Gettting International School Recruiters to Read Your Emails

Do you have one of those email clients that strips out the pictures automatically... for security reasons? I do, which means that any fancy colours, pictures or formatting is completely lost on me.

If international school recruiters have an email client that strips all the coding out of your emails, then your email is going to start looking very unprofessional!

So, what should you do?

Send your email messages in plain text. Keep it simple and make sure your email is sent out in plain text. Any pictures you want to send should either be left out or attached separately.

Remember, this email is the first time you will have any contact with a potential employer. You want to put your best foot forward!

Applying For Teaching Jobs Overseas Via Email

How many emails to you get in a day? Around recruiting time, international school recruiters get inundated with hundreds of emails from hopeful teaching applicants - in addition to what they are already getting.

When you send in your application pack by email with all you documents attached, your goal is not only to get your email opened and read, you also want the recruiter to open your documents and read them too. So, how do you get your emails read? You use these crucially important tips to make the recruiter WANT to read your email!

One way to help the recruiter recognise that your email is important and should be opened is to use a meaningful subject line.

I suggest you include the specific teaching position you are applying for and your name. By using this style of subject line you are immediately identifying it as an email from an applicant and the recruiter will expect to see a teacher application when they open the email. Also, this will make it easier for the recruiter to find your email in their inbox should they need to refer to it again.

Getting your application email opened is the first step to getting a teaching job overseas!

Teaching Jobs Abroad Can Be Easier With An Overseas Director

International schools come in many different shapes and sizes. There are American schools, British schools, IB schools, Department of Defence schools, privately run schools and non-profit schools, to name a few.

One distinction teachers looking for a job overseas should be aware of is that of locally run versus foreign run schools. Being aware of this one difference can ensure that you sign an overseas teaching contract with your eyes wide-open.

Locally run schools are more likely to be a cultural shock to teachers from abroad, depending on the culture of the incoming teacher and the culture of the host country and/or owners.

A locally run international school may have some ‘quirks’ that can make life difficult for an international teacher. These quirks may include an old-fashioned approach to teaching assignments (sexism), an unwillingness to assign failing grades to students who haven’t succeeded in mock exams or tests, and many more.

International schools run by a foreign director, however, are more likely to be operated in a manner more in keeping with schools you are used to.

Using simple guidelines to evaluate potential employing schools can ensure that you land yourself in a teaching job abroad that you can be happy with.

Will an IB school hire me without training?

Bill contacted me with this question and I’m including it (with his permission) and my answer because I think it’s relevant to getting your recruitment campaign off the ground and chugging along ‘full steam ahead’:

Dear Kelly,

I just purchased your book online and am looking forward to reading it. One question before I get started: I have been teaching literature for 10 years at the high school level. Currently, I have taken a year off to complete my M.A. in English and a Latin certification. I really want to teach overseas, and specifically in an I.B. school. Will an I.B. school hire me without the I.B. training? Can I get training now?

Sincerely,
Bill

... My answer...

Hi Bill, thank you for your email.

In answer to your question, you can most certainly get hired by a school that offers the IB curriculum without any IB training. Generally international schools are looking for good teachers who are qualified and can offer instruction in English.

I do not think you need to search out IB training prior to getting a job, most IB schools will send you to conferences and training sessions in your first year to get you up to speed.

In order to become more familiar with the I.B. programmes you should look at the IBO website pages I have listed in my book for MYP and DYP. This will help you get an idea of:
· the structure of the programmes
· how your subject fits into the curriculum as a whole
· the unique aspects of the IB curriculum.

If you're looking to do some training prior to looking for a job teaching abroad, then TEFL or ESL in the Mainstream is always seen as a great resource for teachers who are teaching in a multi-lingual environment.

Hope this has helped!
Kelly

Get Respect When You Teach Overseas

Teaching overseas is a great way to improve the conditions you face at work every day. Especially if you land a job teaching in Asia!

Asian countries in particular have a culture of respecting teachers, which makes teaching here an infinitely more pleasant experience than teaching at home.

In Thailand Thursday is teachers' day and many schools hold an assembly at the beginning of the school year to honor teachers.

My school held a Wai Khru (honor teachers) assembly today. The students who study Thai language and culture prepare floral arrangements for teachers, then present them in an assembly.

I received this basket of flowers from my senior students. I was the only one to receive one with a photo attached.

The fact that I don't have to discipline very much means that I can enjoy a more relaxed teacher-student relationship and still get the most out of my students.

Teaching in Asia is vastly different from where I last taught at a state school in the UK. I enjoy coming in to work and there are very few times that I have to exert myself to discipline students, usually I can concentrate solely on the education!

Five Amazing Cultural Events for UNDER $200!

Every year since arriving in Bangkok I have made a point to attend some of the shows that are held at the Thailand Cultural Centre in Bangkok.

This year is no different, next month the Bangkok Intenational Festival of Dance and Music will kick off again and I've got tickets for 4 fantastic shows. I've also got a ticket for Cats in November, not everyone's cup of tea I know, but I love cheesy musical theatre!

And what is the feast of culture setting me back? A measly and very affordable $186, that's less than 100 quid. I'm ecstatic!

Over the next month I'll be enjoying some Mexican dance, some modern ballet performed by an Italian troupe, some cutting edge contemporary dance from Portugal and finally I'm rounding it all off with some Flamenco.

Living and teaching abroad has only broadened my horizons rather than limiting them in any way!