January 17 - 19, 2025
HONG KONG
CHINESE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
Fair Organizer: Xiaohang Sumner
1. WELCOME
Started over ten years ago, the Hong Kong Fair has expanded in line with the tremendous growth of international education in Asia and has established itself as one of the major and successful mid-size fair options offered by Search Associates.
The Hong Kong Fair is held right at the peak of the recruiting season. The fair is attended by schools mostly from the Greater China region, but also from the rest of Asia. The fair brings together candidates from a wide diversity of nationalities, whilst 20% of the candidates are ethnically Chinese. Please see “Schools” and “Candidates Profile” for more information.
Attending the Hong Kong Fair offers both candidates and school recruiters the opportunity to schedule interviews with each other to determine if a good "fit" exits. In addition, our fairs offer an excellent opportunity to network with other international teaching candidates (as well as recruiters) and get a good sense of the joys and challenges of working in international education.
2. PERSONAL ATTENTION
Among the peak-season January fairs, the Hong Kong Fair is mid-size, selective but still with many schools, so the candidate-to-school is roughly the same as at the other fairs. Attending the more focused Hong Kong Fair will enable both schools and candidates to have more time for and attention to each other, allowing for better understanding and “fit”. The better “fit” between school and candidate, the higher chance of success not only at the fair, but more importantly, after arrival at the school.
3. DATES
The timing of the Hong Kong Fair is quite advantageous, as it is neither too early nor too late in the international recruiting cycle. School recruiters will be able to interview a large pool of excellent candidates and candidates will have access to a large number of positions.
The fair will consist of school presentations, informative workshops, interview sign-up sessions and most importantly, job interviews with top recruiters!
- Recruiters: Arrive in Hong Kong by Friday afternoon/very early Saturday morning. Leave the Fair Venue after 5 pm Saturday/by noon on Sunday.
- Candidates: Arrive in Hong Kong by Friday evening or very early morning on Saturday. Leave the Fair Venue by noon on Sunday.
- Details: Please see Fair Schedule.
4. LOCATIONS
The Fair Venue, the campus of Chinese International School, is where most of the fair events will take place.
The Fair Hotel, the Crowne Plaza Causeway Bay Hong Kong, is close to the Fair Venue and we have arranged special discount rates for registered fair participants.
- Recruiters are recommended to stay at the Crowne Plaza. Recruiter registration and reception will take place at the Crowne Plaza on Friday.
- Shuttle bus service will be provided to the Fair Venue for guests staying at the Fair Hotel.
- For registered participants, please log in and then click into the Hong Kong Fair internal page and click “Getting There” for more information, including how to book hotel rooms.
(Many other hotels are nearby, e.g. the Holiday Inn in Causeway Bay, which is a short walk to the Crowne Plaza.)
5. INVITATION
The fair opens its books for school and candidate registrations in mid-August. As we were full last year and expect the same next year, we ask schools and candidates to register as early as possible to reserve a place.
Recruiters:
- Please go to your school's Dashboard and accept your invitation. If you do not have an invitation yet, please request an invitation from your school’s Dashboard.
Teaching and Leadership Candidates:
- If you are already registered with the Hong Kong office, please request an invitation from your Dashboard.
- If you are not yet registered with Search, please contact us for information on joining Search Associates and attending the Hong Kong Fair.
- If you are registered with another Senior Associate, please contact him/her to request an invitation to the Hong Kong Fair.
6. MORE INFO
Xiaohang Sumner and Hong Kong Fair Team
All times in Hong Kong Time Zone.
Friday 1/17
6:15 - 8:00pm
Schools: Reception for Recruiters and Their Partners
Crowne Plaza Hong Kong Causeway Bay
Saturday 1/18
7:15 - 7:45am
Candidates: Registration
Compulsory for Candidates
Chinese International School, Hong Kong
7:45 - 8:15am
Candidates: Orientation
Compulsory for Candidates
Chinese International School, Hong Kong
7:45 - 8:30am
Schools: Registration + Set-UpCompulsory
Chinese International School, Hong Kong
- Pick up your name badge
- Set up your booth for the Interview Sign-Up session
- Write and post your school's vacancy poster
- Set up your school presentation and interview rooms (NOTE: CIS has asked recruiters not to re-arrange furniture in the classrooms since classes occur early on Monday.)
- You may use the Message function on the Fair Portal to leave messages for Candidates to invite them to come to you at the Interview Sign-Up. But please do not enter an interview into the schedule without prior agreement with the candidate.
8:15 - 8:45am
Candidates: Workshop - Top Tips for your next international placement
Chinese International School, Hong Kong
In this 30-min workshop just before the fair Interview Sign-Up session starts, Senior Associate Bill Turner (and organizer of our Dubai Fairs) will discuss some common sense strategies that candidates have often never considered (e.g. knowing/communicating your brand; think 2 schools ahead; being ‘curriculum bilingual’; prioritising how a recruiter makes you feel personally at a fair; look beyond your original search area).
8:30 - 8:45am
Schools: OrientationCompulsory for Recruiters
Chinese International School, Hong Kong
- Important information session about fair logistics, procedures and protocols.
8:45 - 9:00am
Break + Get Ready
Chinese International School, Hong Kong
8:45 - 9:00am
Candidates: Break + Get Ready
Navigate towards Interview Sign-Up
Chinese International School, Hong Kong
9:00 - 10:30am
Interview Sign-UpCandidates sign up for interviews with schools and schools enter interviews into Fair Schedule
Chinese International School, Hong Kong
- Doors open for Candidates at 09:00 AM
- Interview Rooms as assigned by SEARCH to each school are on the Fair Portal.
- Schools: Once an interview is arranged, please enter the interview with the candidate linked straight into the Fair Portal Schedule so that the school and the candidate have the same information about time and place to avoid missed interviews.
- Candidates: Please check your own Fair Schedule on the Portal at the end of the Interview Sign-Up to see your personal schedule of interviews. If there is a problem, please approach the school before you leave the Gym.
10:30am - 6:00pm
Candidates: InterviewsInterview Rooms Assigned by SEARCH
- We have an obligation to those candidates who have spent time and money going through our screening process and who have met our standards. Please wear your name tag to an interview - Recruiters have been asked not to interview anyone who is not wearing a name tag.
- Schools should complete background and reference checks and verify that the candidate can meet visa requirements before making an offer. Candidates should upload your degree certificates and police background checks (if any) onto your Search profile. You should also request two of your referees to kindly be on standby this weekend to receive reference check calls from fair recruiters considering making you an offer.
- Recruiters should give candidates adequate time (min. 24 hours) to consider employment offers.
- Verbal Agreements are Binding. Search Associates regards a verbal agreement between a Recruiter and a Candidate as binding. Please ask for a sample contract or a detailed list of terms of the employment offer; and you should obtain a written agreement or letter of intent to promptly follow a verbal agreement. Please read your Candidate Agreement and Contractual Obligation Agreement with Search Associates for more details or speak to a Senior Associate if you have any questions about this matter.
10:30am - 6:00pm
School PresentationsPresentation Rooms Assigned by SEARCH
- Presentations (including Q&A) should take less than 25 minutes, leaving time for the following school to set up and for candidates to switch rooms. Recruiters are asked to be mindful of the schedule and finish on time.
- Please bring your own Apple computers to connect to the school's Apple TV projectors.
12:00 - 1:30pm
Lunch - Wraps Bar
Chinese International School, Hong Kong
12:00 - 12:30pm
Workshop: The Great Food Transformation - Recent Developments in ChinaWhat can international schools do?
Chinese International School, Hong Kong
Food is the single strongest lever to optimize human health and environmental sustainability on Earth.
In this workshop, Melinda HOU, Executive Director of the Good Food · China Food Systems Action Hub (CFSAH), will give a presentation to emphasize the importance of institutional food services in driving food system transformation, share recent developments in China at the policy as well as civil society levels, and look ahead to the prospects for change starting with international schools.
School leadership, student participation and support, and the capacity of catering companies are essential to this transformation, which CFSAH has been supporting for many years through conferences, trainings, and a variety of programs and activities.
In the Q&A session, Melinda will discuss with international school principals the feasibility of changing school meals, how to mobilize stakeholders, and how to measure, scale up and spread the impact.
Melinda HOU - Executive Director of the Good Food · China Food Systems Action Hub
- Rockefeller Foundation 2023 Acumen Food Systems Fellow
- Melinda brings over 15 years of experience in leading supply chain sustainability initiatives for Fortune 500 and multinational companies. At Mondelez International, she spearheaded strategy development and implementation for sustainable agricultural products within the international commodities and strategic sourcing team. She also led ethical sourcing programs for Cadbury and Kraft Foods in the Asia-Pacific region, where she established mechanisms for responsible sourcing within the companies' supply chains. She also previously served as social and Environmental Affairs Manager at Adidas.
- Before joining the Good Food · China Food Systems Action Hub (CFSAH), she contributed to Compassion in World Farming, successfully driving the implementation of farmed- animal welfare projects in China. In recent years, she has been leading the CFSAH team in active global collaborations, committed to driving a transition towards a healthier and more sustainable food system in China from the consumer end.
12:30 - 1:00pm
Workshop: Does Your Health Insurance Offer Complete Coverage?Chinese International School, Hong Kong
In-depth introduction to health insurance coverage for expatriate and local Chinese teachers in China.
Offered by Zikai Liu, Managing Partner of Oriental Benefit Group.
Zikai is an insurance expert with 10 years of international health insurance and employee benefit experience, having served over 100 schools across 7 Asian countries.
Sunday 1/19
8:30am - 12:30pm
Interviews
Interview Rooms Assigned by SEARCH
The following schools have registered to give presentations at the fair.
The exact times and locations for school presentations will be published on the final Fair Schedule when the Fair Portal opens on Monday, January 13.
- The vast majority of candidates attending this fair have international curriculum experience (e.g. IB) with over 50% having more than 10 years international school experience.
- We are very proud of our diversity track record at the Hong Kong Fair. In January 2022, candidates who are citizens of forty (40) countries are represented at the fair and they are residing in fifty (50) countries all over the world.
- Typically 25% of all hires made as a result of the fair are from schools based in Hong Kong, the rest are from mainland China, the other parts of Asia and the world.
How to attend the fair:
Attendance at this fair is by invitation only. Candidates need to have registered with Search Associates, well in advance of the Fair, and then requested an invitation to the fair. Please note that “Checking” interest in the Hong Kong-January Fair on the Search Associate online application does NOT constitute an invitation. Your place at the Fair is only definite when you have received confirmation on your Search dashboard.
For more information, prospective and Registered Candidates are welcome to join us at one of our free online job search seminars. Click here to sign up.
RECRUITMENT FAIR COMMENTS from candidates
""Search Associates’ job fairs are a game-changer. Unlike other fairs that feel chaotic or overwhelming, Search fairs are thoughtfully organized, ensuring that every moment is productive. I’ve attended two fairs—one online during COVID-19 and another in person—and both experiences were excellent. I secured interviews with 8–10 schools each time and received 2–3 job offers, a testament to the quality of connections I was able to make. The fairs are efficient, with attentive organizers ready to assist at every turn. The focused environment, smaller candidate pool, and commitment from schools make these fairs an unparalleled opportunity for job seekers." -- Daniel Kulkarni (2024)
"As a new teacher, I was very lost with how I could get my foot in the door. The fair was not only a great networking experience, but it was also an opportunity that opened many more doors for me. Especially as a new teacher, this fair helped provide me with contacts, resources, and memorable conversations. A simple conversation can go a long way, and I am very grateful to Search Associates for providing that platform!" — Kelly Chang (2020)
"We are really impressed with the quality of the people and schools attending the Search Associates Job Fair. We had many interviews and all went well. When we got home, we had an offer from a school we really loved and ended up accepting it a couple of days later. Thank you Search Associates for helping us connect to so many great educators in such a short time." — Andrew and Danielle Aversen (2016)
"Joining Search Associates has been one of the best professional decisions I have made and I look forward to being a candidate for years to come. I would like to wholeheartedly thank the entire Search team for their hard work and exceptional platform for international teachers." — Yaiza Morales (2018)
"Search Associates has proven to be an essential tool for upgrading my career." — Luigi Mondino (2017)
">"Thank you to Search Associates for the professional services and assistance with our job search. We are very happy with the opportunity to join Hangzhou International school, and very pleased that they were searching for 'veterans' who could add depth to their expanding school." — Marisa Confait (2017)
"Once again I would like to take the time to thank you for organizing the fair and offering your guidance. I have already signed my contract and just deactivated my account. I hope this will be an exciting experience for me professionally and a good choice for my family. It looks very promising!" — Emilija Simonovska Stojanovski (2017)
"I'd like to thank you for all the work you do in setting up these fair opportunities for us all. I'm glad I decided to come to the fair this weekend. It was fairly laid back and very positive. It was run efficiently and everyone I was in contact with was very professional, from associates to recruiters to candidates. I will surely recommend Search to other teachers and use you all if I'm job hunting again in the future. The hope is that it won't be for a long time! May Thanks." — Nick Staffa (2017)
Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area: Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area (including HK, Macao, Shenzhen and Zhuhai) is a booming and highly innovative region, now with 30-min high-speed fast-boat, highway, commuter-train connections between them. People commute daily to go to school or work, i.e. they may live in Shenzhen and commute to go to Hong Kong for school/work and vice versa. Take a look at the 55 km bridge connecting these cities here: Hong Kong - Zhuhai - Macao Bridge (hzmb.gov.hk) - " longest bridge-cum-tunnel sea crossing in the world". From what many of my candidates tell me, it is the place to be for many young people with lots of offer.
China – New Developments: China has offered visa-free travel to many countries and has also joined the Apostille Convention so that the long process of legalizing documents for visas is now a thing of the past. In addition, the tax benefits for foreign employees have been extended to 2027. Please see:
China – Air Quality: On a different front, the country has been steadfastly committed to reducing pollution over the last ten years, with visible and significant improvements on air quality. See this report by CNN: Chinese people are living two years longer thanks to 'war on pollution,' report says | CNN
China – Schools: The schools in China have also matured and the landscape more settled, with schools not able to cope with the shocks in recent years merging or disappearing, so the schools that are recruiting at the Hong Kong Fair are of more stable and higher quality than what we had seen before the pandemic. Many of the school leaders have been in China for over ten years, so if you have further questions, feel free to ask them directly.
