{"id":117,"date":"2012-01-07T14:38:00","date_gmt":"2012-01-07T14:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/?p=117"},"modified":"2012-10-15T09:43:00","modified_gmt":"2012-10-15T09:43:00","slug":"international-school-community-newsletter-v2012-01-07-january-2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/international-school-community-newsletter-v2012-01-07-january-2012\/","title":{"rendered":"International School Community Newsletter v2012.01 \u2013 07 January, 2012"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

v2012.01 \u2013 7 January, 2012:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Wonderful World of International School Recruitment Fairs: Lesson #5 \u2013 \u201cCheck your ego at the\u00a0door.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cEvery normal person, in fact, is only normal on the average. His ego approximates to that of the psychotic in some part or other and to a greater or lesser extent.\u201d Sigmund Freud.<\/p>\n

The greatest sports legends, the inventors of things we rely on today, great actors and actresses, all of these people must seem to have a big ego. Maybe it comes with their achievements or our projections of them? Then there are the great dictators, the generals of war or just some average Joe that just won the biggest-ever on his lottery ticket. Ego comes in many shapes and forms, and albeit some are seemingly more attractive than others. It\u2019s a hard task to know when to enhance or down play your own ego.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re constantly told to either just stand in line or be like others, that we don\u2019t really deviate from the mass, that we\u2019re just one in a million, that perhaps we\u2019re not as special as we think. Then we\u2019re told we need to stand out, make a difference, show our true colors, let the ego steer and victory will come our way.\u00a0 So, how are you to act at the international school recruitment fairs?<\/p>\n

Ego is an ambivalent thing, you could say that it\u2019s both our chance and our fall. It\u2019s the chance to express ourselves, to enhance our personality to make it clearer how we stand out from the masses, what makes us special, what we\u2019re capable of; how we\u2019re the best of all of them. But there is a line, and if that line is crossed, our personality becomes too big and a bit desperate, we express ourselves in a way so superior to others that we make them feel small, we become way too special, maybe even too good for our own good; we are the best of all of them, no question there, there\u2019s \u201cme\u201d and no one else.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s often in job interviews we\u2019re left with the difficult task of being the best and out-shining the competition, but in such a manner that we don\u2019t let our own ego get the better of us, and suddenly instead of standing out positively in the round-robin session or in the administrator\u2019s hotel room during the interview, we stand out negatively instead. It\u2019s practically a game of ego vs. humble. It\u2019s pointing out the things you are good at and how you are the best for the position, but it\u2019s just as much being humble, being likable, charming, sitting straight, smiling, having eye contact, being interested, letting your ego shine from time to time, but not letting it consume the space.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing like rejection to make you do an inventory of yourself.\u201d James Lee Burke.<\/p>\n

And every so often your ego takes a blow during your experience at a recruitment fair. When you venture in life, there\u2019s always the risk of rejection. Sometimes it feels like there isn\u2019t any international school out there that wants to hire you. It\u2019s basically the same whether you open your heart for someone you love or you are at a job interview, getting that \u201cno\u201d is a sour sting to your ego. And that\u2019s when the inventory begins: should I have? or could I have? Would it have? And so on and so on\u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Every mountain we climb in this life should probably have two gates: \u201cfor exit hurry\u201d or \u201cin risk of rejection\u201d. We can\u2019t go through life (and through international school recruitment fairs) without getting a little hurt sometimes, without bruising our ego. It\u2019s all part of living as they say; the smart and clever ones. So maybe you didn\u2019t have enough experience, maybe the connection just wasn\u2019t there, or maybe, just maybe someone was just better than you. You know, you shouldn\u2019t take it personal. It just means you get a few more rounds through the \u201cin risk of rejection\u201d gate. And who knows, just one week after the fair, where you weren\u2019t offered any contracts to sign, you might receive in your email inbox the offer from the international school you have been dreaming of working at!\u00a0 Believe us, it is happened many times in our International School Community<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Go ahead and send a private message regarding hiring and fairs to one of our members. International School Community\u2019s current members<\/a> work at or have worked at 92 international schools! Check out which schools here<\/a> and start networking today!<\/p>\n

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Recently updated schools:<\/h3>\n
\u00b7 <\/strong>07 Jan<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Harbin No. 9 High School International Division (Songbei Campus)\u00a0(36 new comments)<\/strong><\/a>
\n (Harbin, China)<\/strong>
\n\u201cFurnished apartments are in a conglomerate of high rises about 15 minutes walking distance from the school. Housing is free and part of the contract. You must pay utilities\u2026 We had an apartment which was adequate for our needs. It was well heated and lots of light\u2026\u201d<\/strong><\/div>\n
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\u00b7 <\/strong>07 Jan<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0International School of Penang (Uplands)\u00a0(9 new comments)<\/strong><\/a>
\n (Penang, Malaysia)<\/strong>
\n\u201cMoving allowance is $920 for a single teacher, additional money for dependents & long-service. Settling-in allowance is $320 in cash for singles and $400 for couples. Annual flight home \u2013 Start & end contract for family + mid contract for employee\u2026\u201d<\/div>\n
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\u00b7 <\/strong>06 Jan<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Colegio Menor San Francisco de Quito\u00a0(9 new comments)<\/strong><\/a>
\n (Quito, Ecuador)<\/strong>
\n\u201cThere are around 127 full time staff (30% North American, 70% Ecuadorian). 47% of the faculty has Master\u2019s degrees. (60% from U.S. Universities)\u2026\u201d<\/div>\n
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\u00b7 <\/strong>06 Jan<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Canadian International School Beijing\u00a0(5 new comments)<\/strong><\/a>
\n (Beijing, China)<\/strong>
\n\u201cThere is an annual flight allowance, return trip to Canada or equivalent\u2026\u201d
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\n<\/a>\u00b7 <\/strong>06 Jan<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Berkeley International School (Bangkok)\u00a0(8 new comments)<\/strong><\/a>
\n (Bangkok, Thailand)<\/strong>
\n\u201cAs for the location, it\u2019s very convenient opposite Bitec, close to BTS, Central City Bangna, and to other International Schools such as St Andrews, Patana, CIS and the Mega Bangna super mall\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

(<\/strong>Click here for the last 40 schools to be updated with new comments<\/a>)<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Recent blog entries:<\/h3>\n

\u00b7\u00a0Using the School Profile Search feature on International School Community: Search Result\u00a0#2<\/a><\/strong>
\n\u201cOnly on International School Community<\/a> will you be able to search for the perfect international school for you.\u00a0 The possibility to search (using our unique search engine) for international schools based on the type of school that best fits your criteria\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Survey results are in \u2013 How many countries have you traveled to so far this year? (in\u00a02011)<\/a><\/strong>
\n\u201cThe survey results<\/a> are in, and it seems as if most visitors and members of International School Community have been to 1-3 countries in 2011.\u00a0 We were thinking that people would have traveled to more countries as a typical international school teacher travels many times throughout the year\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Video highlight: St. Stephen\u2019s International School (Bangkok,\u00a0Thailand)<\/a><\/strong>
\n\u201cHow great to start off each day with the flag ceremony and the Thai National Anthem! Being that the majority of their students are Thai, they have a strong focus on honoring and respecting Thai and Asian cultural values\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Highlighted article: India\u2019s most admired international\u00a0schools<\/a><\/strong>
\n\u201cWithin the hearts and minds of the uninformed, there is considerable prejudice against India\u2019s small but growing number of new genre international schools. Left intellectuals and fellow travelers who dominate Indian academia and have considerable influence in the media, naively dismiss them as elitist and expensive\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Comments and information about hiring policies on International School Community #2 (Beijing, Seoul and\u00a0Beirut)<\/a><\/strong>
\n\u201cThis school went to the Search Fair in Boston in 2011. The interview was 1 on 1 with the principal. It was quite informal, but he also asked some important interview questions. After the first interview, I receive an offer on contract in my mailbox, so they for sure want to hire at the fair. They were able to allow for a few a day to decide as well which I think is important\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

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Recently added schools:<\/h3>\n
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