Sandra Perdomo and partner Jeremy George met as international educators while working overseas. Although they worked together in the same school for five years, they didn't become a couple until 2014, their last year in Phnom Pehn. But Sandra said "the stars aligned," and they eventually decided to attend the [Search Associates] Bangkok Job Fair together, to begin their lives as a teaching couple.
Twelve years ago, after eight years of teaching, something compelled Sandra Perdomo, who was born, raised, and educated in Colombia, to jump at the opportunity to teach Modern Languages for three years (abroad) in the U.S. This experience opened her eyes to the joys of multicultural education, and she decided to continue her career as a teacher in international schools. She has since taught in Istanbul, Turkey and Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Jeremy George began collaborating with Search Associates 20 years ago! While teaching in the U.K. for three years, Jeremy's interest in international education was further ignited by a colleague who had worked in Saudi Arabia. Jeremy's love for Latin cultures compelled him to land positions in Mexico and Colombia before finding overseas positions in Russia, Cambodia, and the United Arab Emirates. Now, Sandra and Jeremy are teaching at the International School of Tanganyika (IST).
Since Jeremy's first Search Associates job fair in 1998, he has attended four more of our fairs, and Sandra has been to three. They counted onHarry and Margaret Deelman for good advice. Jeremy explained,
"Through working with one recruitment associate over many years, a relationship is created that works well for both parties… Search is the best recruitment agency to work with if you are going to consider a career in IB teaching… Their fairs are where the best candidates are sought and pick up positions. [Sandra and I] are both big fans of Search Associates and will come back to use them when the time comes to move on once again."
Use of searchassociates.com was very helpful in the job search process. Sandra relayed,
"It was easy to navigate the job search once we indicated our desired positions. Finding main details of the workplace was useful too and helped us filter information. … We browsed the website often as the job fair was approaching."
Various features of the school compelled Jeremy and Sandra to accept their current position at IST: the school's esteemed reputation, the excitement of working in Africa for the first time, and the school's benefits package. They also favored the student-to-teacher ratio and the number of nationalities represented in the school community. Sandra explains,
"Other places outside of the U.S. have a wide range of nationalities represented, both in the students and teaching staff. That diversity leads us to learn about the world and share, in a more natural way, global citizenship."
Becoming an international teacher is a great way to embrace new cultures while honoring [your] career. Sandra and Jeremy believe there is nothing more rewarding than experiencing a close perspective of the world. They encourage teachers to try the overseas experience:
"International teachers love the lifestyle of living in fascinating cultures, working in vibrant school communities, and teaching kids who are excited to learn."
