Basics

This guide is designed to provide teachers and administrators seeking employment in private schools with a road map for the job search process. It is written for teachers, admissions and business office professionals, and those seeking positions as dean of students and head of school. You will find plenty of practical advice about applying, networking, using job boards, and much more.

Apply Correctly:

• Following a Traditional Format
• Making It Easy to Read
• Matching Your Qualifications
• Making It Accurate and Truthful
• Making Your Application Impressive
• Writing a Perfect Cover Letter

Manage your Job Search Process:

• 5 Most Important Soft Skills to Have on Your Resume
• Building Your Network
• Being Active Professionally
• Conducting a Job Search Via Social Media
• Conducting a Job Search Via the Web
• Preparing Professional References

Manage Job Interviews:

• Presenting Yourself Successfully
• Handling Various Interview Scenarios
• Answering the Expected Questions
• Answering the Unexpected Questions
• Asking Good Questions
• Illegal Questions

Protect Your Attitude & Morale:

• Do You Need a Rebranding?
• Marketing Yourself in Tough Times
• Your Credentials Need Realigning
• You Were Terminated
• You Are Currently Unemployed
• Your Job Search is Taking Forever

Working with Agencies and Recruiters:

• The Truth About Search Firms
• How to Work with Agencies & Recruiters

Questions? Contact us on Facebook. @privateschoolreview

#teachingjobs #privateschooljobs

This article has been updated to reflect 2026 data and recent developments.

If you are graduating this year, you probably have a game plan for finding a job in place. Naturally I wish you good luck with that and sincerely hope it works out. On the other hand should things not pan out the way you planned, why not consider teaching? We need teachers. We need talented teachers. In both public and private sectors. At home and abroad. I have several articles on finding, applying for, and interviewing for private school jobs. So for the purposes of this article, we are going to look at teaching overseas.

Overseas?

Yes, there are plenty of teaching jobs overseas. Hundreds of private schools in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean are always looking for qualified teachers. Of course, you probably have already seen dozens of emails from ESL schools in Taiwan. Are those jobs real? Yes, they most certainly are. But caveat emptor. Do your research carefully. There are some lemons in the bunch. Besides, teaching English as a Second Language isn't all you are capable of doing, is it? Laura Light, Director of Educational Staffing for International Schools Services, explains what it is like to work in an overseas school.

We are not talking about only ESL teaching jobs. How about teaching in a country like Argentina? For example, let's say you are a Spanish-speaking graduate

Finding a job in a private school is a process that takes many months, sometimes much longer, to accomplish. The following timeline assumes that you will be flexible and open-minded. Finding your dream job is not always possible. It is much more realistic to try to find a position that has most of what you are looking for now as well as the potential to turn into that dream job you are seeking.

Winter

• Make arrangements to meet employers and be interviewed at the NAIS Annual Conference which takes place in February/March. Check the NAIS site for time and venue.
• Review openings listed on Klingenstein Job Bank.
• Review openings posted on various state, regional, and national association websites.
• Attend interviews.
• Negotiate job offers.
• Request official copies of your transcripts, certifications, and degrees.
• Notify your network as soon as you accept a job.
• Send handwritten thank-you notes.

This video explains how to get your college transcript.

Without a doubt, the advantage which job seekers in the 21st century have over previous generations is being able to do it online. You can learn about any job opening the minute it is posted online. The same applies to niche employment such as teaching and administrative positions in private schools. At the very least, most schools will have an employment link on their sites. There may not be many listings depending on the time of the year. However, bookmark the employment links

If you have three or more of the following skills or credentials, you will position yourself for greater success in the private school employment market. While there is a shortage of qualified teachers, it is still a highly competitive arena in the private school world. Consequently, your chances at finding your dream job will improve if you can offer one or more of the following:

1. Speak and teach a second language.

Teachers who speak French, Spanish and Mandarin are much in demand in any school. Add a degree and certifications in those subjects to your credentials, and you will be a 'hot' property! Unlike public schools where language skills are necessary just to deal with a non-English speaking population, private schools offer academic courses in French, Spanish, and Mandarin language and literature. Many of these courses lead to AP level examinations. You will have the opportunity to use that honors degree work in foreign languages to your advantage.

2. Hold specialist certifications.

An ESL certificate or a reading specialist certificate will virtually guarantee you employment for life at many schools. Schools that enroll non-English speaking students frequently require those students to master English at a very high level to complete their academic coursework with good grades. An ESL-certified teacher is an integral part of the teaching strategy and an important element in a diverse community. A reading specialist can effectively remediate reading and comprehension skills, allowing language arts teachers to focus on coursework.

3. Be an AP

. . .read more

As you Google "teaching abroad," dozens of sites offering ESL (English As A Second Language) jobs in Asia and the Middle East will show up in the search results. Those teaching jobs are not the focus of this article. I am writing about jobs in private K-12 schools. Hundreds of private schools, and for that matter, public schools, outside the United States will be happy to have you as a teacher for a few years. It's a great opportunity for teachers of any age who want to experience the world. And, because they need trained teachers, the local authorities will take care of all the immigration matters for you as part of the contract.

Where to look for teaching positions

In the United Kingdom, you will find teaching positions listed in:

• Boarding Schools Association
• eTeach
• The Guardian
• Teachaway
• The Times Educational Supplement

In Europe, you will find teaching positions listed at:

• The Council of International Schools
• JoyJobs.com
• TIC Recruitment
• U.S. Department of State

So, what's it really like teaching abroad?

1. You won't get rich.

   Of course, you knew that anyway. If you were looking for money, you would have chosen another career. Be prepared for the reality that teachers don't make a lot of money overseas. Depending on the job location, you may get housing included. Most likely you will have to find housing yourself. You definitely will