The 2019 Search Associates (SEARCH) Bangkok–January Fair, organized by Associates Nick Kendell and Harry Deelman, provided the perfect meeting platform for candidates and school representatives. The fair drew over 560 candidates and 330 recruiters from 138 schools, making it one of the largest in recent history.
Search Bangkok is known for its great number of worldwide top-tier schools. While, in years past, many recruiters desired candidates with an American (U.S.) background, these days, many international schools are keen to appoint strong teachers from different countries. Recruiters complimented the selection of candidates, citing the quality and experience of fair attendees. One said,
“The Bangkok Fair consistently draws a great crop of candidates from a diverse set of backgrounds. We always rely on this fair to fill several vacancies, and once again, it has delivered."
Joining Nick and Harry and their SEARCH partners were several Senior Associates; John and Susan Ritter, Bill and Alison Turner and Bob Imholt were happy to share with eager candidates their expertise and invaluable information about international education. In addition, a team of experienced executive assistants from the SEARCH Australia office joined Keith Ord from the Chiang Mai office along with a superb team of young IT helpers to ensure ample support for all participants. Candidate Derek Cour, beneficiary of this team effort, shared his good fortune:
"I was in a good spot, with three offers, and advice from both Nick and Harry were really invaluable in making the final decision—good level heads and impartial, practical information."
This was the first Search Bangkok Fair held at the luxurious Marriott Marquis Queens Park Hotel, and it proved to be a remarkable choice. The Marriott Marquis not only has ample space for the needs of this 1,000-particpant event, but it also has a very willing and efficient hotel staff— seemingly always at hand—cool locations for the recruiter socials around the two main swimming pools of the hotel, and outstanding food. Many attendees praised the hotel staff as well as the functionality and location of this downtown venue. Nick added,
“The transition between hotels has been incredibly smooth. The business facilities of the Marquis are unparalleled, and the success of the fair has reflected this.”
Ultimately, the fair was an enormous success, with a placement rate of over 50%. Although the atmosphere of such a large fair can be overwhelming at times, the value of a face-to-face recruitment event at this scale cannot be overlooked. Satisfied candidate Matt Knechtel declared he’d be back “in 2–10 years for the next job fair,” and Jonathan and Savannah Binschus said,
"It was a competitive and stressful fair, but we are excited to move on to new positions at a school we are absolutely in love with. Thank you to my Associate Harry Deelman for helping my husband and [me] make the decision of what school to go to through this job fair!"
For more about our 13 unique job fairs around the world, click here.
