Craving adventure, professional growth, and some fabulous perks? Consider the life of an international librarian.

Have you ever pictured yourself on safari in the Serengeti? Or fancied yourself wandering through Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar on a leisurely Saturday morning? With all of the budget cuts, pink slips, and upheaval that have besieged our nation’s schools, it may be the perfect time to make those dreams a reality by becoming an international school librarian. As it turns out, there are a slew of schools out there in need of qualified media specialists. And aside from the exciting travel opportunities, international librarianship provides quite a few perks that make it an enticing change from working in the States.

But first, what exactly is an international school? Basically, there are three types. The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), the civilian agency of the U.S. Department of Defense, runs overseas schools for kids whose parents are in the military or work for the Defense Department. These schools are strictly for U.S. students and offer an American curriculum.

Next up are schools with curriculums that are based on American, British, German, or other national standards, but whose students come mostly from the host country. For example, I once worked in a school in Turkey where we followed a British curriculum for kids in grades 9 and 10, but 90 percent of our students were Turkish. Some international schools are run by large corporations, such as Persian Gulf oil giant Saudi Aramco, for the children of ex-pat workers.

Finally, there are the “true” international schools with kids from all over the globe. These schools often adhere to various national curriculums or an International Baccalaureate curriculum (created by a leading international educational foundation based in Geneva, Switzerland) or a combination of the two. At the International School of Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia, where I’m a library media and technology specialist, we have around 250 pre-K–12 students , representing almost 40 different nations, including Mongolia, Korea, Japan, the United States, Australia, Kuwait, and the United Kingdom.

While running an international school library has a lot in common with running one in the States—for instance, we also promote reading, teach information literacy skills, and create programs for students—you’ll also find some significant (and exciting!) differences.

Overseas advantages

Broadening your horizons. Most importantly, you’ll be providing services to a broad community that includes parents, other international community members, and, of course, kids. Think of an international school library as a hybrid of a traditional public and school library. Many international school libraries, located in places like Uzbekistan and Burkina-Faso, have little access to non-native books and may be the only source of reading materials for students. As Marion van Engelen, an international school librarian at Dulwich College in Shanghai, China, says, “We are not just a provider of curriculum-supportive materials. Instead, the library... caters to all the reading needs, whether it is the latest teen fiction, the Man Booker Prize winner, or books on parenting and study skills.”

How’s your Swahili? Your collection probably won’t be limited to English-language texts. Aside from books that are written in your host country’s language and in the “foreign” languages that your school teaches, it’s important that your collection reflects the languages that your students actually speak. In Mongolia, for example, we have several shelves of Korean-language novels, and I’m working on beefing up our Japanese, German, and French titles. It’s also important to be hyper-aware of pro-Western biases in your collection and in individual titles.

A budget beyond belief. You’ll probably have a larger budget than you’ve ever imagined. My annual budget in Mongolia is $50,000, and a friend working in Shanghai just told me that was mediocre, even though it’s more than twice what I had when I worked in Connecticut. Depending on your school’s location, however, shipping costs may devour a huge chunk of change. And odds are, you won’t be bopping over to Barnes & Noble to buy the latest hot releases. In fact, some international schools limit book orders to once a year, while others are on a twice-a-year schedule. Fortunately, I can order titles online from Amazon whenever I need something “quickly”—as in the next six weeks. My library is also ebook equipped with four Kindles that we circulate, and when I vacation in New England next summer, I plan to bring back two iPads so I can offer kids new releases in a timelier manner. Which brings up another important point: many digital devices, such as iPads, may not be available in your host country. But don’t despair, many companies that you’re used to dealing with—Follett, Gaylord, and others—are more than happy to ship internationally.

Help is on the way. Outside of the States, you’re all but guaranteed at least one aide, sometimes more if you’re in a large school. It’s a point of contention in some international schools that local employees are often paid far less than their foreign counterparts, but you’ll probably have an aide to help with routine tasks, such as shelving books. Moreover, as Kathryn Turner, a librarian at the American International School of Guangzhou, in southern China, points out, since there’s a relatively high turnover rate among educators—with many staying for less than five years—there’s a good chance you’ll be working with a relatively new staff that’s open to innovation.

Now that’s what I’m talking about! On a personal note, the ex-pat lifestyle can be pretty addicting. In 1996, I went overseas for two years, and ended up staying for 10. You’ll work with multinational faculty and students, vacation in places your friends can only dream about, and even be able to afford, at the very minimum, a cleaning person to come in once or twice a week. Many ex-pat families also hire full-time cooks, nannies, drivers, and gardeners, depending on their salaries and where they’re stationed. On top of all that, you can even stash some cash since overseas salaries are tax-free in the States and typically in host countries. And international schools (aside from those in Europe) provide free or subsidized housing, yearly flights home, and other easy-to-take benefits, such as free tuition for at least one child and steep discounts for your other kids.

Sign me up!

What’s the best way to find a job overseas? If you’re a newbie to the world of international schools, take advantage of the following organizations’ Stateside job fairs, which typically take place in January and February:

International School Services (ISS) may be the most expensive, but it’s by far the largest job fair. It also has a reputation for being less selective about the schools it invites, so be sure to do your homework (more on that later). This nonprofit group charges a $185 registration fee, plus $290 to attend a conference. On the other hand, there are no extra fees to attend any of their additional job fairs

Search Associates (SA), which bills itself as the largest international school placement organization, offers a slightly smaller fair. But when it comes to choosing teaching candidates and inviting schools, SA is more selective than ISS. You’ll pay $200 to register, which entitles you to attend one fair—additional events are $50 each. If you land a position, the participating school pays for all of the placement fees.

The University of Northern Iowa’s (UNI) Overseas Placement Services for Educators sponsors what’s generally considered to be a less “prestigious” job fair. But it actually features a healthy number of top-tier schools, such as the Singapore American School or Cairo American College. At $150 (with no placement fee), UNI’s fair is also the least expensive to attend.

All of these agencies let you access password-protected online listings, as well as details about the positions and the schools’ benefits package. With the exception of UNI, each hosts their job fairs in large—and expensive!—hotels. But since a lot of helpful networking goes on in the hotels’ hallways and elevators, it’s worth investing the extra bucks. Plus, it’s a relief to be able to disappear into your room to relax between interviews. But keep in mind: hotel and airfare costs can easily add another $1,000 to your job hunt. That probably explains why a growing number of schools are conducting interviews via Skype (especially for experienced educators), a much cheaper option for everyone.

The International Educator, a nonprofit organization dedicated to international teaching, publishes a newspaper that’s another great resource for finding the latest job postings.

Do your homework

While I’ve painted a rather rosy picture of teaching overseas, it’s not without its hazards and drawbacks. It’s hard enough dealing with culture shock during your first year abroad without having to survive a crummy work environment. Just as the quality of Stateside schools vary, international schools can be good or bad, but carry the added baggage of dragging you out of your comfort zone into a country where you probably don’t speak the language or understand how to work the system. So before accepting a position, find out as much as you can about your prospective school and country.

For starters, think seriously about the type of work environment that best suits you. “One person’s ‘amazing’ place might not be another’s and vice versa,” cautions Canadian Shaun Henriksen, who teaches English at the International School of Havana. “Some factors depend on whether you are married, single, have a family, a community to get involved with. If you love big cities and night life, don’t accept a position in Madagascar!”

Also consider the size of the school. A big school usually has great resources, but it’s easy to get lost in the crowd. On the other hand, a small school may have a tad less to offer, but it’s easier to feel part of the family. Know where your comfort zone lies! Of course, you also need to be open to new possibilities—and surprises. When I first started looking into overseas positions, I thought I’d work in Athens, London, or Paris. I barely even knew Turkey existed! I ended up in Ankara, and loved (almost!) every second of my five years there.

You also need to decide how “civilized” you want your surroundings. Do you want to work in Europe, which is pretty much like living in the U.S. but with better architecture? Do you want an exotic, but developed locale, such as Thailand or Tunisia? Or are you craving an undeveloped country, where nobody’s ever heard of McDonald’s? Should you decide on the latter, you’ll need to consider such issues as access to health care, whether the school’s health insurance is accepted worldwide and if it covers the cost of transportation if you can’t be treated in the country. If you’re on specialized medications, you may need to bring an entire year’s supply with you. Also, how expensive is it to travel to other places? Bangkok, for example, is incredibly easy and inexpensive to travel to and from, with multiple flights every day. Ulaanbaatar? Not so much.

If you’re serious about landing a position, start preparing early. The international hiring season kicks into high gear beginning in January and continues through May, but most jobs are filled by the end of March. Thus, you’ll need to have your placement file, recommendations, and other documents in order by next November at the latest. Schools start posting openings in October, and may even conduct Skype interviews in November and December.

Once you find an interesting opening, peruse the school’s website to get a feel for its focus and values, and to ensure it’s accredited by a recognized agency, such as the Council of Internationals Schools or NESA, the Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools. Check out the State Department’s website for any safety warnings related to the country. But keep in mind that the State Department sometimes exaggerates the severity of a situation. Case in point: its site frequently displayed “Do not travel” warnings during my time in Turkey, yet I never once felt threatened or unsafe, even though I often travelled alone. Nevertheless, it’s a good idea to find out if the school covers the cost of an emergency evacuation in the event of natural disasters or political unrest.

You’ll also want to subscribe to the International Schools Review (ISR), a worldwide network of teachers that provides an online forum to share experiences and concerns. I have a like/hate relationship with its website. Personally, I feel it takes an adversarial stance toward overseas schools. Still, that’s somewhat understandable, since international educators lack unions to stick up for them if problems arise and the job-fair providers tend to side with the schools since the bulk of their income comes from them. But ISR is a strong advocate for the equitable treatment of teachers. Read its blog, and you’ll get a good sense of the issues and what to watch out for during your job hunt.

ISR also has a blog for teachers to anonymously write reviews and rate their schools and directors. As you can imagine, disgruntled employees love to vent, so when you read their reviews, its wise to read between the lines. To further confuse matters, school owners and administrators have been known to write glowing reviews of themselves. Fortunately, they’re pretty easy to spot: just look for a string of 9’s and 10’s and occasional quirky English! When I use this site, I basically look for patterns. For instance, if a school gets one negative review, that’s not too worrisome. But if it receives a bunch of them, it could spell trouble. Each post also specifies the name of the school’s administrator at the time the teacher worked at the school; be aware of changes here. Administrators can make a huge difference in a school—for better or worse. I also use these reviews to generate pointed questions during the interview process. If ISR’s reviews suggest the school has problems with management or student discipline, for example, I’d definitely ask about that during the interview!

While interviewing with the director, ask for a list of faculty email addresses, so you can contact them if you have any questions or concerns. If possible, try to get the names of more than one person—or even better, a complete faculty list. If the director offers only one name, it’s likely somebody who’s bound to tell you only one side of the story. If you forget, many school’s websites include faculty email addresses, so be sure to look there. If the director won’t give you any email addresses or keeps putting you off, cross the school off your list. Once, after an interview, the director kept promising to get me some contacts, but he always had an excuse for not giving me any “at the moment.” Like an idiot, I took the position—it was the worst job I’ve ever had. In fact, I now call that school “the hellhole.” Lesson learned.

Ask what the school will do to help get you settled. At the very least, it should handle and pay for any visas or work permits. If housing isn’t immediately available when you arrive, your school should put you up in a hotel for several days and assist with your apartment or house hunt. There should also be a week’s orientation for new faculty to familiarize you with the school, the community, and help in shopping, setting up bank accounts, etc. Finally, ISR recently reported on a new online scam aimed at the international teaching community. Evidently, some disreputable individuals, pretending to represent an international school and offering nonexistent jobs, have asked teaching candidates for money up front to pay for housing, work permits, and other essentials. So beware.

It’s addicting!

Warning: once you’re overseas, you may never look back! Of course you may experience culture shock and the hiccups of adjusting to a new job, but it’s all part of the fun. Ironically, people who return home after several years often experience reverse culture shock and have a harder time readjusting to the “normal” life they once led. After 10 years abroad, I returned to the States for library school, then accepted a position in Connecticut. The job was great, but I soon found myself increasingly missing my ex-pat life—and after three years I returned overseas, accepting a job in Mongolia. Whether you choose Botswana, Burma, or Bolivia, living in another country broadens your worldview and increases your self-confidence in ways you’d never expect. As long as you have some money and a passport, you’ll discover that most problems can be solved, and you may actually learn to enjoy the rituals of haggling over prices or spending two hours at the post office trying to find the package of stale Cheez-Its your well-meaning mother mailed three months ago.

More importantly, international education is a growing market, with roughly 900 English-language-based schools worldwide and with more on the way every year. And most of them can’t wait to hire passionate, dedicated teachers who are eager for new experiences. So what are you waiting for? Dive in!