Qatar Foundations Interview...

So today is Sunday, January 31st, and the day that was designated for my Skype Interview with Qatar Foundations.  It seem as though every time I have an interview lined up, things do not go as planned.  This time I received an email from Mia letting me know that Qatar Foundations wanted to postpone all interviews.  She also let me know that they will personally reach out to candidates that are on the Skype list to set up individual interviews depending on their vacancies.  So in the meantime I'm going to continue searching for positions.

International School Services is another recruiting agency that I've joined.  Unlike, Teach Away there is a fee to join, I bit the bullet and paid the fee.  I figured between Teach Away and ISS, I will find a position for the 2016 - 2017 school year.  My desire is to work at an international school and all of the schools listed on ISS are such schools.  One school reached out to me letting me know I was shortlisted for an elementary position.  The position was later filled but they asked if I would be interested in teaching kindergarten.  I told them yes, now I'm just waiting to find out if I'm a shortlisted candidate.  I'm going to continue my search and reach out to schools directly.  I'll keep you all posted.

Until next time...

Plan B???

If you're keeping up with my blog, you know I hit a bump in the road with my journey to UAE.  I was all set to attend an in-person interview in NYC on this coming Sunday (January 24th).  Unfortunately, the school went ahead in filled the position I was up for.  I have an awesome recruiter by the name of Mia and she is working diligently to help secure a teaching position for the 2016-2017 school year.  As you can see from my blog's address, my heart was set on the UAE, I was determined to go to Dubai or Abu Dhabi.  

But what happens if and when those places are unavailable?  Is there a Plan B?  Can I be just as excited about another location, as I am for the UAE?  These are questions I had to ask myself.  I'm learning that on my quest to become an international educator, I have to leave myself open to other options.  When applying for international jobs for the first time, you probably won't get your desired choice.  The goal is to get a position, successfully fulfill it, then move on to the location you desire the most. 

Last night Mia and I spoke about the possibility of teaching in Doha, Qatar.  I actually had my eye on this position a few weeks ago and contemplated applying to it.  Because I already had my interview set up for Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and was set on going to one of the two, I was reluctant to apply to other positions.  I applied for the position and was passed through to the next phase.  I have a Skype interview scheduled for Sunday, January 31st.  The position is for two years and the salary and benefits package is one of the best packages offered through Teach Away.  Although my heart was set on Dubai, I'm actually excited about the prospect of living and teaching in Doha.  It's about an hour flight away from Dubai, so I can still visit.  I pray that all goes well with the interview.  In the meantime, I'm going to continue my research of Qatar and the selected schools.  I'm not sure if I mentioned that I signed up with International School Services, but I've also applied for numerous positions through this agency as well.   

Until Next time...

Update

I received an update from my Placement Coordinator, Mia.  She informed me of the openings with ESOL in Dubai and Abu Dhabi as well as openings in Qatar, and encouraged me to apply.  Moving forward, I'm only required to complete a 5-10 minute call for any new positions.  I immediately applied for those positions and minutes later I received confirmation for a follow-up next Tuesday.  I hope to share some good new with you all soon!

Until next time! 

Bump in the Road

Monday, January 11th, I received an urgent email from Mia, my Placement Coordinator from Teach Away.  When I read the words URGENT in the subject, my heart begin racing.  What could possibly be in this email?  Initially, I thought my interview was being rescheduled for a later date.  But, as I read a little further my heart began to sink and tears begin to fill my eyes.  Basically, the email stated that the position I was invited to interview for, has been filled.  I immediately wanted to cry, but the tears would not fall.  I begin to think positive thoughts and tell myself, maybe GOD is setting me up for something even greater!  I had to remind myself of all of the conversations I've had with GOD, and that he knows my desires.  Not too long ago, I made a post saying, "What God has for me, it is for me".  That position was not for me, and I'm going to trust that HE will lead me where he wants me to go.

Mia called me about five minutes later and apologized profusely. I told Mia, although I was a little upset, I'm thinking positively and believe something greater will come along.  She began to inform me of other partnerships through Teach Away.  Mia informed me of ESOL schools in Abu Dhabi, Dubai & Egypt, as well as private schools in Qatar.  She assured me that I should hear something by the end of the week about those positions.  Some of those positions have interviews coming up soon, either in-person or Skype.  In the meantime, I'm going to continue to have positive thoughts and pray.

Until next time...

Passport Update

So I arrived home from work to a package via Priority Mail.  I had no idea what it was, I hadn't ordered anything and wasn't expecting anything.  I was surprised to see that my passport had arrived so soon!  I wasn't expecting it to arrive until the end of the month, it only took two weeks to process and deliver.  This is my first passport and hopefully not my last.  I can't wait to get my first stamp!