Taking the jump: Working Internationally!

A common question I get asked, especially from people back at home, is "How did you get into working internationally?". People are extremely curious about how I managed to start working abroad and have a ton of different questions regarding my pathway to working internationally. I thought I would elaborate and explain a bit to satisfy general curiosity, but also, to hopefully inspire you to take the leap across the Atlantic or Pacific!

First things first. Oddly enough, I am not the first one of my friends who has ventured overseas to start working in education. Ole Jacqui Vivalo hauled her cookies down to South America, Paraguay to be specific, for about 3 years. She loved it, and I should have absolutely gone to visit her. However, I was an idiot 25 year old at the time, obsessed with Federal Hill and not missing out on a single night in Lovers Lane at Ryleighs. Man, what a dumbass. If I knew what I know now, I would have been on a plane so fast down to Parguway, and moreover, I would have started working abroad WAY earlier. But, man did I have some good times in Fed thrill.

---

Anyway, 5 years ago Brian and I were getting a bit restless in Baltimore. We were tired of the norm, and wanted to do some more significant traveling. We had booked some international travel (Iceland to be exact), and were really feeling a thirst for stepping outside the US. I started investigating opportunities to work in education in other countries. All you have to do is simply google "International teaching positions", and a laundry list of international job placement companies appear. ISS and Search Associates are typically what you see first on your search results. These two headhunting firms are your big players in the International Education world and work with the largest amount of reputable schools. However, there are other great companies as well: Carney Sandoe, Sprole, teach away and a few more. I ended up joining Search Associates, and actually did so without contacting Jacqui first. Oddly enough, we were assigned the same head hunter to help us find a job. I can't speak to ISS, but my Search Associates contact really helped guide the process for me. You basically fill out a huge online application, put down reference information, and start indicating where and what you are looking for in future position. You can even preference different areas. Once your account is active, you can apply for jobs that are posted, or be contacted by schools. Additionally, you have the opportunity to attend career fairs. The big firms, like Search Associates, host multiple fairs all over the world at different times in the year. You basically pick the closest fair to your current location and make it happen. Career fairs are where schools (specifically Heads of School and Principals) from all over the world come with posted available jobs and interview hundreds of candidates. Schools are set up in a HUGE conference room of a hotel, and you literally just walk around and talk to any and all places that have a position open that fits you. This brings me to the first of 5 important tips that I shall so generously impart on you.

TIP NUMBER 1: BE OPEN MINDED. Don't just click Europe when you're setting up your profile. Don't just gravitate towards Italy at the job fairs. We get it you want to be strolling along cobblestone streets, croissant in hand soaking up the amazing scenery and culture. You, EVERYONE AND THEIR MOTHER wants to go to Europe. Get in line. But seriously, Europe is uber competitive because so many people want to work there. You will do yourself a HUGE disservice if you pigeon-hole yourself into one area. Unless there is some legitimate reason why you can't go to Asia or Africa, keep an open mind.

Pic from our travels around Budapest

Additionally, what you don't realize when your a newb to overseas education, is that the best offers do not come from Europe. They come from Asia, South America, and Africa. European schools do not typically pay for housing, annual flight allowances and insurance. Now that being said, Europe has PLENTY of pros. Regardless, just be open minded about different countries. I honestly didn't even know exactly where Abu Dhabi was when I took my first interview. All I knew was that it was located somewhere in the Middle East, and that this was the location of Sex and The City 2. Side note: they did not film in AD, they filmed in Morocco, I believe.

My point is take all interview opportunities, which brings me to TIP NUMBER 2. DO YOUR RESEARCH, THOROUGHLY. Research schools, research locations and give everything an honest shot unless you have a solid reason not to go to a specific country. Places aren't always as the appear in the news, and you simply can't comment on a nation and it's people until you experience it for yourself. Before we moved to AD I did massive amounts of research, and before I took the job I was reaching out to any an all connections in AD to hear from people who actually lived there. If I went based on what my family and friends' opinion, I'd still be back in Baltimore. I researched blogs, I went on ex pat forums, I did it all!

So, once you make a commitment to a school to work abroad, it get's "REAL" .....real fast. The documents necessary to work abroad are not trivial and it takes a lot of "doing". You'll need most documents notarized, certified and attested at the state and federal level. It's time consuming, and can be expensive. Different schools will cover the cost of these fees. My current school did not reimburse me for my expenses, but my new school in Brazil will. I think the most difficult hurdle for me was trying to take the time off work to physically go to the legal buildings to get the stamps and signatures that I needed. Eventually, when it came to the federal level that requires two separate trips to DC, I threw my hands up and hired a courier service. Mind you, I was doing this all WHILE PLANNING A DAMN WEDDING.

TIP NUMBER 3: It's worth it to use the courier service. You are going to pay more, but it's absolutely worth your sanity.

After you get your documents attested, you can really start having some fun thinking about what to bring/pack for your new country. The big question comes up: To ship or to pay extra baggage? I will tell you, it entirely depends on the country and how far away the country is from the US. It made more sense for us to pay the extra baggage fee for Etihad flying to AD than it did to ship several boxes. Additionally, I knew through research that I could get basically everything in AD that I needed to set up shop. We REALLY wanted to ship our stuff from AD to Brazil, and had planned to do so, but we found out that it takes FOREVER to get your stuff through customs. So, we are packing everything up and are going to pay the extra baggage fees...again. Hopefully, we get a solid ariline that allows us to bring 2 23 kg backs on for FREE, and then any subsequent bags for a price. When you frequently travel internationally, you know the dilemma of checked bags as airlines can be complete Nazis about the number of checked baggage you get AND the weight. Luggage scales are my best friends. I have three.

This brings me to TIP NUMBER 4. Think very carefully about what you want to bring with you. Let me tell you, I brought a bunch of shit that I didn't use. Truly. I got these lovely silver napkin holder rings from Pottery Barn with the letter "D" engraved. Brought them. Did I use them? NO. I brought this lovely silver tray, again with an engraving of D, and could I have done without it? YUP. By the way, monograming is totally a US thing. I think, really, a Southern things. People who live outside the US don't get it, and I actually kind of respect it.

Before you know it, you're walking down the jetway with tears in your eyes as bomb dogs sniff everyone and everything around you. Well, at least that happened to me. Seriously, before you know it - you'll be in your new home, and this brings me to my FIFTH and FINAL TIP. Just typing that makes me think of the Dave Chappalle skit. THERE....THERE ARE.....THERE ARE SO MANY AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION, I CAN ONLY CHOOSE ONE. ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIIFTTHHHH. Check it out for a good belly laugh.

Anyway, the FIFFTHHHHH TIP. Welcome your new home, new city and new people with arms wide open. I can't tell you how many times I've heard the statement "Welllll, back in the US, we did...". Wellllll.... WAKE UP SUSAN, YOU DO NOT LIVE IN THE US ANYMORE. Trust me, I begrudgingly admit that I've uttered those words before, but you learn to lose them very quickly. You forget them because, you know what, YOU CHOSE NOT TO LIVE IN THE US. For better or for worse, make the most of your situation. You have to learn to adapt to all new situations and people. I mean, jeez, just look at my situation. You think it was easy? NO. Was it worth it? 10000000000 percent. I've traveled to over 24 countries in four years. I've met people from all walks of life, formed amazing relationships, learned about new cultures and experienced the Holy Month of Ramadan. There are countless other unforgettable experiences, and I'm so genuinely glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone and took a chance. I think the cherry on top was when my mom looked at me while we were driving around Abu Dhabi and said "Katie, I think this is the best decision you've ever made". MIC DROP.