More Testimonials About TORF

Dear Alan Travers, co-organizers, volunteers and future candidates of the Queens International Job Fair,

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to everyone involved for running such a well-organized and successful job fair. I first heard about this fair in 2005 when Alan came to OISE UofT to promote the job fair while I was in Teacher's College. What struck me most about his presentation was that he seemed very well-intentioned, informed and kind hearted. 

That year I hadn't gone to the fair but instead independently attained a teaching job in Shanghai China.  In 2007, my second year in China, I felt ready to move on. I felt ready to try a new country and felt ready to gain more professional growth. As it was Chinese New Year, I had vacation time and I decided to go back home to Canada to attend the job fair in Kingston. Going back to Canada to attend the job fair involved a $1500 plane ticket, two weeks of jet lag, a train ride from Toronto to Kingston and back, 2 nights spent in a Kingston hotel and very high expectations. I was impressed at the quality of the schools and at how organized the fair was as I was expecting these fairs to be a lot crazier. Not to mention, I loved the whole note system (How efficient! New candidates, you will get a kick out of this one). Above all else, I was most impressed at how calm the main office was and what a great support Alan was during moments when candidates needed advice, a shoulder to cry on, or an enthusiastic "Congratulations! You got the job!" He was there for everyone.

A happy ending to this story for me that year does not exist. I didn't get a job that year as I did not find the "right fit". So I left feeling disappointed but inspired at the same time. I met wonderful people of different ages, abilities, and backgrounds; all of whom I instantly shared a deep bond with but whose names I never got to know. Some people questioned why I would travel so far to attend the Queens Fair when there are so many other international job fairs in Asia that I could have attended in more exotic locations. My Answer: I knew that Team Queens Fair knew what they were doing. The Queens Fair seemed right for me, a person that had not attended an international job fair before. I didn't regret for a second that I traveled so far.

My story does not end there. I am not one to give up. So I came back in 2008 for another round. This time I only had to travel from Toronto. I came into the fair with a confident attitude and an open mind. At the same time I knew what I was looking for in a school. New candidates, I would suggest having an open mind to something new; perhaps in a location that you never thought you would ever travel to. Sometimes it is these opportunities that reward us with the most challenging yet thrilling experiences. At the same time, it is important to find the "right fit"; a school in a place that would satisfy you personally, professionally and financially. What are you looking for? What do you hope to gain? Know what you want. Write a list of things that you want and hope to get out of this experience. Trust your gut; you are going to need it this time. Try not to go down that road of "How come I didn't get any blue cards? What if they give the job to someone else? How come everyone else got an offer and I haven't yet? What if...?" Thinking about things that are irrelevant to you and out of your control will not give you peace of mind! Deal with information when you receive it. Give yourself some time, space and solitude to think things over for yourself and make the decision that is best for you.

The outcome of "Sandra Takes on the Queens Fair 2008" proved more fruitful this time around and I am more than happy with the outcome. First, I met an awesome new friend who will hopefully be my travel buddy later on this year and secondly I got a job at the Bonn International School in Germany for a position that I am very excited about. Have a great time at the fair. Be persistent. Know what you want. Aim high. Believe in yourself.

Sandra Pozzobon

 

Dear Mr. Travers,

We are writing to thank you, Jane Chin, and your superb staff for the wonderful experience it was for us to attend the Kingston TORF.

This was our first attempt to secure overseas teaching positions, and we were a little unsure of what a recruiting fair might entail. We found, in our experience in Kingston, not only no cause for concern, but a great deal of pleasure. The opportunities both to meet recruiters and teachers from all corners of the planet, and to receive great satisfaction from many positive interview experiences, leave us gratefully appreciative of the very hard work you and your staff have done.

We are thrilled to let you know that we have signed contracts to teach for the next two years at the Columbus School, Medellin, Colombia, and are looking forward with great anticipation to a new and exciting phase in our teaching careers, and indeed, in our lives!

We wish you all the best in your future recruitment fairs, and thank you again for extending us the invitation to attend the TORF in Kingston, Ontario, February 7-9, 2003.

Sincerely,
M and Z Gallivan

Dear Alan;

After Marlene and I had been teaching in Alberta for thirty years, and our youngest of three children was now in post secondary education, we had decided it was time to pursue our dream to travel. Seeing that we were not of retirement age, we were inspired even more by the presentation that you made at the University of Alberta regarding the Kingston, Ontario job fair. So, after organizing our portfolios, it was off to Queen's.

Upon arrival at Kingston, we were amazed at the organization where everything from shuttling services to the finest details were highly organized. The fair itself was a time of roller-coaster emotions ranging from great anticipation to decision making that would highly influence our future. Two thirds of the way through the fair, we had chosen the offer from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. This was a place we had never heard of and many questions still remained unanswered, but we had signed a contract and made a commitment.

The next few months following the fair again ranged from excitement and anticipation, most of the time, to thoughts of whether we were leaving our comfortable secure jobs, friends, family and life in Canada. These months flew by as we finished our school year in St. Albert, sold our house of twenty-eight years, and packed up our life into two suitcases and four hockey bags. We were headed for Abu Dhabi, a strange desert place only heard of in Garfield cartoons.

On arrival in Abu Dhabi, we were greeted by a huge party of American International School staff and administration. Everyone was so eager to help the twenty or so new recruits, ranging in age from mid-twenty to definitely older than ourselves. We were astonished at how much organization went into this welcome. The next two months went by quickly with more highs than lows, but all along we knew this was the right decision, and international teaching was now in our blood. The small class sizes, amount of preparation time, and friendly students and staff make our work day far less challenging than we had been used to. As we are now nearing the last quarter of our two year contract, we are almost certain that we will be extending our stay, as we enjoy what Abu Dhabi has to offer.

The added bonus, is the opportunity to fulfill our travel dreams. Over the short time overseas, we have had the opportunity to travel to Thailand, Sri Lanka and Holland. Over the next few school breaks, travel plans include Turkey, Greece and other places we could previously only dream about.

Best of all, teaching and life in Abu Dhabi is like being on an extended holiday. The warm weather, date palm trees, fine beaches, glitz and glamour of the malls and hotels makes life enjoyable. During the up-coming Christmas break we are bringing our three adult children to enjoy and explore the United Arab Emirates and Oman. Life in this part of the Middle East is safe, ultra-modern and supportive of the lifestyle we have learned to enjoy.

We would highly recommend teaching in Abu Dhabi, as the past eighteen months have been most memorable.

Sincerely,
Don and Marlene Chetek
American International School in Abu Dhabi

Alan,

This letter will serve to both advise you of teaching positions my husband and I have accepted as a result of the Queen's teachers' fair as well as thank you for the incredible job you and your staff did.

First of all, let me advise you that my husband, Christophe Henry and I have accepted teaching positions at the Anglo-American School in Moscow. We have been hired to teach French as a Second Language (FSL). We had not even considered Moscow when we were going to the fair, but that Ellen Stern had a certain "je ne sais quoi" and we were sold!

Your job fair is incredible! We had heard great things about it from a friend of mine who attended the fair 2 years ago. In times when education seems to be so devalued in our own country (especially here in B.C. with all the budget cuts), it was a wonderful feeling to be made to feel valued and sought after. We met some incredible people over the course of the weekend and felt incredibly supported by your staff.

Thank you again for such an incredible experience. Should you require any further information about the positions we have accepted, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours truly,

Leslie Henry
District French Programs Co-ordinator
School District 48 - Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton

Christophe Henry
British Columbia College of Teachers

Dear Alan,

I'm sorry this has taken me more than two weeks to write. I want to tell you that the weekend I spent at Queens' Recruiting Fair was one of the highlights of a very long career for me. Not only did I get to experience such a wide variety of schools in so many countries, but I got to meet a great many people from many different locations in Ontario, the U.S. and other parts of Canada. And I was made to feel valued for my professional skills. I was impressed with the organization of the event. Considering the magnitude of the undertaking and the frantic pace of the weekend, it went off smoothly and with as little stress on the participants as can be imagined. I didn't know what to expect, but got a great deal more from the weekend than just a job!

And what a job I got. I have accepted a posting at the John F. Kennedy School in Queretaro, Mexico. It was my first choice of location going into the fair and I was fortunate enough to meet the interviewers on Saturday. By that afternoon, I was offered the job! By Sunday morning I had signed the contract. And now I have been in touch with a couple of the teachers there and feel as if I already have some friends awaiting me.

Alan, I want you to know how grateful I am to you and your team for arranging the weekend. I feel privileged to have been able to take part. Many thanks.

A suggestion for future participants. Have a focus! My first choice was Latin America, especially Mexico, but when I got my blue cards and saw Egypt and China in the package, I decided to go to those interviews. Altogether I had 11 interviews. It was too much. I was in overload by the time Saturday evening came. I couldn't get to all the presentations and constantly felt as if I was missing something. I think if I were to do this again, I would limit my interviews to six or seven, thus giving me time to savor the presentations and information coming at me. However, that weekend remains a high point and I doubt that I'll ever forget it. After more than two weeks, my feet are just beginning to touch ground.

Yours truly,
Stephen Bloom

Dear Alan,

Well, here we are, at the part of the rollercoaster ride where things even out and it begins to slow down. The weekend at TORF was the most intense professional development I've been through in my 13 years of teaching. We knew that it would be a rollercoaster ride, it was just so much more intense than we were anticipating: rats, we always seem to be at the end of the lines in the gym; yay, we got an interview; I feel sick, I forgot to eat lunch (and dinner); no one will want us; that interview was amazing, we want to work for her; etc. etc.

We went into things with an open mind; we had read enough letters in the package you put together to know that possibilities we weren't originally entertaining might emerge as our first choice. What we weren't prepared for was for things to go in the other direction: after meeting the director and learning more about the school, one of our top choices became our bottom choice; it just wasn't the place for us. The fair was everything your correspondence had said, it's just that it's so much more intense (I know I keep using that word, it's the one that seems to describe things best) to live it than to read it. I was especially grateful for the computers that were available. Kuwait wasn't an option for us originally, so it was terribly helpful to be able to do some quick research on-line just prior to our interview with them.

And yes, we have signed with the American International School in Kuwait. Don will have a Grade 2 class and I will have Grade 7 English and Social Studies. The most important thing for us was to go to a country and school where education and professional development is valued. The fact that I'll have 16 students in my class is just one of the ways in which they demonstrate this. They'll even give me a living allowance and pay half my tuition to take Masters courses in Spain in the summer! I think we've found the school for us...the 'fit' seems perfect, and we are so looking forward to our new adventure. Thank you (and the entire TORF committee) for making the weekend such a success. Everything went so smoothly, and the people we met were awesome. I'll keep in touch to let you know how things are when we get there. I found the letters board so helpful, I would like to help others in the same way.

Sincerely,
Donna Lesperance

Dear Queen's Job Fair Organizers:

We are writing this letter for two reasons. The first is to thank you for all the hard work you put into organizing the job fair. We were both extremely pleased with the entire process. You were all so helpful and concerned about how we were doing. It was so nice to be stopped by one of the organizers and feel that they were genuinely concerned about our well being. It was a top notch job and you should all be recognized for your continuous contributions to the enhancement of education and professional development.

Our second purpose in writing is in hopes that this letter may be used in your information package that you send to teachers prior to the next job fair. We found that although the letters in our package were helpful there were none that we could associate with. We were unique in that we had two children who would be going overseas with us. We were unsure as to if we would even stand a chance of getting a contract. Our thoughts and experiences follow.

We sent out many resumes prior to the job fair at Queen's in order to introduce ourselves to recruiters who would be at Queen's. We had anticipated a few interviews based on these earlier connections. Arriving at the airport one hour prior to the orientation session had us a bit worried; however, thanks to the smooth process once you arrive at Queen's we met with no problems. We were very excited to find a number of blue cards had been placed into our file by various recruiters...this meant they wanted to interview us. A few we had anticipated because of earlier contact and others caught us off guard. We even had blue cards from schools that indicated they would not accept candidates with dependents...this had us confused. We also received blue cards from schools that did not have jobs that we qualified for advertised. By advertised I mean they were not posted on the walls at Queen's...this also confused us. However we found during the interviews that we had qualifications they were looking for and were considering us as possible candidates anyway. As a general rule though I would not try to sign up for schools that can't accommodate people with children...it will be a waste of time for you and the recruiter. If they're interested in you they will let you know. We went to all the orientation sessions that had been arranged and found them to be extremely helpful. They answered a lot of the questions we had and made us feel more relaxed. During the orientation session we only signed up for one interview as all the other places we were interested in had given us blue cards.

Our interviews began bright and early the next morning. They were nothing to get worked up about. For the most part the recruiters are very friendly people who want to get to know you. There is nothing threatening about the interviews and if you feel uncomfortable during the interview you will know that that isn't a school you want to sign a contract with. We interviewed with schools in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Colombia, Pakistan, and Egypt. In all the interviews we discussed how our children would fit into the International School. Some schools wanted to hire us even though our students would be the only foreign students in the school. In some cases they would be the only English speaking students. We knew that these schools were not for us. We interviewed with two schools that spent just as much time talking about our kids as they did us....this was what we were looking for. We were offered two contracts at Queen's and two more once we returned home. We decided to sign a contract with The International School of Karachi, Pakistan. We could not be happier with our choice. The superintendent shared the same philosophy as we did and we felt very comfortable with him. We ended up spending about 3 1/2 hours talking with him.

We are off to Karachi in July. We were informed prior to the job fair that there was not a competitive nature at Queen's...and although there are always going to be a few highly competitive people for the most part it was very non-threatening. We made friends from all over Canada and are quite excited to hear where they will be going. We also have the unique perspective of also attending [another recruiting fair in the USA]...which is very big business and very competitive. In closing the best advice we can give is be yourself. Your children shouldn't be a burden be proud of them and be prepared to show how they will contribute to the school you are going to. We made up a resume for our 13 year old daughter and took her report cards with us. It was appreciated by the recruiters. Lastly...have fun. We feel this makes it less stressful and you come across better to the recruiters. Good luck and bon voyage.

M and A

Dear Alan,

We are back teaching now and have finally settled down from our tremendous experience at this year's job fair. We would like to extend our thanks to all those who contributed and made this fair a dreaming success. We have only attended one other job fair, but must say that "Queen's" put on a better show. The whole weekend was a success and could not have been organized or conducted any better.

We arrived at the fair with some understanding of the process involved in getting a job overseas. You saw to it that all the candidates would be on an equal playing field before the weekend began. The whole weekend ran smoothly. We were amazed with the helpfulness and friendliness of everyone involved.

Our main goal was to land a job. We tried to leave all our options open, right from the time we arrived. We had imagined finding employment somewhere in South or Latin America, but ended up in the Middle East! Imagine that! We had completely ruled out the Middle East because we were going as an unmarried teaching couple. While strolling around the gymnasium in the last remaining minutes of interview sign up, we saw that two schools would consider unmarried couples. We landed an interview for Sunday morning and shortly after were offered contracts. We took some time to read them over, to talk to other people around the fair, and decided to go for it. Now we can look forward to a two-year journey at the American International School of Cairo.

The whole fair was a success! We had six or seven job offers at the fair, and our telephone is still ringing with more. I would suggest this job fair to anyone who is the least bit interested in teaching overseas.

Congratulations on such a success. All your time and effort is greatly appreciated. We have spread the good news and have many other employees interested. Keep up the good work and thanks again.

Sincerely,

Jason Grandbois & Kelly Fenton

Dear Alan

I have accepted a position with:

The American School of Tampico in Mexico

The position is for: Upper School Principal (Gr.8-10)

In addition, I had an exciting offer to be a coordinator of an eight-room yet-to-be-built Kindergarten school in Shanghai. It's my dream to teach in the far east one day, but at present, the location of Mexico is ideal for me. I have two sons in their twenties and the practicality of returning home for emergencies and also having them visit are realistic issues for me to consider.

Having chaired the provincial OPSTF Professional Development Committee and held positions locally, I've had considerable experience in arranging for professional development conferences and activities. Your team coordinated an outstanding professional development experience for the participants of the Teachers' Overseas Recruiting Fair. The attention to detail (signs, snack bar, notice board, sign-up sheets for restaurants, name tags, packages, Revenue Canada table, etc.) ensured that the weekend progressed extremely smoothly. I left feeling totally enriched by the experience.

If I had not received an "overseas" position as a result of my participation at the T.O.R.F., my intent was to return the following year. I believe I wasted time in lining up for schools that, although they were of interest to me, were not "right" for me at the present time. I would have focused on interviews for Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean.

However, I'm thrilled to be going to Tampico. I spent five days visiting the school and meeting with students, staff and parents. I believe I have a good "handle" on what to expect and I hope to contact the other teachers hired by Terry Factor for ATS and brief them. After 2-3 years in Mexico, I believe I'll be ready for "the other side of the world"...and you may just see me again at the T.O.R.F. lining up for positions in the Far East! I intend to bring approx. 15 one page resumes with a picture on each...so I'll be "memorable".

Thanks for a memorable, enriching and most worthwhile experience.

Sincerely,

Mary Lower

Dear Alan,

Well, here it is about a week since the job fair and I am still on a natural high! This letter is meant to help future participants. I read all the letters in this year's fair package and advise those in the future to do the same. What follows are some of the things that I found to be most helpful during this intense weekend.

Go to all the Friday sessions. Even the 'optional' events were very valuable. I found the administrators to be ordinary folks and this eased my stress level a great deal.

Do not be dismayed if you get no blue cards. I got all the interviews I needed on Friday night.

TALK to lots of participants. We were all in the same boat and I found everyone willing to talk. Talk about anything. Talk about everything. This part was great. We all had name tags, and I never felt like a stranger. In a weekend, I knew more than a dozen people by name. A bunch of us even went out to dinner on Saturday.

DO NOT be afraid to talk to the administrators on a casual basis. They seemed to enjoy personal conversation outside the interview setting. I talked to many who represented schools I was not interviewing, but found them quite fascinating and personable. I learned a lot about many of the schools and countries.

GO TO ALL THE SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS. I went to all my 8 interview schools. The one I eventually signed with in Kuwait was originally number 4 or 5 on my 'hit list'. When I went to their presentation, the director began by giving the school's philosophical statement. I was stunned. He could have been reading from my own statement that I had included in my fair package. Suddenly the words from the Friday session came back, 'Look for a school where you can find a fit'. I knew that school and I were made for each other.

Sure enough, when I got to the interview, the director and I were immediately on the same wavelength. It was one of the most powerful, positive interviews I have ever had (in 34 years of teaching, I've had plenty). All this further confined my desire to teach at this man's school. If he had offered me a job, I would have jumped at it. However, he indicated he would need a few days and another job fair before he could make a final decision. He'd call Wednesday if he was still interested.

The rest of the weekend was a blast, but that job was always coming to mind. I went to the rest of my interviews and continued to be amazed at the ease with which the directors conducted these. They just wanted to find out about me, and my desire and skill to teach for them. Most seemed like a fireside chat with a fellow educator. Many positive interactions. Some even developed into friendly talks about teaching experiences, mine and theirs.

Finally it was Sunday. It was all over. I was exhausted and elated. I didn't have a job yet, but I had several, "We'll call you in the next few days when our plans are firm". Good enough for me.

Monday - one offer at 7:00 am. I had to graciously decline. I have decided to gamble on hearing from Kuwait. Monday - another job offer at lunch. I gamble once more. Tuesday - nothing. Wednesday - nothing - depression - the call should have come today.

Thursday 6:00 am - Kuwait - my job - elation! ! Thursday - lunch - another possibility from a school that wasn't even at the fair!

I guess it all comes down to, go, get involved, talk, enjoy the company of your fellow professionals. From my experience, don't be dismayed. You have established a network and a job offer could come anytime. I'll write you later about my grand adventure in the East.

Collegially,

John Davies

Dear Alan,

We would like to inform you that we have accepted teaching positions with American Foundation School of Monterrey, Mexico for next August. It is a very exciting prospect and we are both very much looking forward to the challenges and opportunities. This will be our second overseas adventure (our first was to Moscow in the former USSR, with our children, in the mid 80's).

We would like to say that the weekend was everything you said it would be...like a roller coaster. During our drive back to Toronto we discussed what we would say when we were phoned to be offered a job. One school in particular interested us (Monterrey) and we had had a particularly good interview. We just knew that we would get "The Call" on Sunday. Needless to say, there was no call on Sunday or Monday or Tuesday. We were very depressed to say the least and it was very difficult facing our teacher friends at work each day. They all wanted how "how it went". But then, when we were at our lowest, we got "The Call"...from Monterrey no less. Today we got two more calls with job offers, which we had to turn down.

If there is any advice that we might pass on to prospective candidates (especially those who have lots of experience like us and feel that any that didn't pick them up was foolish or worse) it is this. Don't give up, even when you see and hear all those young, fresh faces discussing how many blue cards they got or how they have to decide between at least 25 job offers.

Thanks for all of your efforts to make the fair a success.

Klaus & Margaret Schroeder

To the Planning Committee of the Overseas Recruiting Fair,

Wow - What a weekend! It was the most positive professional experience of my 10 years of teaching.

Firstly - my hat's off to you all. From the moment I arrived at Queen's to my departure on Sunday, I was amazed at how well organized this event was. The sessions on Friday were interesting and helpful - even the "cattle call" in the gym was exciting with the other participants.; I must have made a dozen new friends, while standing in line. The food service was a nice touch - I didn't realize how long the night would be.

The information sessions on Saturday were a great opportunity to ask questions and get a feel for the many schools and countries.

The staff responsible for the fair were always there with staplers, directions, information, and an encouraging word or an ear - whatever we needed - thank you, thank you, thank you!

Secondly - the recruiters were approachable, interested, interesting and so relaxed. Those 5 interviews were a pleasure.

I'm thrilled to let you know that I've accepted a position in Caracus, Venezuela. Thank you for making this such a fantastic experience!

Pam Rohn

Dear Alan:

Jeff and I would just like to take this opportunity to thank you and your staff for putting together such a fabulous Recruiting Fair. We were so impressed with the organization, foresight and preparation, which clearly went into the weekend.

Little details like the Message system, the Revenue Canada table and the Blue Card box were much appreciated. Our only suggestion might be to have clearer maps on each floor indicating the room directions. While we are sure that Queen's students eventually adjust to the confusing floor plans during their year there, we found that one weekend afforded us no such opportunity!

We both appreciated reading letters from former Fair-goers before our arrival, so we would like to continue the pattern. A few words of advice on interviews then: be ready for three very different types. The first involves questions about your teaching methodologies, experience and resume (what we are most used to); the second is largely based on questions about your personality, relationship (for couples) and general lifestyle (we were less prepared for this, although you warned us about it Friday night); and the third is basically no questions - the recruiter spends the entire time slot persuading you to come to his/her school! (This was a complete shock to us). So prepare yourself equally for all three!

We gave ourselves a mere 48 hours to decide between the three offers we received over the week-end (two more schools called us within the next three days, but we excluded them from our decision-making); after a great deal of painful vacillation, we finally settled on Monterrey, Mexico. We are extremely excited, but another warning: many (most) of the recruiters are extremely personable, friendly, and persuasive once a face becomes attached to an offer, it becomes that much more difficult to make an informed, objective choice! (It was heartbreaking to turn down Dr. Schober from Medellin, Colombia, for instance).

We hope that most people will have already taken the time to write to the schools in which they are most interested prior to the Fair; it really helps when a recruiter's first impression of you isn't mixed in with his/her opinion of 274 other teachers. If not, however, don't panic; two of our offers were indeed from new schools. You're just more likely to get "interviewed" rather than "recruited", so be prepared to knock them over with your enthusiasm and qualifications!

We know everyone says to relax at the Fair, and enjoy meeting all the great people, but frankly, we didn't believe it... until we were there. Well, not so much the " relax " bit - the weekend was necessarily stressful, exhausting and exhilarating all at once - but the part about meeting great people was certainly true. The quality of teachers and individuals we met was heartening. Some of the people there on-their-own seemed a bit lonely though; perhaps an informal invitation to join up for dinner Saturday night?

We will definitely let you know how Mexico progresses, although we have no doubt it will be fabulous, in great part due to the obvious confidence Dr. Keller expressed in us at the Fair. Thank you again for putting the Fair together! We know many teachers who have expressed an interest in teaching over-seas in the future, and we have been highly recommending your Fair. In fact, we are putting together a workshop for interested teachers in our Board on how to go about getting an overseas teaching placement - needless to say, the role your Fair played will figure heavily in our presentation!

Thank you and we will stay in touch.

Sincerely,

Marney and Jeff Rosen

Dear Alan:

First and foremost, I must thank you for allowing me into the Overseas Recruiting Fair on such short notice. I am especially thankful because I landed what I believe to be, a great job working at Colegio Karl C. Parrish in Barranquilla, Colombia. You might recall that Michael Farr and I used your office the Monday after the Fair to sign on the dotted lines.

Secondly, I am writing to describe my experiences at the Fair. I hope what I have to say will be of help to future Fairgoers. My letter will be long - I can tell you that now. But I think it is important for people to know exactly what to expect at the Fair. I went to the Fair with many questions. Some as complex as "Where and what do I want to teach?", " Am I ready to spend 2 years far away from my family and friends?", and "How financially feasible is this anyway?". Then there were even very simple things I wasn't sure of like: "Is there going to be food at the Fair?" (I knew there weren't any stores nor restaurants within walking distance of Queen's); "Where am I going to hang my coat?... or will I have to lug it to all my interviews and information sessions?"; "Since I don't know how many interviews I'll be setting up, how am I supposed to know many copies of my resume package to make?".

The complex questions of course, should be answered well before the Fair comes around. And so I write this letter to all of you Fairgoers, under the assumption that you are all ready to take the plunge. That is, you have the support of family and friends, you're not leaving behind tens of thousands of dollars in student loans and/or Visa bills, and that you're emotionally intact. Emotional baggage is a lot heavier a load than all the clothes, books and personal things you'll need for two years away. Remember that ghosts can fly. Wherever you go, be it Africa, South America, Asia or Europe, they'll find you eventually and haunt you.

I arrived at Queen's at 4:30 pm on the Friday with 10 copies of my resume package (don't forget the photos of yourself) in hand. In front of the auditorium is a long hall they call Student Street and taped to the walls were large newsprint signs, one for each school that was represented at the Fair. On each one was written the name of the school, its location, the positions available and the requirements for interested teachers. I walked up and down Student Street in awe. This is when it finally hit me that what I was doing was very exciting and very scary. Perhaps me being a high school science teacher added to this because it seemed that the options for science teachers were endless. They need science teachers everywhere! Malaysia, Zaire, Hong Kong, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela... and the list goes on. I started to write down the names of the schools that had positions available for me but it seemed senseless to be writing down so many. I went outside, breathed in the cold air and asked myself, "What do you really want to teach and where?" I didn't want to limit myself, but I needed some kind of focus or else I'd be setting up 20 interviews! My answer to myself was quite simple, "1 want to teach Physics in a Spanish speaking country". Back into the building I went and found exactly what I wanted in a Colombian school. From that point on I was focused. I ranked about 5 other schools below my first choice just in case.

The only problem I found with the lists was that some of the schools were unsure of the positions they would be needing to fill. I don't know how flexible some of you are, but if I'm going to be far away from home and I am unaware of the types of resources they have abroad, I welcome the comfort of knowing exactly what I will be teaching so I can properly prepare. So I steered clear of schools that said either "Positions to be announced" or "Need teachers for all subjects and all grade levels". Who knows if I did the right thing?

At 5:00 the orientation session started. It was very informative -- exactly as expected. Teachers with overseas experience and a few overseas school directors spoke about everything from culture shock and making sure you're ready, to their own personal experiences and what a great opportunity it is. My head was still spinning from the past hour of fast decision-making (1 wish I had had 2 hours to look over the positions available at the different schools.) and listening to these speakers just psyched me up all the more. I was surrounded by hundreds of other educators that were all as crazy and adventurous as me. It really was a good feeling to think that the auditorium was full of enthusiastic risk-takers on a quest for self-growth, cultural awareness or perhaps just a vacation from the "same old thing". There was an aura of something... higher than excitement... I can't explain. You'll see. This is what was so wonderful about the Fair. It was quite tiring and at times very stressful because of the many decisions that you have to make in such a short period of time but there is so much energy in the air, simply because of the type of people that attend the Fair, that you can't help but enjoy as the hours pass.

After the question and answer period at the end of the orientation session, it was 7 pm. I had half an hour to figure out the order in which I would be setting up my interviews. Obviously, the ones I wanted most I chose first because I didn't want to risk those schools not having anymore interview spaces by the time I got there. At 7:00 there were very quick introductions of the people that would be interviewing us followed by a brief question period. The interviewers left to get themselves organized in the gym, Alan went over the interview negotiation procedures and then all 250 or so of us corralled ourselves in the gym and lined up at the schools for which we wanted to set up interviews. I shouldn't make it sound like it was some kind of meat market, it ran very smoothly and it wasn't until late in the night that I noticed some schools had filled up their interview times and were not able to accommodate any more interviews. My point here is, if you are somewhat organized, you should have no problem setting up your first few interviews. As a second point, if you are not interested in a school, you shouldn't set up an interview with a school for interview practice or whatever reason you may have. You may be taking the opportunity away from someone who really wants to teach at that school.

Setting up interviews is very simple. You tell them what position you are interested in, they slot you in and you hand them a copy of your resume package (resume, reference letters, transcripts and a photo). In your registration package that you receive upon arrival at Queen's you will have a schedule for all the information sessions that go on all day Saturday. Make sure that you don't set up your interviews during the info sessions that you wish to attend. Also, some employers may have already seen your resume package and slipped a blue interview card into your registration package. You must tell these employers whether or not you are interested on the Friday night or else they will cancel your interview.

Finally, around 10 pm the gym started to empty, the dust began to settle and I came to the painful realization that I was delirious with hunger. The Outdoor and Experiential Education students at Queen's had been selling muffins, cookies, bagels, coffee, tea and juice all evening (and they continue to sell light food all weekend) but I had been too busy to buy anything. I went to the place I was staying at (relatives) tried to eat, tried to sleep and tried not to worry about the events of the next 2 days. I succeeded at none. My mind raced with "what ifs", "What if they ask me what I know about their country?" So I found myself an atlas and tried to read up on the countries I had applied to. "What if they offer me a contract right then and there?" So I made a list of priorities that night too. "What if I get a run in my stockings?" So I packed an extra pair of control tops.

All the worrying seemed rather silly because I had only set up 4 interviews, one of which had been set up for me before I even got to the Fair. I had 1 interview with Malaysia on Saturday. (No, they don't speak Spanish in Malaysia but they offered OAC Physics and I just couldn't resist... some focus eh?) I also had 3 interviews on Sunday with Colombia, Mexico, and another school in Malaysia.

Saturday morning I got there bright and early, found the cloakroom and had a much-needed coffee and a muffin. The muffin looked good but who has any taste sensation when excitement and fatigue thresholds have long been surpassed? I went to many information sessions, not only on the schools that I had interviews with.

If there was a school that I developed a particular interest in through the info session, I could have requested to have an interview with them if they still had space. But this didn't happen. My first interview went very well and I quickly realized that these interviews were nothing to get all worked up about. From my experience and the people I spoke with, most of the interviewers were not out to put you on the spot or trick you in any way. That day I got to relax and meet many interesting people. People that told me stories about teaching in South America and Malaysia and even about the particular schools to which I had applied. I also ran into some old friends from my year of Teacher Education and from my BSc years. It really is a small world. That night I went out with some friends in Kingston and I ran into one of my friends from undergrad. He was attending the Recruiting Fair too and had been offered a job.

Sunday was a very easy-going and slow-paced day because there were only interviews going on. The information sessions were scheduled only for Saturday. My 3 interviews on Sunday went very well. I didn't expect to be interested in Mexico but after the interview I had a change of heart. The benefits nor the pay were as good as Colombia but the school was growing and I thought it would be quite an experience to be part of and have input into a school that was expanding. I could not decide which school I was interested in more: Colombia or Mexico. So I let them decide for me. Whichever one offered me a contract first I'd accept.

Colombia offered me the Job Monday morning (try to get the Monday following the Fair off of work just in case an employer wants to speak with you further after he/she has had a chance to look over all the applicants one last time) and I accepted. I received a long-distance call from Mexico the following morning. The school director called me at my home in Toronto to offer me the senior science position there. I told him that I had already accepted a job. My friend/competitor received a call late Sunday night from a school in Addis Abbaba, Ethiopia. That was his first choice, they offered him a math position, and he accepted it. I guess we both got what we wanted in the end.

Needless to say, but I'll say it anyway, that the Fair was a very positive experience for me. I can only wish that all of you Fairgoers are as fortunate as I.

Name withheld on request