She’s been teaching—and loving it—for 12 years, but recently Lisa Jackson landed her ideal job in Hong Kong, one of her favorite places. And Search Associates made it easy! She explains,
“It’s a new position that The American International School of Hong Kong has created, called Performance, and it’s the perfect fit for my talents and experience. I have been to Hong Kong before and absolutely loved it, so going to live this is literally a dream come true. I knew it was the right job for me when I Skyped with different heads, and they were all so very nice and professional. All my subsequent contact with them has done nothing but reinforce how happy I am with my decision.”
Lisa has taught in the States and in both British and U.S. schools in the Virgin Islands, Lithuania, and Russia. However, she came to the profession later than most. After earning an undergraduate degree in Marketing and working for many years in the business sector, Lisa, on the edge of 30, was restless and ready for a change. Conversations with her mom and best friend, both teachers, inspired her to save and return to school for certification, in two subject areas, English and history. She says,
“I’ve taught for over twelve years now, and though I’ve quit a few times to go back to the business arena, I seem to always gravitate towards teaching. I decided to teach as I love learning and wanted to see if that would translate into a career. I love helping kids to feel confident about who they are, and I really love that I never get bored! There’s always something to do.”
Lisa wanted to travel and learn about cultures. She even attended pastry school in Paris, where she remained for several years. Teaching overseas has allowed her to marry her “love of teaching with living overseas.” She adds that teaching abroad is simply better, with smaller class sizes, less emphasis on testing, and very good pay.
Lisa began her job search late in the recruiting season and too late to attend a job fair. She had been on the fence about staying in her current position, but her colleagues urged her to register with Search Associates. By the end of April, Lisa contacted an Associate whom a friend had highly recommended, President Jessica Magagna. Lisa says, “Jessica answered every question that I had quickly, thoroughly, and with enthusiastic support.” It was early May when Lisa began logging in to searchassociates.com every day. She loved the dashboard feature, which kept a running list of schools that she had emailed so she had a record of her job search. Lisa recounts,
“By the 19th of May, I had three solid job offers. I took a job in Hong Kong with a fabulous school and a great package. What helped the most are two things. First, I could tailor my job search in terms of location and prioritize my preferences. The second thing that made the search so easy was that I got emails daily for jobs that matched my preferences and just had to click on the link to send an email directly to that school. It was the easiest and most organized job search that I’ve ever had! And, the most successful, I may add!”
Lisa, who had also registered with a cheaper company, quickly admits that she never got the attention or results that she found using Search Associates. Her advice for educators interested in pursuing jobs in international schools:
“Go for it! Don’t stress about paying the fee for Search as it’s totally worth it! Just go for it! It’s far easier and much more rewarding than you can imagine."
