This November 23-24, Senior Associate Bill Turner and his partner Alison Turner were delighted to welcome 146 candidates and 79 recruiters representing 39 international schools to Search Dubai November Fair. Candidates and recruiters alike celebrated the chance to meet in person. Recruiter and Head of Shared Services at Altarbyah Alislamyah School, Riyadh, Ms. Sumayyah Almrshed said,
In person fairs are helpful, as we get a glimpse of the candidates’ personalities, what they are looking for, their passion towards the vacancies they might fill, what they would add to our schools, whether or not they represent our values, and how they can be an asset to us, and we may mutually benefit from the recruitment.
Search Dubai November was held at the Universal American School Dubai, just 15 minutes from Dubai International Airport, which offers easy access to the fair venue. Near the school are plenty of hotels with a wide range of price points. Universal American School in Festival City, Dubai, is a wonderful premium school, offering a blended curriculum of International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years and Diploma Programmes, the US Common Core, and Advanced Placement courses. With 86 nationalities amongst its 1,300 students and 27 amongst its staff, it offers a truly international teaching experience to Search Associates candidates.
One of two annual Dubai fairs, Dubai November is particularly useful for candidates seeking positions in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, though schools are welcome from further afield. As it takes place early in the recruiting season, the Dubai November Fair offers a great chance to meet leadership candidates as well as others who have committed early to seek new positions for the following year. This season, 273 international school vacancies were in discussion! Recruiter from Koç School, Istanbul, High School Head of English Mr. James Albert Kellock had this to say:
Meeting this many quality candidates face-to-face is an absolutely lovely way to establish a good relationship with a candidate. Doing interviews virtually with some platforms is okay, but there's nothing that can replace a handshake and a conversation over a cup of coffee.
Hosts Bill and Alison Turner, former school Principals in five schools across the region covering the International Baccalaureate (IB), British, and American curricula, are unsurpassed in their ability to guide participants in finding the perfect match at Search Dubai. Xiaohang Sumner, Senior Associate in the Hong Kong/China region, was also on hand to offer her guidance and expertise to participants. Candidate Sarah Brown said,
I have never attended a jobs fair before, and I’ve been I teaching for 26 years. It was a fascinating experience and really made me think about who I am as an educator and what kind of next international school would suit. Mr and Mrs Turner were first-rate, and from the moment I contacted them, I felt safe and supported throughout the entire process. Thank you so much.
Enriching the event were two exhibitors: Louise Dawson, a regional expert in supporting families, children and schools with issues related to special needs; and Maria Vitoratos, author and career coach, who also gave a presentation to candidates. Candidate Muhammed’s testimony speaks volumes about the value of a job fair:
Don't lose the opportunity to come to a Search Associates Job Fair. It exceeded my expectations as I thought, initially, I would just get a chance to listen to some schools and would be lucky to get even one interview. Not only did I receive extensive one-to-one advice and support and encouragement from my Senior Associate before and during the fair, but I also managed to meet senior management from several schools in the Interview Arrangement Session. This enabled me to get first-stage interviews with five schools, even the CEO of one of the schools. To be able to achieve this [number] of interviews over two days with senior management through the normal application process is virtually impossible, so I advise any candidate who wants to increase their visibility among schools to sign up for a job fair and to not lose this golden opportunity!
The Dubai November Fair will kick off the international job fair season in 2025, and the April fair will close it. These are popular and important events in the international recruitment calendar.
For more information on Search Associates’ annual, distinctive job fairs held around the world—including Dubai April Fair—click here.
