This November 26-27, Senior Associate Bill Turner and partner Alison Turner welcomed recruiters from 30 schools and 76 candidates to the Universal American School (UAS) for the Dubai Fair. With 317 international teaching vacancies posted, Bill reports,
"Candidates had between one and seven interviews. Most had three to four."
Bill and Alison were thrilled to host the event at UAS, a fantastic and well-resourced school. Located in the very green and leafy surrounds of Festival City, Dubai, on the banks of the Dubai Creek, UAS is also only 10 minutes from the airport. Nearby are three fine hotels and a shopping mall, an added attraction.
The Turners ran a smooth event with the help of a local team. Search Associates candidates currently teaching at UAS, Brian Phipps and Janelle Harris—along with her daughter Willoe--lent a hand. Two local education experts provided guidance and advice to both schools and candidates: Maria Vitoratos, an author and expert in Careers and College Guidance; and Louise Dawson, who runs Louise Dawson Education Services, which guides families and schools with all matters related to inclusion and student support.
Search Dubai is a regional job fair that enables large numbers of candidates and schools to travel a relatively short distance to participate. Because the fair is designed to be short, attendees can fit the event into a weekend. Some participants do travel from further afield, such as school recruiters from West and East Africa, Central Asia, and Thailand. Director of People, Strategy and Culture, Manara School, Egypt, Mona Sami, had this to say:
Bill and Alison are very good communicators, who also know the candidates. I appreciate that they brief both the recruiters and the candidates. They are also great hosts. Thank you for a wonderful job fair experience.
A second Dubai Fair at the same venue will take place on Saturday 29 April 2023. This is a great opportunity for schools to find those final fantastic candidates to complete their recruitment, and for candidates still job hunting to meet a variety of employers from across the region in-person.
