When it comes to choosing the perfect school for you, there are lots of important things to consider to help you decide.
Work through our questions to support you in making the correct decision.
What is my motivation?
Travel? Something novel? Broader experience? Romance? Professional growth? Ambition? Curiosity? Boredom? Money? An easy life? New cultures? Just something different? Have you worked out what you’re searching for?
What is my flexibility and my resilience?
For most people, a new International school is either a progression (“OK, I’ve done Shanghai, now Abu Dhabi”) or a big change – maybe even your first venture offshore. Consider what risk is involved and how well you are likely to cope. If you question how flexible you can be, look for the schools most like those you know. What is your resilience like? If you think it’s low, take a good long look at who is going to be your new employer.
What regions and countries are in scope, and why?
The world is open to you. Where do you want to go? What do the places you are choosing say to you? Do your choices match your motivation, or do you need to square that circle? What are you really after? Do you have any red lines? Anywhere you don’t want to go? Why? Have you checked that it’s really like that? The world is always in flux.
What do I know about teaching abroad and about teaching in these regions and countries?
How good is your research? Do you know what other people are saying about what you plan to do? You have to be smart to see other people’s bias. You have to be even smarter to spot where you are making the facts fit your feelings.
Do my qualifications and experience match the country I have chosen to work in?
Different countries have different rules and regulations for working in a school. Ensure you are clear about what the requirements are, don’t set your heart and a location only to find out that you are not eligible to work there.
What are the key features of my target school?
What have you enjoyed in teaching? What drives you mad? How important is it to you that the students need you? Or that the students are bursting to learn? What do you expect in facilities and surroundings? What school culture do you expect? Do you need them to provide your professional growth? How self-sufficient are you?
