IES has offices in Hong Kong and China, but our recruitment specialists personally support their designated group of clients from a variety of global locales. At the same time, our specialists work closely with their colleagues to provide you with the best guidance and opportunities we have to offer. If you would like to know more, please reach out to us at info@iespg.com.
IES Prestige is an as-needed service that can be used when you require hard-to-find candidates or when a vacancy must be filled quickly. Our recruitment specialists will source qualified candidates according to your exacting standards, then send them to you for your consideration. We will arrange interviews and liaise between you and the candidate as needed. If one of our candidates is hired, a fee only becomes due 30 days after the candidate begins working, to ensure your satisfaction.
In this way, your school is saved valuable time and resources on recruiting, receives customized service and only compensates IES if satisfied with the candidates we provide.
If IES Prestige sounds like the type of recruitment support you require, please complete the form below and an IES agent will be in touch with you soon.
IES has offices in Hong Kong and China, but our recruitment specialists personally support their designated group of candidates from a variety of global locales. At the same time, our specialists work closely with their colleagues to provide you with the best guidance and opportunities we have to offer.
All IES services are free for educators. We would be happy to speak with you about your preferences and requirements. When our partner schools advise us of a matching vacancy, we will reach out to you to assess your interest and begin your candidacy for the role.
If you are in the market for a new job, kindly complete the form below and an IES agent will be in touch with you soon.
Since jobs are posted throughout the year, you are welcome to register any time. However, there is a typical hiring timeline to keep in mind. Most international school calendars run from late August until June.
The recruitment season can begin as early as September, with most positions being filled between November and February. There are fewer jobs available in the spring at that point.
It’s best to leave yourself plenty of time to perform interviews, collect references, authenticate documents, complete medical testing and so on.
The content you provide is up to you, but submitting a detailed profile will improve your prospects. To make the most of your membership, we encourage you to include the items listed below in your profile:
Contact information for your referees
Your work history from the past seven years
Copies of your credentials
Statement of your personal pedagogical theory
Profile Photo
Email addresses of at least three supervisory referees must be submitted at some stage of the hiring process. We understand your privacy is important, so we will always seek your permission before contacting your referees. This process will be completed only once by us, as we will keep your references on file for future applications
Our services are free for educators and we pride ourselves on serving as an advocate for your interests. We focus on learning about your requirements and preferences then offer you matching vacancies, without pressure. By partnering with IES, you have nothing to lose and a new adventure to gain!
As the Senior Recruitment Executive here at IES, it's my job to help you find a great overseas position, but I am also here to offer first-hand advice and assurance about the amazing life of an international teacher.
As young teachers, my partner and I struggled to find jobs in our city, but by casting our net over the space of the whole world, we found jobs that suited our specific needs. We took the plunge and accepted teaching jobs in South Korea, a move that helped us achieve our career goals and gave us an amazing story to tell. We intended to stay in Korea for one year, but once we became accustomed to the expat way of life, we decided to accept another contract, and another and another. This will be our eleventh year abroad.
During our time overseas, we have availed of perks we didn’t have at home, like free housing and housing allowances, free or subsidized utilities, free transportation, life insurance, dental coverage, relocation allowances, professional development allowances, free flights and bonuses. With such reduced outgoing expenses, and built-in savings plans, we have been handed the freedom to pay off student debt, travel the world, and now, save for a home.
Teaching abroad helped us build resumes and a repertoire of professional experiences we could rarely have cultivated from home. Imagine attending professional development conferences in exotic locales to learn from a vast array of expert educators.
Imagine working alongside a group of colleagues who have studied and worked all over the world, introducing you to new methods and providing you with knowledgeable advice about expat life.
Imagine having a global impact by teaching classes of students from over 10 different countries, who will take the knowledge you have imparted upon them wherever they go in the world. When, or if, you do come home, you will have a resume that will distinctly set you apart from the others. Even after we got married and started a family, we found we could still maintain our adventurous lives abroad.
Many schools are attracted by teaching couples and offer free education and flights for children too. As a family, we have visited 24 countries and lived in five countries. We have marvelled at The Great Wall, the Egyptian pyramids and the Roman Colosseum; visited palaces, museums, mosques, and cathedrals; seen Russian ballets, heard Austrian symphonies, and ridden gondolas, zip lines, elephants and camels. Those are just some of the highlights.
Our lives as expat teachers have had a profound impact on the way we teach, how we see the world and the degree of comfort we will be able to experience once we repatriate. For me, it has been a dream come true. You now have an opportunity to embark on a journey that will enrich your career and change your life, and IES will gladly help you get there.
Most countries require expatriates to have a visa. The process depends on the requirements held by the host country for citizens of your country. Most schools provide very close support to help you obtain your visa, since it’s in their best interest to get you to work on time! Schools may reimburse you for visa costs or pay for them upfront, depending on their policies.
Be sure to check your contract, or ask for clarification about visa support at the interview stage. Visas for some countries are harder to obtain than others, because of extensive medical or document requirements, age restrictions etc. Even the political climate between the host country and your home country can have a role in the visa process.
Be sure to do some research before you start applying to schools, so you know what to expect. The website of the host country’s consulate located closest to you is a good place to start. You can also check in with visa agencies near the consulate that do the leg work of getting visas for their clients. They have precise knowledge of the processes.
Depending on the school, you may be offered a contract between one and three years in length. Different schools operate in different ways, however, so this would be something to clarify during the interview.
Certification or experience is almost always required by the school or even by the host country in order to issue a visa. However, if you are looking to gain more experience or get certified, you may apply for internships or inquire about any assistance the school may offer to help you with certification. Even if you lack experience or qualifications, you are still welcome to reach out to schools, to see what opportunities they may have for you.
Most schools will offer free or discounted tuition for staff children, but such benefits are offered at the discretion of the school. This is an important factor to consider, because tuition tends to be quite high at international schools, so be sure to ask the school about their policy.
It is usually a possibility, but there are some things to consider. The school may provide housing with a no-pet policy, and there are procedures to be followed according to airlines and host countries. Vaccinations and quarantine may be required. Be sure to do some research and ask the school what their policies are.
