THE NO-NONSENSE GUIDE TO FINDING A TEACHING JOB ABROAD

1. "Assume" - Making an Ass of You and Me

In order to succeed, you do not have to do anything extraordinary. It is all about common sense. However, it is also the common sense that is the culprit of most failures.

Countries and cultures differ substantially and so does "common sense". It would be suicidal to your job search if you ignored this fact.

We are creatures of habit and in a job search, we act out of habit as well. And these habits are what ruin so many opportunities every year.

Hundreds of potentially successful candidates fail because they model their job search on a domestic pattern. It is not surprising that they fall easy prey to the experienced international educators.

If you read The Insider Secrets to Finding a Teaching Job Overseas you probably noticed that we did not emphasize the cultural aspects. This is because you deal with North American and British recruiters, primarily, as long as you work within the international school system.

English language schools are a very different animal. They are run by foreign individuals, governments and organizations. They operate under foreign regulations in a different cultural environment. They are focused on their fee-paying customers -- who are foreign citizens.

That's why learning all dos and don'ts becomes a main priority if you do not want to use the hit and miss method. It is costly and counter-productive!

Do not assume anything! If you have always done something one way it does not mean that everyone does it in the same manner. Assumptions based on one's domestic experience and "common sense" are the surest way to fail. Here are a few examples to illustrate the point.

US Public Schools	Overseas Language Schools
All vacancies are published and made available to all candidates	Most vacancies do not get advertised at all.
Recruiters follow formal policies to select candidates	Recruiters have much discretion and often use personal preferences
Recruiters must base their selection on the official rules and formal procedures that minimize the personal influence.	Directors hire those who can do the job and whom they like personally.
Your private life is protected by law; the recruiter may not ask you about your age, marital status, children, political affiliations, etc.	Recruiters will evaluate your personal circumstances including your citizenship, age, health, physical appearance, dependents (children and pets), etc.

There are more important differences as well. Moreover, the actual recruiting procedures differ from country to country. What works in Spain may be taboo in Japan. This offers you tremendous advantages. Why? Because what is a stumbling block for a cowboy candidate is a great opportunity for an informed candidate.

Teaching overseas is great fun; it is a shame when someone is turned down simply because they failed to learn a few things! Once you know the rules and follow the right procedure several job offers are inevitable.

In this Guide, we will cover all the essential factors that will make you a huge success in the international job market.

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