Living and working abroad as a teacher is one thing. But what are those, who help you find your dream job, up to in their daily routine?
Here at Teacher Horizons we thought you might like to meet some of our consultants and see what their lives are like on daily basis when it comes to their profession. The beauty of their job is that they are based in different locations around the globe hence their days will vary from one to another and it may even inspire you to select a new exciting destination for your next teaching post! Connect with our friendly consultants to learn more.
The Teacher Horizons team
Meet Steven:
“We are not a traditional, boring recruitment company that relies on outdated information on the internet to make recommendations – we are out there struggling through Southeast Asian traffic on a Monday morning on our way to a school to meet the Headteacher!”
1/ Where are you based and how do you start your day?
I am usually based in either Thailand or Cambodia but currently I am in the USA for the summer. Wherever I am, my day starts with checking emails, making a cup of tea and then getting ready for my interviews with teachers. This means reviewing CVs, checking references, a heck of a lot of calendar management (in literally 8 different time zones) and checking in with schools to make sure their vacancies are up to date. In Asia I get up a lot earlier, as do most of the locals – the day begins when the sun rises! If I’m lucky I might be able to hit the gym, but if not, biking into the office is fine with me!
2/ How many teachers on average do you Skype (or communicate with) per week?
This depends on the week, but it can be anything up to 40 teachers per week when schools are actively looking for great teachers for their vacancies. Usually it’s a little less, which gives my voice a break, but as a company we are growing steadily month-on-month so the average volume of teachers we interview is rising!
3/ What is the most enjoyable part of your job?
I think it’s the feeling of finding a teacher a job in a place they have been dreaming of teaching in. I love talking to enthusiastic, motivated teachers over Skype and getting a real insight into what they are looking for in their next teaching position. I can then use all the tools at my disposal to turn those insights into interviews! There is sometimes a bit of a delay because schools are often very busy with recruitment, but when I get an email from a teacher saying they have accepted a position at the very school they told me they were interested in when I interviewed them, it really makes my day!
4/ What are the challenges of your job?
Schools are very different in terms of what their teacher requirements are which can make it tricky trying to give “general” advice to teachers. Although often teachers are very flexible and don’t mind where they are placed, we like to ask teachers to do thorough research on areas where they would like to teach, so that we can then give them better advice. We work with our teachers to find them jobs where they will be happy, not just jobs where the salary and package look good. This can be time consuming, but it is an important step in the recruitment process. Another challenge is that we have so many teachers in our database that at times, we have hundreds of emails coming in about particular positions which can make it challenging to give every applicant timely feedback – however this is something that we prioritize, and being a busy recruitment company is definitely a good challenge to have!
5/ What’s the team like and how do you cooperate?
The Teacher Horizons team is great, full of very different personalities and skill-sets. As you can imagine with a busy tech company, emails are flying around nearly constantly at Teacher Horizons, at all times of the day and night since we have people in so many timezones! It’s not unusual for us to be working out a teacher placement at 2am my time, which might be 2pm the next day in one of my colleague’s time zones. This sounds tough at first but once you get used to it, it’s great, and offers the team the kind of flexibility that many organizations dream of! With smartphones we are never very far away from our email, and we also use G-chat, Skype and Whatsapp to collaborate in different ways. We get the whole team together regularly over Skype which is important when you have people dispersed around the globe – video calling makes it feel like we are sitting in the same office during the call, even if some of us are in darkness and some in daylight!
6/ How often do you get to visit schools and do you get to travel?
I visit schools every month or so, usually when I am in Southeast Asia as this is where the majority of my schools are based. Being able to travel is a part of the job that I really value and I am excited to visit more schools in more countries later this year, in order to increase the amount of jobs we have available for our teachers! We believe that visiting schools is crucial – how can a recruiter realistically give great advice about a school or area if they or one of their colleagues hasn’t been there? I love it when I have a teacher interested in one of my schools because I can tell them not just about the school, but about really in-depth information, on the area, the teachers at the school already, what the kids are like, what kind of accommodation they will have and so on. In the past I’ve even been able to tell a teacher how good the cafeteria food is at one of my schools in Bangkok – obviously not a deal breaker, but I think it’s this kind of personal touch that makes teachers value the Teacher Horizons approach. We are not a traditional, boring recruitment company that relies on outdated information on the internet to make recommendations – we are out there struggling through Southeast Asian traffic on a Monday morning on our way to a school to meet the Headteacher!
7/ Describe the view from your office
My view often involves palm trees and blue skies although right now I am in the USA for the summer, looking out over non-tropical trees and an interstate highway! Luckily the sky is still blue where I am!
8/ Why would you recommend your area to international teachers?
Southeast Asia is a fascinating place. The people, the climate, the food, the many languages and cultures condensed in such a small area… it’s no wonder people fall in love with Asia when they go to visit! For teachers, it’s a great place to save some money since the cost of living is low while school packages are often very attractive. You’re never far from a beach and a hammock in Southeast Asia, and who doesn’t love the idea of beginning the school year in 30 degree sunshine just as it’s starting to get cold back home!?
9/ How do you spend your time after work?
I rock climb, longboard, go camping, take road trips and travel as much as possible! Given that I live in a tropical climate for most of the year, when I’m not in the office I am usually outside doing something active! If you are a good planner, you can fly throughout Southeast Asia very inexpensively. Sometimes I will look at my calendar and realise I have a flight booked for that weekend, for example to go celebrate Thai new year in Bangkok! This is something that all teachers teaching in Asia will identify with – your weekends away become pretty exciting when you can get to a tropical beach for less than the price of a pizza back home!
10/ How do you celebrate when a perfect match between teacher and school is made?
This all depends on the time of year! Currently we are in the very busy period of the year, so there is honestly not a lot of time to be patting ourselves on the back! My calendar is full of Skype interviews with teachers, or visits to schools, so I am often right back into the thick of it, perhaps after getting myself a celebratory coconut from one of the street vendors outside! We make sure that we follow-up with teachers and schools to ensure that everything goes smoothly after the perfect match moment – even when all contracts have been signed we make sure that we are available to help teachers with any questions they might have.
Stunning sunsets of the Gulf of Thailand – Kep, Cambodia
Meet Anisha
“It’s always lovely to help a teacher to gain their first opportunity into international teaching.”
1/ Where are you based and how do you start your day?
I live and work in Siem Reap, Cambodia – about 15 minutes from the UNESCO heritage monument Angkor Wat and other magnificent temples scattered across the area. Even though I’m in Cambodia, my day usually starts in a very British way – with a cup of Yorkshire tea and a flick through my emails and calendar.
2/ How many teachers on average do you Skype (or communicate with) per week?
This can vary according to the time of year. Some weeks over 20 teachers but others only a couple!
3/ What is the most enjoyable part of your job?
I enjoy speaking to teachers and hearing about their experiences in various locations around the world. It’s always lovely to help a teacher to gain their first opportunity into international teaching.
4/ What are the challenges of your job?
Working across time zones can, on occasion be a challenge so this requires a bit of flexibility.
5/ What’s the team like and how do you cooperate?
Everyone in our team is great! We’re a fun, lively bunch who get along well – there is always a lot of humour in email exchanges and in the Siem Reap office.
6/ How often do you get to visit schools and do you get to travel?
We all try to visit a bunch of schools in one location each year. If we happen to be travelling (as most of us usually are) we try to squeeze in a school visit in the location we are visiting. We’re able to work remotely so our team travel quite a bit.
7/ Describe the view from your office
Our office overlooks the Siem Reap river and there’s always something going on – from trucks full of fresh coconuts driving by, to women on bicycles selling lotus pod fruits, to families sitting along the river having picnics. Our working space also shares the area with a an art gallery so we always have plenty of inspirational creativity around us and it’s great to be invited to opening parties and gatherings.
8/ Why would you recommend your area to international teachers?
Siem Reap has the feel of a small town so it’s easy to get to know people and pace of life is a bit slower. However, there are tonnes of restaurants, bars, and activities to experience – you can never get bored! Pretty much all international cuisines are represented here and the cost of eating out is relatively inexpensive. Siem Reap is also very well connected with other destinations in Asia and you can easily hop on a plane and visit neighbouring countries for very reasonable airfares – think weekends in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or even Japan and Hong Kong – many destinations are mere couple of hours away.
9/ How do you spend your time after work?
Usually eating (!) and hanging out with friends. Socialising in Siem Reap is partly fun and partly networking and very much a way of life here. Sometimes you just need that perfect cup of coffee or cold drink and air-con!
10/ How do you celebrate when a perfect match between teacher and school is made?
We have gong in the office that we hit when a perfect match is made – this is usually accompanied with clapping, cheering and a celebratory round of coconuts to drink! There’s no better reward for your work than making the perfect placement.
Angkor Wat post sunrise
Keep your eyes on this spot – next week we’ll have two more daily accounts for you from another part of the world to keep you inspired.
Where in the world will YOU teach?
