4 Insightful Interviews Peeking Behind the Curtain of International Teacher Recruitment

The world of international recruitment is shrouded in mystery for teachers. After your CV, cover letter, and interview, how do recruiters make their decisions?

Within this series I interview three Heads of School and the Director of School Relations at Search Associates who collectively have worked in the following countries:

During our conversations, they offer their personal insights to support your applications to international schools. To give you the advice you need to apply confidently and be successful.

Each of the four leaders brings their experiences in different types of schools or agencies, different cultural contexts, and their own personal background to the interview – They are presented within their context before exploring their response to the following question;

“What advice based on your own experiences would you give to a teacher who is considering an international role and is concerned about bias and racism?”

Click on the links below to learn from the different leaders:

Yasir Patel – Headteacher at St Constantine’s International School Tanzania

Joshua Garrett – Director at QSI (Quality Schools International) International School of Astana (aka Nur-Sultan), Kazakhstan

Sheena Nabholz – Director of School Relations at Search Associates

Brian Couch – C.E.O of WABE International School in Pinneberg, Germany

Personal Reflection

As a quick personal reflection, completing these interviews was both enjoyable and eye-opening. All of the interviews began as conversations on LinkedIn, and I was pleasantly surprised at the willingness of these busy professionals to share their time and knowledge.

All of the interviewees expressed their openness to conversations with teachers, and I hope that based on these interviews, more people may benefit from their experiences.

It is important that more teachers learn about the challenges that recruiters face and also the way in which decisions are made. Though not readily accessible, the people involved are more open to conversation than we may initially think.

It is clear that establishing a dialogue with schools and recruitment leaders to learn more is a way to give yourself the best chance of success. I recommend all teachers develop a LinkedIn account and connect with relevant people. If you are not sure where to start, this article might help How to Create an Awesome Teacher LinkedIn Profile

For deeper dives into many of the concepts addressed in this article, please read my series on Should You Teach Internationally? Black Edition, where I explore key topics and considerations for people from diverse backgrounds as they enter the world of international teaching.