Preparing for In-Person Job Fairs

Job fairs still play a role in many international school recruitment strategies. They offer a space to meet candidates face to face and showcase what makes a school a compelling place to work. At the same time, their value has shifted. Virtual recruitment is now established, travel costs are high, and many strong candidates no longer feel the need to attend fairs in person. That shift makes preparation more important than ever if schools are to see a real return on time and cost.

In the past, strict rules helped protect the fairness of job fairs. Technology changed that. Skype opened the door to fast, low-cost interviewing. COVID then pushed recruitment almost entirely online. Many schools discovered they could hire well without international travel, and many candidates realised they could secure strong roles without leaving home.

Even so, in-person fairs still offer something virtual platforms struggle to match: human connection. They create space for informal conversations, relationship building, and broader networking. Schools can raise their profile, meet future candidates, and build credibility in ways that go beyond a single vacancy. Today, success at fairs depends less on brand power and more on organisation, clarity, and follow through.

Pre-Fair Preparation

Strong preparation is what separates productive fairs from expensive missed opportunities.

Choosing the Right Fair Not every fair fits every school. Use data from previous events where possible. Look at candidate quality, hiring outcomes, and overall costs before committing.

Clarifying Hiring Needs

Have a clear recruitment timeline and communicate it early with your current staff. Contract renewal cut offs must be fair and realistic so everyone can plan with confidence. Job descriptions should be clear, accurate, and concise, outlining responsibilities, expectations, and essential qualifications without becoming overly complex.

Defining Your Value Proposition

Be clear about what makes your school distinctive. This may include mission, learning philosophy, leadership approach, professional growth, or community culture. Prepare materials that bring this to life through short videos, testimonials, and practical examples of staff experience.

Using Technology Well

Your website and job portal must be current, easy to navigate, and mobile friendly. Use social media to announce your attendance and create a simple communication plan around each fair.

Selecting the Right Representatives

Choose people who represent the school well and understand the whole organisation, not only their own department. A small, diverse team often works better than a large group with overlapping perspectives. Representatives should be warm, approachable, and able to answer broad questions about leadership, learning, wellbeing, and living in the host country. It is also helpful to line up colleagues back on campus who can join virtual interviews if needed.

Setting Clear Recruitment Goals

Define what success looks like before you arrive. Are you trying to fill specific vacancies, grow a talent pool, or increase visibility in the market? Make sure everyone on the recruitment team shares the same priorities.

Candidate Reachout 

Where possible, connect with candidates before the fair. Early contact allows for information sharing, interest checks, and better quality conversations at the event. Virtual pre-meetings can help both sides decide if time at the fair is worth investing.

At the Fair

Your presence at the fair shapes how candidates remember your school.

Showcasing Your School

Use visuals and stories to give candidates a real sense of daily life on campus. Share examples of staff development, wellbeing initiatives, and community culture. Be ready to talk about the city, lifestyle, and practical aspects of relocation.

Active Engagement

Be approachable and genuinely interested in each person you meet. Ask thoughtful questions about values, motivations, and professional goals. Even if someone is not a match for your school, they will still talk to others about your approach. Every interaction shapes your reputation.

Staying Organised

Use a clear system to track conversations, applications, and next steps. Digital tools or shared spreadsheets help avoid confusion. Schedule interviews efficiently and respectfully. Reference checking should already be built into your process and ideally completed before any offer is made.

Post-Fair Follow Up

Follow up is where many schools lose momentum.

Clear and Timely Communication

Contact all candidates promptly after the fair. Let them know where they stand and what comes next. Silence damages trust and reflects poorly on school culture. Even a brief update matters.

Reviewing Your Approach

Debrief with the recruitment team. What worked well, what caused delays, and what could improve next time? Review data on applications, interviews, offers, and acceptances. Compare the cost of attendance with recruitment outcomes to understand real return on investment.

Maintaining Relationships

Not every strong candidate will be right for a current role. Keep in touch with promising educators through mailing lists or talent pools. Long-term relationship building often leads to better future hires.

The Bigger Picture

Job fairs still offer value, but only when schools approach them with purpose. Thoughtful preparation, strong representation, active engagement, and disciplined follow up now matter more than ever. Prestige and salary alone no longer guarantee success. Organisation and human connection carry far more weight.

At the end of each recruitment cycle, a clear cost benefit analysis will show whether future fairs make sense for your school. That data only becomes meaningful when schools commit fully to doing fairs well. When handled with care, transparency, and respect for candidates, job fairs can still be a powerful part of an international school’s recruitment strategy.