5 things you can do to land a job teaching abroad

While the world is big, the community of international educators is not. Getting hired to teach abroad can often feel daunting. If you’re wondering where do I even begin? you’ve come to the right place! We’ve been able to see things from both the teaching and the administrative perspective, and we’re here to help. Here are five things you can do today if you want to get hired to teach abroad!

01. Connect with other educators living abroad

Like I said, this community is like a “six steps to Kevin Bacon” game on a global scale. Everyone knows everyone, or at least, knows someone. Make connections with friends and colleagues who have taught abroad. Have a conversations, ask questions, get names and emails of possible further contacts. If you want to get hired to teach abroad, find mentors.

One of my lifelong friends and her husband have only ever taught internationally. Another couple we knew did stints of teaching abroad and also living in the states. They were an incredible resource along the way, and still are. Having people in your corner who ‘get it’ is essential. Don’t skip this step.

And, hey, you’re here! If you don’t have anyone to reach out to, email us!

02. Polish your resume

…and make it specific for the international communities. If you want to get hired to teach abroad, highlight skills that make you a catch for an international school, even if you have only ever taught in the US!

Do you have a second or third language? Include it! Is one of your skills that you are adaptable in challenging situations? Include it! Do you have extensive training in diversity, and cultural awareness, or have you led student trips abroad? Include all of it! 

International schools also want to hire people who are invested in the school beyond the classroom. It’s expensive for international schools to bring teachers in, and administrators are looking for people who can wear a couple of hats. Having a mindset that you are going to teach and go home is not going to score you an interview.

Be willing to coach, advise a club, or somehow get engaged with improving school culture. Definitely brag about the ways you do this in your current job!

Also, if you have any experience in the International Baccalaureate, especially as a secondary teacher or administrator, you will be more likely to get hired at many schools.

Many schools abroad, especially those in Europe, or those boasting “American” anywhere in their name will likely have at least the IBDP, if not the full continuum. Also,  IB training consumes time and a school’s resources. If they can nab a trained, experienced IB teacher, it’s a benefit.

03. Have a Plan B (and C, and maybe even D)

Getting hired to teach abroad feels a lot like applying for university. You have your top choice of where you’d like to live, one that checks all the boxes of what you’re looking for in this career change. But, it’s essential to have applications in at a few other places. Get those irons in the fire, my friend! 

Remember, your top choice is likely the top choice for a big handful of other people, and, as I said above, the international educator community isn’t as big as you think it is. If you’re just starting out, you may have to build your international resume before you get your pick of places. 

That said, it’s so important to stay open-minded about places you’d move to. I never imagined myself in Morocco.( I also thought it was nothing but sand and camels…wrong!) But, it did match our unique criteria of what we were looking for. Now, I can’t imagine not having lived in Morocco. 

Our Plan B during our most recent round of searching was to stay put in Morocco. We actually love it, so wasn’t a hard Plan B to make peace with. For others, it’s to take a job in a less than ideal place. Still others will take a sabbatical year or head back to the states for a spell–whatever it is, get to a place where you feel okay about all of your plans.

04. Go to International Teaching Job Fairs

It might seem obvious that to get hired to teach abroad you should attend a job fair. But, this isn’t the right (or available) route for everyone.

There are several job fairs in the US and several in other countries. Search Associates, International School Services, Teach Away , QSI and many other job services host fairs at different points in the year. Not only can you hone your interview skills and share your very polished resume (see above), but you can network, and that is golden in this field.

The interviews also go both ways. At a job fair, you’ll be able to talk to people who actually live in the place you’re applying to: if you have kids, ask what there is for kids to do there. If you’re runner, find out about great trails, or ask about air quality. If you are terrified of a language barrier, ask how prevalent English is. Yes, they are sizing you up, but the reverse is also true.

It’s okay if some place isn’t a good fit, and a job fair is a fast-paced way to figure that out.

05. Consider Offers Seriously, Only Sign if you Mean It

Another reminder of the smallness of the international teaching community is that if you commit to an offer, only to back out weeks before the school year starts, you will burn a lot of bridges that you can’t afford to burn. If you want to get hired to teach abroad, remember that school directors and principals talk to one another and your reputation means a lot. 

A similar thing can happen if you commit to the offer, move, stay one year and then break your contract (most international teaching contracts are two years in length, administrator contracts are three). 

Your reputation will follow you from job to job and, in some cases, from interview to interview. If you receive a job offer while you’re waiting on your dream school to get back to you, be honest about that. Communicate openly, negotiate a timeline that works, then follow through. Never leave a school hanging, and never sign a contract unless you plan to show up on the first day of orientation, excited and ready to teach.

While it might seem daunting to get hired to teach abroad, really, it’s a matter of opening yourself up to a bigger world, new experiences, and a career community like no other.

Before you start looking for that perfect position in another country, be sure that you are a top candidate with a lot to offer a school and the enthusiasm to match.

Be sure to check out my post on why we wanted to teach abroad and how we ended up teaching in Rabat, Morocco!