"The ADEC Interview Process"

My interview with ADEC (Abu Dhabi Education Council) was scheduled for November 22, 2015 in Houston, Texas. This was the best news so far because I did not have to worry about flying out or driving far to another state, unlike some people whose states were not holding in person interviews in their area. It was for an middle grades English position that was to start either January or August of 2016. Before I could be confirmed, I had to send my recruiter the following: an ADEC medical questionnaire and application, a color scan of my passport (I didnt have my at the time but was still invited), and an updated CV/resume with all of my teaching experiences, certifications & education clearly detailed (NO MORE THAN TWO PAGES).  It was also suggested to properly prepare for my interview with ADEC by reading the attached ADEC Hiring Process Guide along with the tips for passing the in-person interview, which was sent through email by my recruiter. I was to arrive at 8 am sharp professionally dressed at one of the beautiful grand hotels near the Houston galleria.

I parked my car at the nearest garage and walked down the street in my patent leather caramel color heels to the hotel. My hands were sweaty liked I dipped them into a pan of melted butter and my heart was beating like a tribal drum with the sounds of war. As I was guided by the desk clerk to where the interviews would be held, I noticed my reflection on the elevator door. I felt good about the ensemble I put together: A white button down shirt, a sleek khaki wide leg pair of pants, and a navy blue cardigan that flowed at my waist. I had my hair beautifully pinned up in a natural bun, and my wood-grain frames made my face looked focused yet inviting. It was important to me that I showed through my wardrobe choice that I was serious about abiding by the cultural norms of the UAE: nothing above the knee, nothing sleeveless, and nothing form fitting.

 I walked off the elevator and down the hall to a table that was waiting for me to sign in. I was greeted by a representative from Footprints along with other representatives from other recruiting agencies. I turned in the four passport photo copies requested and proceeded into the ballroom where I mingled with other ADEC hopefuls from all over the United States. Our brief meeting included expectations for the day: the process included a set interview time that I had to be patient with due to all the other candidates interviewing on this day, a video conference with two staff members that gave us information about contract details and the opportunity to ask questions, and good luck wishes on our upcoming life changing experience. We were also informed that ADEC would send official letters of offer to successful candidates within two days of the interviews. As I sat stiff in the ballroom chair in a seemingly overwhelming situation, soaking in all of what I needed to know, I didn’t allow my nerves to get the best of me. I didn’t even allow the fact that I was sitting next to a woman who was experiencing her third time getting hired through this company fluster me. I was confident in myself and my abilities. I was ready to grab the gold.

I was one of the blessed ones who had the opportunity of interviewing with the first batch of hopefuls. I had two people ahead of me as I waited in the hall for my turn. I took a quick look in to notice a huge table with only a laptop and headphones resting on it. The woman before me walked out super nervous, yet she wished me luck. I walked in with my portfolio and artifacts, sat down at the table, placed the microphone headset on my head, took a deep breath, and waited for my interviewers to appear on screen.

Although it was an “in-person” interview, it actually took place using the Skype application. A woman from Australia and a man from the United Kingdom were educational leaders that represented the company. They were friendly yet firm and asked me a wide range of questions that included the following:

1)      My Background

2)      What I was doing now

3)      If I had and dependents or a spouse

4)      If I had researched the UAE and if I would be up to adjusting to the everyday life and culture

5)      Practices and strategies used during instruction; specifically for ESL and differentiation

6)      If I am a flexible individual

7)      A play by play of my how my class runs from beginning to end

8)      Resources currently used for teaching reading and writing (I applied for an English Position)

I felt confident in every single answer given and even when my nerves seemed to kick in, I took a deep breath, asked them to repeat the question, and proceeded to answer. Going over the suggested tips really helped me by identifying the type of candidate they were looking to hire. The guide gave a list of epic fails for an ADEC interview which included the following:

-              Lack of energy

-              Cocky attitude

-              Showing up late

-              Unprofessional presentation

-              Unprofessional attire

-              Vague answers

-              Rambling responses

-              Lack of knowledge about the UAE or ADEC

-              Poor preparation

-              Inflexible attitude

-              Impoliteness

All in all, I walked out of the door feeling proud of this accomplishment of my first interview for an international teaching position; I was even complimented by the young lady scheduled to interview after me as she openly admitted to listening in.

My interview was on a Sunday and I was offered a contract the next day. I will never forget my excitement; I was in the middle of teaching a writing lesson, checked my phone, and noticed an email from my recruiter. She congratulated me on my offer and had attached the letter ready for my signature. I jumped up and down with the biggest smile on my face as my students watched looking as if I just found out I won the lottery. I replied back instantly from my phone and gave all praises to the most high for the opportunity of turning a thought into the process of a new beginning.

"It Was All A Dream"

Teaching abroad has always been a thought that was placed on the back burner of my life: like a pot burnt with yesterday’s grits waiting to be washed and clean from overnight soaking, my dreams of possibly exploring my horizons in the field of education sat and sat until that faithful day in November.

I knew I had a strong likelihood of being successful with turning my thoughts of going overseas into a promising reality because of all I went through with leaving Conyers, Georgia and starting fresh in Houston, Texas. Besides travelling to a few various cities in the states, I had never moved outside of Georgia to work and live. However, I thought about the quote from Thomas Jefferson: “If you want something you have never had, you have to do something you have never done”.  This meant that I had to step outside of my comfort zone to achieve something greater. I had to get over my fears of the unknown, put in some hard work, step out on faith, and trust that things would fall into place. It was time to stop thinking and wishing and start DOING.

After a successful two years of teaching in Houston, building myself from the ground up, and creating an incredible life for my daughter and me, my spirit and confidence in my situation screamed with enthusiasm that the sky was the limit. I decided that the time had come to research information about teaching abroad and reach out to people who knew something about it firsthand. Networking through a teachers’ group that I was a part of on Facebook led me to two popular recruiting agencies used by those currently teaching abroad. A little website exploring, resume uploading, and information inputting led to a recruiter from Footprints emailing me to set up a preliminary interview. She went over my resume with me and decided that I would be an excellent candidate for recruitment.  I felt great about our conversation and was assured that she would do her best to land me a contract. The process had begun.