Frequently
Asked Questions about
International Recruitment Centers
Choosing to attend an IRC...
What is an International Recruitment Center?
An International Recruitment Center (IRC) is a four-six day conference designed to facilitate the recruitment process in a structured environment. This event is designed for international schools seeking new staff by providing an interviewing forum with pre-screened teaching and administrative candidates. There are scheduled events that include Orientation, Sign-up for Interviews, Interviews, School Presentations and many other information sessions.
Why are most positions filled during the months of January and
February?
This is the primary recruiting season for international schools, as they need several months to apply for and obtain work permits for newly hired staff. Most schools interview at recruiting events during this time period.
Who may attend the IRCs?
Only active ISS candidates with established professional files are eligible to register for an IRC. Teaching and administrative applicants need a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, certification and/or relevant school experience in a K-12 education. Certification is required by many of the schools that recruit through ISS, although it is not required to establish an active file with ISS or to attend an IRC. Your registration for an IRC is contingent upon approval of your application. (For those who have previously established files with ISS, please note that your file must first be reactivated in order to register.)
How many candidates will participate at each winter IRC?
ISS: Bangkok 2010 IRC - Our overseas IRC is held in January in Bangkok. We project that 300-400 candidates primarily from Asia, Africa, Europe, Asia Pacific Rim and USA will interview at this event. Candidates from both international and North American schools attend this IRC.
ISS: Boston 2010 IRC - We expect many schools to interview for several hundred positions at this event. This IRC is one of two winter IRC's here in the United States. Schools do hire all year long in advance of the recruiting conferences, therefore not all positions initially listed for recruitment will be available. We expect approximately 500 administrative and teaching candidates. It is recommended that administrative and counseling candidates attend this IRC.
ISS/CIS: Philadelphia 2010 IRC - ISS and CIS partner for our final winter recruiting season event. Approximately 200 candidates attend this IRC.
ISS/CIS: Fairfax 2009 IRC - This summer IRC is held in conjunction with CIS. Schools looking to fill unexpected vacancies or positions still available attend this conference. These positions are for July/August/September of that same year.
Do you have to attend an IRC to get an overseas position through ISS?
No, but our placement statistics indicate that those who have interviewed at an IRC account for a high percentage of our total placements. The professional files of ISS candidates are provided to recruiting schools via an active on-line screening program. Schools may contact candidates at anytime during the recruiting year. When a position is listed outside the IRCs (primarily between March and August) the active pool of candidates is screened for those who meet the school selection criteria.
Which IRC is right for you? NOTE: We do not recommend attending an IRC if you are seeking a position as a chief school officer. Those positions are very infrequently recruited through an IRC. Planning for an
IRC... How will I be informed of interviewing opportunities at an IRC? NOTE:
Schools receive a tremendous volume of e-mail from candidates in advance of the
recruiting conferences. Please write only to schools listing
openings in your fields of expertise for which you meet the posted
selection criteria. Keep your message brief and include your
subject area, listing the conference at which you would like to interview. The professional files of ISS candidates are provided to
recruiting schools via an active online screening program. Most
schools begin to check references and contact candidates of interest in
advance of the recruiting conferences, primarily during the months of
December and January. Should my spouse accompany me to the IRC? Should we bring our children to the IRC? What should I bring to the IRC?
Here are some factors you may wish to consider as you contemplate which IRC to attend.
ISS: Bangkok 2010 IRC - This IRC will serve schools around the world, and a large number will be from the Far and Middle East. Schools from Europe, Africa and Latin America will also be represented. Candidates already working abroad are expected to attend this event as well as those who have specific interest in schools in these regions.
ISS: Boston 2010 IRC - Schools hope to do a large part of their hiring at this event. Many schools complete their hiring at the first stateside IRC.
ISS/CIS: Philadelphia 2010 IRC - At the Philadelphia 2010 IRC, there will be about 80 schools recruiting to fill varied positions.
ISS/CIS: Fairfax 2009 IRC - This IRC is held each summer for schools that have unexpected, late openings in their faculty or to fill positions that are still available. The summer IRC is held in conjunction with CIS in June of each year, and we expect approximately 20 schools to attend.
Hiring flexibility - The focus of recruiters who interview at the Boston 2010 IRC in the United States will be to complete their hiring. This is an extremely competitive event. At the Boston 2010 IRC, there will be about 150 schools recruiting to fill hundreds of positions.
Non-teaching dependents - Candidates with non-teaching adult spouses or other accompanying dependents may find it more challenging to secure placement due to the expense involved for relocation and housing.
Administrative and Counseling Positions - Interviews for the principals, assistant principals, counselors and other school-wide administrators are conducted throughout the year as well as at the IRCs. Administrative positions are being filled in November and December each year. To accommodate administrative recruiting, the Boston 2010 IRC includes an Administrative Recruitment Day. We expect interviews to be conducted for different administrative positions and counseling positions listed.
Schools registered to attend each IRC and the positions they
have posted for recruitment will be listed on the ISS website for ISS
candidate review. This listing will be updated on a regular basis
until the start of each IRC with revisions noted by date. Links to
school websites as well as school e-mail addresses are also available at
this site to facilitate your research and pre-IRC contact with schools
listing openings in your field. Complete salary and benefits
details for each recruiting school are also listed at this site.
If you and your spouse are teaching or administrative team, (e.g., you both have active files with ISS), you should both plan to attend the IRC. Even if your spouse is not a teacher, it is highly recommended that both of you attend. Recruiters will appreciate being able to review all of those implications of working and living overseas. If you are planning to be married soon, we suggest that your fiancé accompany you.
It is probably best to leave your children at home. A
babysitting service may not be offered by the hotel in which you are
staying, and it is considered inappropriate to take your children to
interviews with you.
We recommend that you bring materials directly related to your professional experience:
During the IRC...
When should I arrive at the IRC?
Teaching candidates should plan to arrive before 6
p.m. on their check-in day. Candidates may check in any time
between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. An orientation meeting will be
held that evening. A detailed schedule of events will be sent to
you upon receipt of your IRC registration.
ISS: Boston 2010 IRC only - Administrators and counselors should arrive one day
earlier at which time a separate orientation meeting will be held.
How important is it that I attend an orientation session?
It is important if this is your first IRC. The
orientation will give you information on the participating schools and
IRC procedures. Time will be devoted for questions and answers at the
end of this session. Materials provided to you on the first day
will include a listing of IRC vacancies, salary and benefits data for
each participating school, and The ISS Directory of International
Schools. This information will allow you to review a current list of
vacancies and correlate them with compensation data before each
interview sign-up.
I understand in-depth information will be given to me regarding
each IRC school's salary and benefits plan and selection requirements,
but can you give me an overview of this information?
Salaries for staff of overseas schools vary considerably. Teaching
salaries may range from a low of $12,000 to a high of $103,000 annually.
Administrative salaries may range from $20,000 to over $136,000
annually. The cost of living in the host country, the size of the
school, and the isolation of the location are among factors affecting
salaries. Sometimes, salaries are paid in the host country currency,
possibly with a percentage paid in U.S. dollars; sometimes salaries are
paid entirely in U.S. dollars. Some schools offer foreign service
premiums. Regarding length of contract, 84% of the schools
offered two years; 7% had one year renewable contracts.
Our survey of compensation data from overseas schools indicates that 62% offer retirement benefits; 66% provide housing or a housing allowance; and 98% offer health insurance. In addition, many schools offer shipping, storage, and "settling-in" allowances. Other factors to consider regarding the total value of the compensation package: Are local taxes to be paid on salary? What is the cost of living in the host country relative to the U.S? How much can you expect to save on an annual basis?
When and how are interviews scheduled?
Interview
sign-up will be held the morning following orientation, during which
time recruiters schedule interviews with candidates who qualify for
positions in their respective schools. Some schools may pre-schedule
interviews with selected candidates prior to the interview sign-up
period, contacting candidates via e-mail or phone as a result of their
review of the Candidate Screening Program.
ISS: Boston 2010 IRC only - A separate interview sign-up will be held one day
earlier for candidates applying for principal, assistant principal,
counseling and other administrative positions, such as curriculum
director and IB coordinator. Interviews for those positions will then be
held throughout that day. If you and your spouse are an
administrative/teaching team, both of you should attend the
administrative interview sign-up.
How many interviews may I expect to have at the IRC?
The majority of candidates will have from three to
ten interviews, but the number of interviews varies depending upon
teaching or administrative fields, interest and flexibility for
considering positions in several geographic areas, and experience and
qualifications compared with other candidates.
What factors affect getting interviews and getting hired?
Be focused on your professional goals and motives for
seeking overseas employment as well as specific teaching or
administrative successes and accomplishments. It may also be helpful to
read one of the many books on interviewing. Most importantly...be
yourself!
After the interview sign-up, how can I leave messages for school
recruiters and other candidates?
ISS will maintain an IRC conference office
for the entirety of the IRC. This facility will serve as a clearinghouse
of information and will be the site for messages. Each
recruiter and each candidate will have a mail folder in the ISS IRC
office. Should you place a message in a recruiter's mail folder
expressing interest in a position at their school, we recommend it be
brief, including only your résumé.
Will I have opportunities to network with candidates?
Throughout the IRC, you will have many opportunities
to meet other candidates who have worked overseas. Those wishing to
learn more about the realities of life in various regions of the world
are urged to attend one of the Overseas Candidate Panels.
These informal sessions offer the opportunity for candid discussion with
those who are currently working abroad.
Is it necessary for me to stay throughout the entire IRC?
It depends. You must be there for the first evening
of registration check-in and orientation and, of course, for the
interview sign-up session following your orientation session. Then,
once you have scheduled your interviews, your schedule will determine
when you are able to leave the IRC.
What are the implications of accepting a position at the IRC or
later?
Once you have accepted a position (orally or in
writing), the recruiter stops interviewing for that position and ISS
considers you placed. At that point, you have a professional and ethical
commitment to honor your agreement with the recruiting school. Only
accept a job offer if you have every intention of fulfilling the terms
of the contract. Carefully consider each offer, and, if unsure, ask for
the time you need to make a decision you know you can commit to.
What happens to my ISS file after the IRC?
Unless you are placed, your ISS file will remain
active for the rest of the recruiting year (through August) and will be
considered for positions listed with our year-round recruitment service.
ISS recruits for approximately 150 non-IRC positions year-round; most of
these are listed with ISS from late March through August. When we are
notified that you have taken an overseas position or are no longer
looking for one, your file will be deactivated.
For additional information contact Educational Staffing: e-mail edustaffing@iss.edu, phone 609-452-0990, fax 609-452-2690.
International Recruitment Centers
Qualifications for establishing a professional file with ISS