{"id":990,"date":"2012-01-08T18:13:30","date_gmt":"2012-01-08T18:13:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.teacherhorizons.com\/advice\/?p=26"},"modified":"2023-05-31T09:23:54","modified_gmt":"2023-05-31T08:23:54","slug":"what-do-i-look-for-when-i-am-hiring-a-teacher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.teacherhorizons.com\/advice\/what-do-i-look-for-when-i-am-hiring-a-teacher","title":{"rendered":"What do I look for when I am hiring a teacher?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The answer to this question isn\u2019t rocket science!\u00a0 I have been a Head in both the UK and in the international schools sector, and have been recruiting staff for over thirty years. \u00a0When you make an international school job application, the recruiter will have the following questions in mind:<\/h4>\n

1 How does the candidate\u2019s experience (in particular the most recent experience in their present position) match with the job for which they are applying?<\/h5>\n

What I always look at in a CV is the previous experience education background and what they are like as a person. This helps me assess whether a candidate will be up to the job, committed and conscientious. It is also important that they fit within the ethos of the school as relationships with colleagues are often more important when living abroad.<\/p>\n

2 What are the candidate\u2019s achievements in their career thus far?<\/h5>\n

It is essential that you can demonstrate that that you have the required experience. \u00a0I read their CV or profile page to assess their previous achievements, roles, type of school and how long they worked in each school.<\/p>\n

3 What is the pattern of the candidate\u2019s career thus far?<\/h5>\n

It\u2019s great if a candidate has had a wide range of both person and professional experience. If they have worked in another sector, or range of types of schools I see that as a positive so long as they are trained and have necessary experience for the role. Management experience is equally attractive.<\/p>\n

4 How does the candidate\u2019s philosophy match with the school\u2019s mission and modus operandi?<\/h5>\n

\"InternationalI always read personal statements carefully as they help me get a real sense of a teacher and how they would fit in. Everyone\u2019s ideas and educational philosophies are different and I believe it\u2019s important to have a wide range of ideas and beliefs in a school so long as they don\u2019t contradict our school\u2019s mission statement and way of operating. I always recommend teachers read our mission and sometimes ask them about it in interview.<\/p>\n

5 How do the candidate\u2019s personal qualities, interests and achievements suit the style of the school?<\/h5>\n

I love teachers who are passionate about something \u2013 be it travel, football, chess or making movies so I always read the \u2018personal interests\u2019 part of a CV or profile page. I am not a micro-manager so I look for self-motivated teachers who will take on projects of their own whether it be setting up a photography club or taking a group of pupils on a trip to Uganda. For these reasons I believe personal interests are equally important to professional qualifications.<\/p>\n

6 How does the candidate \u2018connect\u2019 with the recruiter?<\/h5>\n

There\u2019s the old saying that Heads hire teachers like themselves. Although this is often true, I have always strived to avoid this. Key to a successful staff team is a having a wide range of personalities as this ensures our pupils benefit from a range of teaching methods and styles.<\/p>\n