In 2014, I decided to complete my newly qualified teacher year in the Middle East.

I remember very clearly my tutor sitting me down and advising me not to accept the job - warning me I would find it extremely difficult to find a teaching job in the UK afterwards. I ignored the advice and took the offer; one of the best decisions I ever made.

Fast forward nine years of working overseas and I finally decided to move home.

Once again I was on the receiving end of doom-laden warnings: I’d never be taken back, I’d struggle with the reality of a state school, my experience might count for nothing against pay scale points…

While it certainly is well-documented that international teachers are often overlooked for roles on their return, as underlined by a piece on Tes recently, I thankfully experienced another reality - chiefly, applying to an open-minded school that recognised my value and offered me a job.

From my experience, I think there are four key points to consider to help more returning teachers find the right job and for schools to benefit from their overseas experience.

1. Welcome new ideas

During my application and interview process, my experience was recognised and appreciated by my new head of department.

They were - and still are now that I am in post - interested to hear about how things were done differently in international schools to inform discussions and evaluations of their work and how they could incorporate or adopt new ideas.

International teachers must, of course, recognise returning to the state system will come with differences.

However, they should not be scared of discussing their experiences and insights, while open-minded, forward-thinking schools should be willing to listen to this and see how it could be an asset to utilise.

2. Embrace technology

The idea of two long-haul flights for an hour-long interview is hardly appealing - or realistic.

However, we have plenty of technology now that can remove the need for in-person interviews or lesson observations so schools should embrace this.

For my interview I was asked to teach a 30-minute lesson via Microsoft Teams, followed by a formal interview online.

While some may believe in-person is better, if schools are realistic about having access to a wider range of candidates, then allowing candidates to use technology to make the interview process work from anywhere in the world is a must.

3. Your experience should be recognised

Money matters. As such, when people express concern that returning from international teaching - and because I had completed my NQT year overseas - I might not be properly “qualified” in the UK and would be at risk of being put on the beginning of the pay scale, it would be easy to be worried.

However, this was not the case and any reasonable school should be able to clearly match your experience to an appropriate pay scale point, no matter how long you may not have been on that system while abroad.

Any setting suggesting otherwise should consider the message this sends, and be one that returning teachers should give a wide berth to.

4. Don’t be scared into taking the first job offer

Returning from international education is a big move - and with so many concerns put forward about it, many teachers may feel pressured to take the first job on offer, or perhaps only apply to the independent sector, presuming it will be an easier move.

However, if you are making such a move, you should, where possible, do it on your terms and consider what you want.

Personally, I wanted a change from secondary school, so I applied to a sixth-form college. Naturally, this meant my options were narrower, but I wanted to do what was right for me and knew if I’d made the move to live and teach abroad, I could do the same coming back.

Ultimately, if schools are serious about hiring the best person for a job then they must be open to all avenues of recruitment - including recognising the skills and capabilities those who have been teaching internationally can bring back with them.

Meanwhile, for international teachers, there should always be a conviction that your experience should be valued and to ensure you stick to your gut when looking at returning and finding the job you truly want.

Erica Marshall is an English and law teacher at a sixth-form college

For the latest education news and analysis delivered directly to your inbox every weekday morning, sign up to the Tes Daily newsletter