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DODD Teachers Chatboard

Locations

by slpgeek

Feb 4, 2018

I was just curious about how people decide on what locations to apply to. I know that some are 1 year and some are 2 year contracts. I'm not sure what other factors to consider. I feel like access to healthcare and other amenities would be important. Are there places where it's easier for my significant other to secure employment too (engineer)? Any thoughts, advice, or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

I also wanted to say thanks to everyone who contributes to this chatboard. I never got an email about re-submitting my application but went in and checked. Looks like everything is all set now. Good luck to everyone submitting this year!

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haha I think a lot of it comes down to personal preference, experience, bias, situation etc.

We had taught internationally before DoDEA and knew we would be fine or even enjoy living almost anywhere in the world (and really wanted to increase our chances of being hired) so only ruled out one or two places and included everything else. If you ho...See MoreI think a lot of it comes down to personal preference, experience, bias, situation etc.

We had taught internationally before DoDEA and knew we would be fine or even enjoy living almost anywhere in the world (and really wanted to increase our chances of being hired) so only ruled out one or two places and included everything else. If you honestly think you or your family would be miserable/unsafe/freaking out in a certain country/location for even a few years then you should probably omit it since there is no certainty or even high likelihood of moving/transferring once you are at a location.

The one or two year aspect wasn't a factor for us at all. The one or two year only refers to how often you get paid/reimbursed travel back to the states and has nothing to do with job security or anything like that. We don't go back to the states every year and if we did, paying for it every other year was not really a big deal for us. If you would like that benefit every year and/or want to be able to decide to leave/have you move back to the states paid for every year, then it may be a factor for you.

Healthcare was not a big issue for us at the time. Luckily we had issues we were in Germany and the healthcare was excellent. If that is a concern for you or your family then most places in Europe will generally be OK for most issues and concerns. Japan and Korea will also generally be fine. The only caveat would be the nearer to large urban centers, the more likely you are to find a range of options since most significant issues will be referred off base to be dealt with.

Some people want a certain region/country and are willing to forego anything else. That's fine but it does greatly limit your already limited chances and opportunities.

Meaningful employment on the economy is going to be tricky virtually everywhere. Again large urban centers are better, but these can be found in pretty much every country so you would not rule out the country on an application but may be more selective in which specific bases/schools you accept interviews with. Some bases have more opportunities for civilian contractors/career professionals than others but I do not know if that is something that can be sorted by country. I do know that Germany had quire a few bases that offered training for NATO, Nat'l Guard etc and that seemed to equate to some higher level contractor jobs for spouses.

Base facilities vary wildly by location, not necessarily by country so that might not be a factor you can really worry about when selecting locations.

Basically, you should cast a wide net if getting in is your biggest priority. Transfers are not guaranteed or easy but moving is possible and virtually all locations have the potential to offer you and your family a very nice life/lifestyle if you are open to it.

Feb 4, 2018

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HelpOthers Once you are in DoDEA, you are expected to go where they need/want you, so being available for worldwide may get your application onto more referral lists. However, if you interview for a position and then turn it down, your application will be frozen and unavailable for hire for the remainder of that school-year.

Feb 22, 2018

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