Finding a job in an international school in Singapore

petoma · Post by **petoma** » Thu, 11 Oct 2012 7:20 am

Hi everyone,

I am new in this forum so first let me introduce myself briefly.

I am a music teacher in Spain with 5 years of experience, but none teaching abroad. I am thinking about this since a while now and I would like trying Singapore but I am quite new in all this. I mean applying to teach abroad.

I have been referred by a friend to this forum and ask for several agencies that hire international teachers instead of contact directly to the schools in order to get better conditions in the contract and being offered the expat package.

As I starting right now, I would appreciate some kind of guide about where and how to start, the best agency I can contact to get a job as a teacher in Singapore -I could teach spanish or music-, and all the necessary information to be successful in this. I think I have all the documentation but also I could be informed about the usual requirements.

Thank you very much and I am sorry if some of my questions are evident or redundant.

offshoreoildude · Post by **offshoreoildude** » Thu, 11 Oct 2012 7:22 am

petoma wrote:Hi everyone,

I am new in this forum so first let me introduce myself briefly.

I am a music teacher in Spain with 5 years of experience, but none teaching abroad. I am thinking about this since a while now and I would like trying Singapore but I am quite new in all this. I mean applying to teach abroad.

I have been referred by a friend to this forum and ask for several agencies that hire international teachers instead of contact directly to the schools in order to get better conditions in the contract and being offered the expat package.

As I starting right now, I would appreciate some kind of guide about where and how to start, the best agency I can contact to get a job as a teacher in Singapore -I could teach spanish or music-, and all the necessary information to be successful in this. I think I have all the documentation but also I could be informed about the usual requirements.

Thank you very much and I am sorry if some of my questions are evident or redundant.

Register with ISS (Interntional School Search) if you want to apply to the International Schools anywhere. This is how my wife who is a Int'l High School Teacher finds work and apart from the occasional ad on an int'l school website it's the only way Int'l School recruit.

petoma · Post by **petoma** » Fri, 12 Oct 2012 1:47 am

Thank you very much about the quick answer. I guess the web you are referring to is:

https://www.iss.edu/

I have been reading on it and apparently there is a fee of 195$ just to register. I would like some confirmation that this service is a good one and that investment worth it.

Likewise, is there any other recruitment agency to work in International Schools?

Thanks. Regards.

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Fri, 12 Oct 2012 6:52 am

petoma wrote:https://www.iss.edu/

I have been reading on it and apparently there is a fee of 195$ just to register. I would like some confirmation that this service is a good one and that investment worth it.

offshoreoildude wrote:This is how my wife who is a Int'l High School Teacher finds work and apart from the occasional ad on an int'l school website it's the only way Int'l School recruit.

Hopefully your subject isn't English comprehension.

offshoreoildude · Post by **offshoreoildude** » Fri, 12 Oct 2012 7:04 am

sundaymorningstaple wrote:
petoma wrote:https://www.iss.edu/

I have been reading on it and apparently there is a fee of 195$ just to register. I would like some confirmation that this service is a good one and that investment worth it.

offshoreoildude wrote:This is how my wife who is a Int'l High School Teacher finds work and apart from the occasional ad on an int'l school website it's the only way Int'l School recruit.
Hopefully your subject isn't English comprehension.

EVERYONE in the International School system uses ISS. They run multiple job fairs around the world, they run a very tight resume and referral system and they are the recruiters most of the commercial and quango schools use to fill their slots. There is a competitor to ISS but I don't remember their name. Essentially without your information being listed in ISS you might find an open position only to find the school insists you apply through ISS. If you're an IB or GCE or US qualified teacher they are the way to get into International Schools.

petoma · Post by **petoma** » Tue, 16 Oct 2012 3:55 am

Thank you very much for all the answers. I am sorry if I am unsure about certain things but I am starting to learn about International Schools. I haven't taught or learnt ever in an International School and I am qualified with a bachelor (non-international) in Spain. In this regard, I don't know what are my chances to be selected to work in one of these schools.

I am going to take contact with ISS in order to know my possibilities. Thank you very much though for your replies.

petoma · Post by **petoma** » Fri, 19 Oct 2012 6:25 pm

Hello again,

Finally I wasn't able to register completely and apply with ISS as one of the requirements is to have experience or training in International Schools. As I mentioned before I have not such experience or training and I haven't taught ever in International Schools so they recommended me not to continue registering as the schools have that requirement.

Being so, I don't know how am I supposed to get experience working in an international school if the experience is a requirement to do so. I guess I would have to go to United Kingdom or USA and get a job in education under any condition in order to have experience in that curriculum.

I would appreciate any comment about this situation. Maybe someone has been in this same place before.

Thank you very much.

offshoreoildude · Post by **offshoreoildude** » Fri, 19 Oct 2012 6:28 pm

petoma wrote:Hello again,

Finally I wasn't able to register completely and apply with ISS as one of the requirements is to have experience or training in International Schools. As I mentioned before I have not such experience or training and I haven't taught ever in International Schools so they recommended me not to continue registering as the schools have that requirement.

Being so, I don't know how am I supposed to get experience working in an international school if the experience is a requirement to do so. I guess I would have to go to United Kingdom or USA and get a job in education under any condition in order to have experience in that curriculum.

I would appreciate any comment about this situation. Maybe someone has been in this same place before.

Thank you very much.

Put down your existing work experience and any overseas experience of any sort.

petoma · Post by **petoma** » Sun, 28 Oct 2012 6:50 pm

I sent a mail to ISS in order to clarify this point and they recommended me not to go on with the application as I have no experience in the specified curriculum. The told me they work with schools that won't attend applications from teachers without experience in International Schools, british or american curriculum.

Being so I was refunded the amount of money except for the 50 $ they kept. I wonder if I am not a good candidate to teach spanish in an International School as that is my native language. And considering my english is good enough to teach and I have two bachelors I could be teaching several subjects, but I need experience in the specified fields.

Another thing I have seen in internet is to apply as an expatriate teacher directly to the Ministry of Education of Singapore:

- http://www.moe.gov.sg/careers/teach/applying/expat/

What do you think about it?

offshoreoildude · Post by **offshoreoildude** » Sun, 28 Oct 2012 7:08 pm

OP - at least two International Schools (ofs.edu.sg and chatsworth.edu.sg) openly advertise jobs online. MOE is ok but the pay is low.

kuchizuke · Post by **kuchizuke** » Sat, 17 Nov 2012 11:27 am

Hey I'm actually working as a History teacher under MOE. The pay isn't THAT terrible (but then again, I am a recent graduate from the UK and I guess the salary isn't what most experienced expats expect). I have no experience and am being paid around $3600 per month. I pay about $1000 for accomodation and bills and still have money to spend AND save. But then again I am still young and single so it might not be enough if you have dependents. I'm renting a HDB with other teachers so its quite reasonable. Unless you have to have a condo/car (which quite frankly driving in Singapore is pointless when the public transport is good) then you might wanna try out the International School.

Why don't you just email the schools directly and ask? Attach a copy of your CV and just email all the International Schools you can find. I don't know how good these agencies are for finding work in international schools. Or you could try using TES.co.uk to search for international jobs (no fees to register, it's a free website by the UK Times and all the jobs listed are pretty legit).

ukteach · Post by **ukteach** » Sat, 08 Jun 2013 4:28 am

kuchizuke, if you read this, could you give me a little more info about the MOE?

Recent UK grad in Primary Education here, trying to find a job in Singapore but it has been pretty difficult so far. Might give the MOE a shot.

Any tips for application form etc?

pichpiran · Post by **pichpiran** » Sun, 23 Jun 2013 4:33 am

I'm also very interested in working with MOE. I'm just coming to the end of my PGCE Secondary course in a week's time. Same question as ukteach, any tips for the application would be much appreciated!

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Finding a job in an international school in Singapore

Finding a job in an international school in Singapore

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