By Kelly Blackwell
Teaching couples are very popular with international school recruiters for many reasons but the main one is that couples can often work out cheaper to hire in the long run. This article however, is all about teaching jobs overseas from the viewpoint of the teaching couples, rather than the schools.
Whether you are married or not you can look for jobs as a teaching couple, most schools do not discriminate against couples who do not have a marriage certificate. An obvious exception is schools in the Middle East. It is very difficult for non-married couples to land jobs in international schools in the Middle East, where governments’ regulations stipulate that couples seeking working visas produce a marriage certificate.
You may be able to find a way around this problem but it is unlikely that international school recruiters recruiting for schools in the Middle East are going to find non-married teaching couples an attractive employment prospect when compared to married ones. If you are in this situation, your best bet is to concentrate your job hunt on other regions in the world.
When looking for a teaching job abroad as a couple, there are several options open to you:
You can look for suitable teaching vacancies in international schools that will suit both you and your partner’s teaching skills. This will involve finding schools that have vacancies for both of you, a task that is easier at the beginning of the recruiting season because schools have yet to fill their vacancies. Generally speaking December through to March is the best time for teaching couples to look for overseas teaching positions together in the same school. Teaching couples are hot employment prospects at this time because hiring a teaching couple has an impact on the benefits schools have to pay.
Alternatively, you and your partner can look for teaching vacancies in international schools in the same cities. A number of teaching couples are lucky enough to find teaching jobs abroad in different schools in the same city. If you have not taught in the same school as your partner or spouse before, you may find this a better option for you.
The most efficient method to find teaching jobs in different international schools in the same city is to attend an international teaching job fair. At an international teaching job fair you will find many school s from around the globe in the one location, all looking for teachers to fill their vacancies. Often you will find a number of recruiters from the same city at a job fair and it is possible to schedule interviews with each of them individually.
At most job fairs you will also be able to see international school recruiters give presentations about their school and the working in the community. This can help you make an informed decision about whether a school, city or country will be a good fit for you and your family.
In a nutshell, teaching jobs overseas for couples are available and many international school recruiters actively look for teaching couples when they are recruiting. However, one of the first decisions you must make is whether you wish to teach in the same school as your spouse or partner and then hunt for teaching positions that suit your needs.
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Thanks for some pretty good ideas, and I thought it would be more difficult to get a job as a couple.
Have a nice day!
Another bonus for employers when hiring couples, especially for less sought after destinations, is that the chance of a couple leaving mid-contract is somewhat lower. As they have each other for support, they tend to be less apt to flee.
The worst case scenario in a less sought after destination is having a partner who isn’t working. This almost always ends up in problems.
As much as it is attractive for employers to recruit teaching couples, it will be a different story for the latter if they have children.
That aside, teaching couples have a number of strengths being together in the same profession.
Myself and partner are looking for a teaching position abrad. I have a degree but my partner has not. We both are completing our TEFL 140 hours. Could you advise if there are opportunities for both of us to fulfill our dream of travelling and working.
It will probably be more difficult without a degree but some kind of work is always possible.
Freelancing may be a viable option:
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