1.) Check and double check your flight departure, arrival times and connections. Remember the airline ticket will list the arrival time according to the country you are going.  Understanding your itinerary will let you prepare accordingly for layovers and how much time you can expect to be in the air.

2.) If there is a time difference set your watch or phone to the time of the country. This way you once you are there and needing to sort out public transit schedules, business hours etc you will not be trying to convert the time difference as you go.

3.) Have the address handy of the location you need to go once you have arrived. This is essential.  A neighbourhood or general directions will not cut it.

4.) Go with the local currency in your wallet and avoid the hassle of finding an ATM and paying fees in foreign currencies.

5.) Research the tipping customs of the country. This help will avoid awkward moments especially if you are traveling by taxi, grabbing a quick bite to eat at a restaurant, dealing with hotel staff etc.

6.) Once you arrive at your accommodations, ask for a local convenient store to buy some small essentials and snacks. Having something nutritious to eat the first morning you wake up in a new place is settling. You may want to bring food on the plane- but please research the customs and border control.

7.) Contact your family to let them know you arrived safely. It is easy to get caught up when you first arrive in a new place, but remember your family needs to know that you are settled and OK!

The post Moving Abroad: 7 Tips to help you in the first 24 hours appeared first on Leading Out.

Edt! eidt! Edit!
It is not enough to read it over yourself. A second and third set of eyes will be invaluable to catching errors that you may have overlooked. Read it out loud. This is the best way to see how it will read to someone else.

Design
Be consistent with the format you use and how you list your information. Choose one and stick with it. Be mindful that you are not changing the format from one section to the other (spacing and margin alignment).

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When including your personal contact information, be sure to include the most up to date and appropriate data. Your contact phone numbers should have voice mail, preferably a message that does not include “what up” or ” leave a message okie dokie!” Stating your name is always helpful.

If you have not already created a separate professional email address, may we suggest you do it. While hotpants or cuppycake may be a well earned and fun nickname, this is not the best way to set you apart from the rest of the candidates. A simple combination of first initial and last name will do and look far more professional!

Know Yourself
Don’t shy away from the great qualities you have to share. As you already know, this is the point of a resume, and it doesn’t hurt to add more and or refresh some of your strengths. Spending one-on-one time with your resume and rewording it also helps you keep the language fresh in your mind. You want to be able to recall your assets and strengths during the interview. Your work ethic, quiet confidence, sense of humour, flexibility, adaptability, positive outlook, initiative, leadership qualities, efficiency, open-mindedness, resourcefulness etc. will shine through.

Helpful Tip: Applying for a teaching position overseas suggests that you have an adventurous spirit and that is half the battle. Experienced and inexperienced travelers are prone to encountering some “culture shock” and it doesn’t hurt to read how others worked through it. Our article on culture shock in Australia may help you generate a few qualities to include in your resume. Qualities that highlight your willingness to learn from a new culture and share your own.  These will go a long way.

Think of your resume as your introduction and  first impression.  Take the time to review and revise.  We already know you are awesome teachers, let your resume reflect that.

The post The Do’s and Don’ts When Writing Your Resume appeared first on Leading Out.

1) Suzuki Night Markets at Queen Victoria Market starts on November 17th, 2010, every Wednesday night until March.

2) St. Kilda Night Market may not run this year due to lack of support fron the council. Please go to: http://www.stkildabeachnightmarket.com.au for more details.

3) Moonlight Cinema in Royal Botanical Gardens. A fantastic way to watch movie under the stars. You can even rent beanbag chairs! Starts Dec 16th.

4) Rooftop Cinema in the City. Starts Dec 1st right in the heart of Melbourne.

Are you spending Christmas in Melbourne?

Well don’t miss the beautifully decorated Crown Casino where they come alive every half an hour in the evenings over December. They also have a Christmas Choir that usually sings two times each night.

Christmas activities are always going on at Federation Square and the Docklands. Also don’t forget the famous Myer’s Christmas Display. Go to What’s on Melbourne for more details.

Oh and did you know there is a special “Jingle Bell’s Aussie Style” Christmas song!

Not sure what else is going on during the year in Melbourne?

See our Calendar of Events in Melbourne, Australia

The post What to do in December in Melbourne, Australia? appeared first on Leading Out.

But of course traveling the world is kind of amazing…and a developing–or feeding, for some!–your sense of adventure is exactly the reason you’re leaving home.

Australia does not offer employee benefits.  It’s not really a big deal, since most people only come over here for the year–you can probably organize your dental and contact lenses before moving to Australia–and if you are moving permanently, you have to accept the need for ‘extras’ medical insurance cover. It’s just one of those ‘culture shock’ differences.

The Good news:

Your Australian employer will automatically contribute 9% of your salary to your superannuation fund. And another 9% of your salary will be deducted from your salary and invested into your super fund.

If you don’t plan on becoming a permanent resident, you can collect this money when you leave (as well as the tax you paid, by the way). Yahoo!

The post Teacher Salary Benefits in Australia appeared first on Leading Out.

Fights broke out regularly in our playground, and I was lucky if it didn’t happen in my classroom. My class was a sort of bike-crashed, cut-up and scabbed lot with teeth, and uniform going everywhere, suggesting that they were neither well supervised, nor cared for, at home.

The post Classroom ‘Culture Shock’ in Australia! And tips on Aussie-Speak appeared first on Leading Out.