Recently I attended a number of online recruitment workshops & presentations, including the Global Recruitment Collective's Bootcamp, that I found to be very helpful & enlightening. In addition to hearing some common recruiting advice, like keeping an open mind geographically, staying positive in the wake of rejection, and knowing yourself & your strengths, I learned a number of innovative tips from the various Heads of School who presented:
Being prepared: The strongest candidate doesn't always get the job, but the most prepared candidate usually gets the job. Do your research.
Making sure your priorities align with those of a prospective school: By doing research on a school, you'll see where it is headed, and be able to assess if their journey lines up with your professional goals. When looking at a school's website and social media presence, what do you notice and connect with? What values do you share? What are you not seeing that you wish you did?
Using evidence of your impact on student learning to your advantage: Outlining in your CV bullet points and cover letter how you have impacted student learning shows your value and what you can bring to a school. Talk about results of how students improved thanks to your instructional approach. Speak about programs or projects you've implemented that have demonstrated success. Offer any evaluation, positive feedback or recognition you've received and the effect that it has had on your teaching and your school. Make sure the evidence you share is what the prospective school is looking for.
Crafting a compelling Elevator Pitch: If you're attending a job fair, you'll meet a lot of people, especially recruiters and potential interviewers. Make a 30-second elevator pitch that answers these questions: Who are you? What is your education, experience & background? Why are you an educator? and How do you do each of these: Nurture, Empower, and Inspire?
Building your network: International education is actually a small world. With each application, interview and job fair, you can add new connections to your LinkedIn, and count them amongst your growing network. You never know when a new acquaintance can help you open a door to an opportunity.
Accepting every interview request: Not only will you build your network and get your name out there, but you'll gain invaluable practice and confidence in your interviewing skills with each new interview. You'll also learn what a school prioritizes by the way they interview and what questions they ask.
Asking questions during your interview: By having a number of questions ready, not only will you get the chance to gain important & relevant information, but the interviewers will also learn more about you through your questions.
Remember that your questions reflect your mindset - be positive!
Craft your questions based on what answers you want to hear. Think about what you're looking for and work backwards to the question you need to ask.
Be sure to tailor your questions to the people in the interview, for example:
overarching school culture --> head of school
divisional school goals & teaching methodology --> principal
curriculum & team dynamics --> head of department / colleague
Be mindful as well of what type of interview it is: getting to know each other to see a mutual right fit vs. digging deeper into day-to-day logistics & scheduling.
Avoid personal questions or questions that can be answered through a bit of research. Also save any questions regarding your benefit package for a final offer interview or a follow-up offer email.
Knowing your references: References are crucial in the recruitment process. If you're unsure of what someone will say when asked about your candidacy, you're best to choose someone who you can trust.
Understanding the Hiring Process Workflow (credit to Dr. Kelley Ridings):
Phase 1: Exploration - The candidates & school gather data to see if this possible position could be a right fit.
Phase 2: Interviews - The candidates & school learn about each other in more detail.
Phase 3: Details - The candidates & school chase any flags that were discovered during Phase 2, and follow up to make sure all questions & concerns are addressed.
Phase 4: Final Decision - School: To make an offer or not; Candidates: To accept the offer or not.
Recognizing that recruitment can be a year-long endeavour: International school recruitment has waves of activity at various times throughout the entire year. For example, schools grow and need to add positions thus accounting for new openings at the beginning of the school year. Employees have family or medical emergencies and need to suddenly leave, resulting in mid-year job openings. Candidates attend job fairs all year long, accepting new offers & informing their schools they won't be renewing, causing their positions to open up. Therefore, there is no "right time" to be searching for a new job - it can happen anytime.
One thing is true for any successful candidate: you need an effective portfolio to present to your prospective school. That's where I can help:
I will create a clear, concise, and error-free CV and cover letter for you,
in addition to meeting with you in a video call to go over your next steps
in securing a new contract. During your job search, I am your guide,
your sounding board, and your supporter all rolled into one. I offer
my 20+ years of international experience as a teacher & school leader
to help you present your best foot forward.
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