Improve Your Career By Teaching Abroad

Do you wish to advance your career? Think about teaching abroad. Based on a study conducted on international teaching, 89% of the respondents say that teaching abroad does have a positive effect on one’s career. The study was conducted among past and present international teachers where 100% experienced personal development due to the experience. Another 66% were able to study a new language. Twenty percent were able to fluently speak the foreign language.

The international recruitment organisation Teachers International Consultancy (TIC) conducted the study among teachers of nine different nationalities with the support of the Overseas School of Colombo in Sri Lanka, the Bath University summer school, and Fieldwork Education summer school.

What did the international schools have to present that these teachers found it to their liking to teach in international schools? The level of international awareness was first and foremost closely followed by the children’s conduct and the school’s curriculum. Past experiences have been successful and have tempted many teachers to extend their overseas teaching stint as shown by teachers (approximately 57%) working for 5 or more years in the international school system. Among the respondents, 71% would teach when they go back to their homeland and one-third would return to their homelands within the next 5 years. That’s good news for schools the world over: International schools are seeing an increase in the number of teachers extending their contracts, and homeland schools are benefiting from the experiences of teaching in the international school system when their teachers return. And this is not simply because they have improved language skills. 68% of the teachers surveyed said their experience of teaching jobs overseas and teaching jobs in europe has considerably enhanced their overall teaching skills.

So what makes an excellent international teacher? The most important trait was flexibility, with being a good communicator and having an international point-of-view were two other valued qualities, well ahead of having a high quality education and knowledge of a foreign language. Ever wondered why they chose teaching jobs abroad in the first place? Adventure and excitement were the answers provided by 79% of the respondents while opportunity to travel was the answer given by 67% of the respondents.

But what about locating those jobs? In retrospect, many of the teachers studied said they would not use job fairs or independently look for an international job in the future; the majority preferring to work with a specialist organisation or consultant who could advise them on the most reputable, accredited schools to consider, could direct them through the interview process, and who could support them with issues such as contracts and visas.

According to Andrew Wigford (Director of Teachers International Consultancy), he can personally attest to many of these comments. My wife Angie and I have worked for 16 years in international schools. Our skill base, curriculum knowledge, and all-around teaching ability significantly increased during our time abroad. It was also a massive step in our personal development giving us a bigger sense of adventure, complete confidence in travelling anywhere and a much wider perspective of the world. These are the same characteristics developed in almost every teacher that have undergone the international school experience.”