Where to Find an International Teaching Position?

Based on my 20+ years of experience*, there are three ways to find a teaching job overseas:

1. Word of mouth / networking,

2. Specific school websites you're interested in, or

3. Recruitment agencies' websites.

1. Word of mouth / Networking: Use social media, including LinkedIn and Facebook to get the word out that you’re looking for a new position. Don’t be shy, but rather use your network to your advantage and ask for their help. You can always pay it forward when someone reaches out to you for information on your schools (past and present) or asks for help finding their next job.

2. Specific school websites: This is a precise but time-consuming way to find the right position for you. Think of a country or city where you’d like to work; search for international schools there, and look for their “Careers”, “Employment” or “Job Opportunities” page. Many schools require you to complete their application form online, which could include a series of long-answer questions. My recommendation is to save the questions and your answers in a Google doc, thus making this process faster for each subsequent school application.

3. Recruitment agencies' websites: These are agencies who collect teachers' candidate profiles for the schools who are their true clients. Their fees range from free (with some charging the school a commission for finding you) to hundreds of dollars for the candidate and for the schools. However, they all have one thing in common: they work for the schools and not for the candidates. Many will try to argue against this last point, but you need only look at the calibre of some of the schools working with their organization to realize this is all about who pays them the most.

Now, if I haven’t deterred you from contacting them, here's a list of the international recruitment businesses, in order of the cost to you, the candidate. In my previous job searches, I have personally used almost every one of them, so there's no judgment here!

Name of Agency	Cost to Candidate	Specialty
Global Recruitment Collaborative (GRC)	FREE for both candidates and schools	Started by a consortium of top tier international schools to skip the candidate vetting process, relying on their easy "Would hire again" / "A good candidate, call me" / "Would not rehire" candidate rating system
The Times Educational Supplement (TES) (Edit 2025: Now affiliated with Schrole)	FREE for candidates	Works with Private Schools in the UK along with many international British Schools
Carney, Sandoe & Associates	FREE for candidates	​Works with Private Schools in the USA along with many international schools
Teacher Horizons	FREE for candidates	​Works with many Big Chains of schools, such as Nord Anglia, Dulwich, ESF, GEMS, Qatar Foundation, UWC, etc.
Schrole (Edit 2025: Now affiliated with TES)	FREE for basic profile; Edit 2025: US $50 for full access	Some top tier schools use Schrole exclusively and allow for FREE direct applications to their postings
International Schools Services (ISS)	FREE for basic profile; US $75 for unlimited	​Wide range of international schools; have opened ISS-supported schools all over the world
Joyjobs (Edit 2025: On hiatus)	US$ 39.95 On hiatus	​Edit 2025: On hiatus: According to their website, they've been in the recruitment business for 23 years, but I've only recently heard of them; I've never used them.
The International Educator (TIE)	US$ 49	Long-standing (30+ years) reputation in the international community; affiliated with Principal Training Center (PTC) and Teacher Training Center (TTC) professional development - also highly recommended
Search Associates (SA)	Edit 2025: Their fee structure has changed to US $100 for the first year, $75 for a second year. Returning candidates are $75 for one year. (FREE for UK candidates)	Access to the king of all databases of international schools with information like: school size, salary range, benefits, curriculum, etc.; ability to store your confidential references over the years (double-edged sword)

Additionally there are a few websites (listed in alphabetical order) where you may want to search for an international teaching position. I felt that these organizations didn't fall under the category of Recruitment Agencies:

Name of Organization	Type of Organization	Cost to Candidate	Specialty
American International Schools in the Americas (AMISA)	Formerly Association of American Schools in South America (AASSA)	​Charges candidates a "small registration fee to help cover costs and ensure only serious candidates apply"	Central and South American international schools; ready your portfolio by October for their November/ December hiring fairs
Quality Schools International (QSI)	A collection of small international schools, often in remote locations	​FREE for candidates	Reputed to have "a type of teacher" that they're looking for (read: with Christian morals & values)
Queen's University Teachers' Overseas Recruiting Fair (TORF)	(Edit 2025: Now linked with Search Associates Toronto Job fair)	Edit 2025: As of 2023, Queen's students can join Search Associates for one year, including attending Search Toronto job fair for C$50 or C$90 for Queen's alumni	Edit 2025: no longer a non-profit or university-based job fair; affiliated with Search Associates as of 2023
University of Northern Iowa (UNI) Overseas Teaching Services	An annual job fair held in Waterloo, Iowa, USA (Edit 2025: being held on December 6th this year)	​Edit 2025: Register before October 1st for ​FREE; US $25 after October 1st	​​​Non-profit and university-based services; solid, world-wide reputation for quality teacher candidates; for certified K-12 teachers of all nationalities (not just Americans) searching for international teaching positions

Remember to get your CV and cover letter updated and ready before contacting any of these organizations. Check out my tips under the heading Materials Needed, for what your materials should contain. Need help with your CV and cover letter? Check out the different services available to you through my website.

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* The views and opinions expressed in the content of this posting belong to the content creator and do not necessarily reflect those of the JPMint. Consulting organization, its affiliates, or employees. Any views or opinions are not intended to malign any religion, organization, company, or individual.