know who they want to reach out to before the fair starts.

Your attitude helps you

Just do your best. Be flexible and open-minded throughout your job search, and sensitive to the time constraints also facing international schools as employers at this time. Make sure your resume REALLY shows your strengths. Experience with online learning is a real showpiece.

• Reflect that you know, or are willing to learn how to use technology to help differentiate the curriculum.
• Sell yourself as someone who will add to the culture of the school, who is a 21st Century teacher and learner, who can create curriculum and bring new clubs and activities to the school.
• Be familiar with standards in your field, and most of all, be authentic and try to make a real human connection.

Job fairs are intense and emotionally draining/exciting.  They are a time and place to make some contacts, get your name out there, and hopefully, get a sense of what schools are looking for.

Please … if you receive a job offer– before making any final decisions – discuss it with your Search Associate.

How to meet with schools?

Get your list of schools and positions in order and be prepared to request an interview if they do not reach out to you first.

There will be school videos uploaded along with ‘live’ Q and A presentations by recruiters and a direct messaging function.

You will have the opportunity to upload a link to a 1-minute video introduction (optional) capturing the essence of what you will bring to a school.

While the landscape of how recruiting is conducted may be changing, our commitment to excellence and serving the international community is as strong as ever.