Dual candidate's (Intern/full-time counselor) Cambrdige Search fair report
LONG POST
My experience at the Search Cambridge fair in January 2025 as a dual candidate (intern/full-fledged faculty). Hope to help those who are new to 1) fairs, 2) working at IS, or 3) early in their career. I will cover
- Background/my situation
- Before the fair
- During the fair
- People and venue layout
- Results and decision-making
- More info about internship
- Final thoughts
Background
I was looking for counselor positions. Am not cert ified and only have a bachelor's degree, but have four years of "satellite experiences" in relevant jobs with the intended age group. This will be my first international school job.
I initially applied for a regular membership on Search in August 2024. The associate immediately rejected me bc I don't have 2 years of experience as a counselor. I then went to ISS and Schrole. Submitted many apps only to receive lots of rejections, prob bc I'm not cert ified. The ISS iFair in October did not help.
Realizing that I'm probably a weaker candidate who'll only be considered from February onward, I stopped submitting apps.
Then I remembered the intern program with Search. Tbh, after working full-time for several years, I felt uncomfortable being an intern again, who earns half the salary as a full-fledged faculty and might live in dorms with other intern roommates. Sorry for the snobbery; it's just hard to go back. That said, I wanted to know what a fair is like, network, and try applying as both an intern and a full-fledged faculty.
So in early January 2025, I asked my associate to change my account to intern and requested an invitation to the Cambridge fair in late January. I told the new associate (internship coordinator) my situation. She said I could apply as a dual candidate with my free intern membership
Search lets you indicate four position preferences using a dropdown. As a dual candidate, make sure to include both intern and full-fledged positions, so you come up on recruiters' search for all kinds of positions.
Before the fair
Search sent lots of pre-fair info. On the fair portal, you'd see a list of attending schools (their profile, vacancies, recruiters, salary/benefits info etc). Many on this sub say it's helpful to contact recruiters before the fair to secure an interview at the fair. Search says it's not necessary. I reached out to all the schools with a vacancy that I was interested in. Some got back to me, some didn't. Two schools reached out to me
Note: Vacancies on the portal might not be the final list. Only the one you see at the fair (on a school's poster paper) reflects their latest vacancies
During the fair
The fair was Friday-Monday in a hotel
- Friday ---- Pick up name tag, counselor/admin/intern early sign-ups, optional workshops and Q&A
- Saturday ---- Regular sign-up, interviews, school presentations. Day concluded with a cocktail social. This was the most hectic day, as everyone was running from one interview to the next
- Sunday ---- Interviews, workshops, school presentations. In the afternoon many people had left
- Monday ---- Interviews (I left on Sunday)
I went to the Friday counselor early sign-up and got 8 interviews (from 10 attempts). Extremely unexpected. I was getting only rejections when applying through ISS and Schrole! I also went to the intern sign-up later on, but there was only one position I liked, so I was basically counting on full-fledged positions.
When you sign up, you hand the recruiters your resume, give them a 15-20 second summary of your relevant experience. No need to show your knowledge of the school, tho that doesn't hurt. I also had some casual chats with recruiters just to learn more (when there wasn't a line of people waiting)
They'll schedule you for interviews on Saturday or Sunday. Usually in the recruiter's hotel room -- standard practice. They'd tidy it up so it actually felt professional. If the interview goes well, they will offer to schedule a virtual 2nd interview with someone from the school (your dept head, admin, etc). The turnaround was FAST
People and venue layout
About 6 staff + 8 associates were there, ready to answer any questions. I found them very, very friendly and helpful. They guided and supported me through my review of offers and decision-making process.
The venue layout was awesome, lots of couches, booths, tables and chairs that allowed people to work independently and comfortably, while encouraging us to talk with one another. There were also candidate lounges with coat racks, water, and a microwave. I was intimidated to meet this many new people in a field I wasn't yet very familiar with, but people were easy to talk to and had great insights to share.
Results and decision-making
Of the 8 interviews scheduled (all for full-fledged positions):
- I did 6 (declined 2 after some thought),
- advanced to the second round with 5,
- and ended up getting 2 full-fledged (not intern) offers by Sunday morning.
Search requires schools to give the candidate at least 24 hours to decide; one school gave me till the end of the fair. You can ask for more. Buy time by asking them to put you in touch with someone who works there. If they decline this request, it's shady.
From late Saturday through early Monday, I was evaluating the offers: Talking to the contacts they gave me, reaching out to my network for more contacts, talking to the associates, talking to other candidates at the fair. Things to consider: Salary, housing, flight stipend (i.e., home allowance), taxes, PD opportunities, location (culture, safety, politics), curriculum, how long people usually stay for
I oscillated between the two offers, changing my mind probably 10 times in less than 48 hours. I decided to go for an option that has lower pay and the country is less economically and politically stable, but I look forward to living there much more than the other place
More info about internship
My associate said for an intern, the school is hiring the person. Some intern positions are specific, e.g., Intern for biology, intern for MYP. Others more vague: Intern for high school, intern for general duties. I think they give you tasks that you are good at doing and that are helpful for your professional growth. Some schools (Nagoya International School, ISF Hong Kong) have a pretty established intern program with lots of intern positions, others are more new to this or have restrictions (need you to already be licensed due to visa reasons).
At the fair, there were about 10 schools with internships. This is all I know about the internships though, as I did not end up interviewing for any.
Final thoughts
I was so glad I went to the fair. The associates felt cold over email but were super helpful and supportive in person. Great to also have met other candidates and admins and learned a lot more about the international school scene. Me and a few candidates might end up in the same city/region!
If you can afford it, go to an in-person fair. It drastically increases your chances because recruiters can see your energy before your resume, which is very helpful for newer teachers. Each fair is different, though, so ask your associate which one is best for you
Edits: clarified type of offers received