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AVOID APPLETREE/ EDU
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deadhead09



Joined: 16 Apr 2009
Location: hwagok

PostPosted: Fri Aug 21, 2009 11:00 pm    Post subject: AVOID APPLETREE/ EDU Reply with quote

this recruiter offered what i thought was a good position with a hakwon in seoul. was lied to on several occasions. most importantly was put into a horrible working environment. was told that even though the school was brand new that there were enough finances to make it through the tough times. of course that lie showed itself in my first three months on the job. was forced to leave when the school ran into dire financial problems and became unable to pay its bills. the recruiting service head office is located in the US. she- the head boss in charge- will tell you lies and make promises of great offers. her subordinates here in korea make attempts to be helpful but are nothing more than pawns. i regret getting involved with this recuriter. was told that they would help me sort out my problems and would be there in times of need. however this proved to be completely false. want to put out the warning so that others do not make the same mistake.
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lifeinkorea



Joined: 24 Jan 2009
Location: somewhere in China

PostPosted: Fri Aug 21, 2009 11:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would like to give a more realistic viewpoint of Appletree Recruiting. Also, if the school is bad, it's not the recruiter's fault. It's unfortunate, but they are taking a chance with them just as much as you are.

Sunny at Appletree has tried to help me get a job 3 times. She has given me multiple offers which I rejected, and yes, while I did feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside when they tried to sell these offers, I didn't feel they were taking advantage of me.

The offers were simply not specific ones I wanted. I don't know what the original poster was expecting. Did they not offer to get you a new school? I actually wanted to go with them for my next school, but they simply couldn't find me a middle school. I got an offer from another recruiter and that's the only reason why I didn't go with Appletree this time. They have done a lot of searching for me, and they didn't collect any money from me. I am surprised they are still communicating with me actually Laughing

I feel the original poster is just pointing fingers at the wrong party here. It's the school that screwed you and the recruiter over. It's also not an easy time for hagwons to succeed. This won't be the last of the failed attempts. If you are that much against the experience, then I suggest you only take on public school jobs from now on.
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deadhead09



Joined: 16 Apr 2009
Location: hwagok

PostPosted: Fri Aug 21, 2009 11:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

of course you are correct that is not the fault of the rectuiter that i ended up in a bad school. i do not blame them for that. sh** happens. it is ur last line that i like the best... IF i work in korea again it will certainly be with a public school.
but i would not call ur viewpoint more realistic my man. you just have a different opinion to offer. sunny did a great job of always communicating with me. i have no problem with her. but the "boss lady" as she likes to call herself. in-hui you must know of her. she gave me misinformation on a couple of things. that is where i fault appletree. the recruiter and teacher are working partners. i do accept blame for this incident... not only pointing fingers at the recruiter. just trying to help our future ESL teachers out there who are new to the game. make sure you find a good recruiter!
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lifeinkorea



Joined: 24 Jan 2009
Location: somewhere in China

PostPosted: Sat Aug 22, 2009 12:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Your complaint is that In Hui said the school had enough money for a year. I don't know if she said that or not, but common sense would tell me that a more realistic understanding of that is the school has enough money to get started. IF, and only IF, the school has business and brings in money will it actually have enough for the year.

You knew it was new, you took the gamble as much as the hagwon took the gamble, and just as the recruiter did.

If the recruiter asked you, "Do you have experience?", you might have to say "No, I don't", because you might be right out of college. You yourself may not be able to lie about that. However, if they ask you also, "Since you say you don't have experience, do you think you can teach?", what are you going to say to that?

Are you going to say no? Of course not, but we all know first time teaching is a complete and utter FAILURE. You don't know what to teach, you don't know how to teach, kids are running around, and even after a few years under your belt you could still improve.

The point is the teacher isn't always as honest as Mother Theresa any more than a hagwon is about getting the school off its feet.

You took a gamble with someone else's money and it stopped sooner than you would have liked. Simple as that. If you don't like it, that's your choice. Personally, I would take advantage of schools like that. I would work short term in one area and move. I don't like these 1 year agreements where you are anchored to one area, and you can't work at multiple locations. A failed hagwon is your way out. Sign a new contract and work elsewhere.
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Patong Dong



Joined: 06 May 2003
Location: On Nut

PostPosted: Sat Aug 22, 2009 7:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have to come to the defense of Appletree here as well. Before I came back here in March I was down to two schools. One through Appletree and one through another recruiter. I told InHui that the school she was discussing with me sounded good but that I needed to make a decision by the end of the week as I wanted to get on with it. Her school didn't get back to me with the complete details so I went with the other position. She called and aplogised and wished me luck.

Now, as things would have it I needed more than her luck as my choice went under after three months. I tried her again and she set me up with an interview at a hakwon in Bucheon. It was a pretty good offer but I was tempted by the security of a public school gig. When I again was in the position of choosing two placements, I explained to Inhui why the public school job had an appeal, and she actually told me that I should go to the public school rather than the school she was brokering for. I told her I was sorry that she was twice losing out on geting a placement fee after all her work, and she replied that it was not a problem, and that it wasn't in her agency's interest to put me somewhere I didn't want to go. I told her I would recommend her if I found somone looking for a recruiter, so this is the least I could do. I think she's a stand up person.
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whiteshoes



Joined: 14 Apr 2009

PostPosted: Sun Aug 23, 2009 4:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's too bad things didn't work out for you, and I understand that you'd be upset. But like the other posters above me, I have nothing but great things to say about Appletree. They have been more than I could have asked for. Everything I've needed they got for me. They were very honest with me the whole time, and everything went as expected. Never once was I misled. Not by anyone.

Furthermore, you got to have some common sense here. Back home would you take a job at a place that just opened? Sure maybe, but you'd be aware of the strong possibility that it might not last. Plenty of other recruiters wouldn't have given you that much information.
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deadhead09



Joined: 16 Apr 2009
Location: hwagok

PostPosted: Sun Aug 23, 2009 7:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

so perhaps then other posters have proven here that appletree is a good recruiting agency. i however will still disagree. not once in our relationship did they reach out to contact me. it was always me calling or emailing to them. so patong thinks inhui is a stand up person. that makes one of us. i just dont care for her.
all of the above posts bring good questions and make good points. i am just giving one man's opinion. doesnt make it the law. i have been wrong before and perhaps being proven wrong again. each potential teacher will make their own decision. i only hope that future teachers are careful in their decision of school and recruiting agency and dont end up in a tough spot like me. just trying to offer helpful advice to others.
one final point. i do find it strange that sunny did not contact me once i left that shipwreck of a job and needed to find a new school. (perhaps her agency was no longer interested in dealing with me) whatever... they made their bed and i have moved on.
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sluggle



Joined: 25 Jun 2009
Location: suwon

PostPosted: Sun Aug 23, 2009 6:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Of course any private school is going to think it's finances are good when they hire you. It's likely that the owner thought they could run a school, but managed poorly and it went bankrupt. I'm sorry to hear that you had a poor experience, but it sounds like you just succumbed to the default risk of working at a hagwon.

I fail to see where you were lied to. I didn't accept a position until I did some heavy googling on the school. I found someone's blog who worked there last year, and also found someone on here posting about it. You have to put in your own research and not rely on the recruiter, who has financial incentive to place you at any school that comes along.

It sounds like you are seeking a scapegoat for your understandably frustrating situation, and decided to blame your recruiter.
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thegadfly



Joined: 01 Feb 2003

PostPosted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 3:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The shift key -- let me show you it.
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Big Mac



Joined: 17 Sep 2005

PostPosted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 4:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'll also stand up for Appletree. I didn't end up going with the job In-Hui was offering me, but I have to say she was very professional and was the only recruiter I've ever dealt with that really worked hard to meet my needs. I remember talking with her on the phone several times for quite a long time and I got very good vibes from her. I would definitely recommend her to anyone. I don't really understand what your beef is with her.
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deadhead09



Joined: 16 Apr 2009
Location: hwagok

PostPosted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 5:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

i dont know what to tell you folks... clearly i am the only one on my side of the fence. maybe i am just being stupid and bitter.
there were some unfulfilled promises from in-hui that i am upset about. possible its just a personal thing i reckon. sunny was my original appletree contact and i met her and sonia first. liked them a lot. very friendly and honest. but then of course spoke to in-hui since she is the "boss lady."
i guess my topic should not be aimed at appletree. teachers should just do the best job possible to make sure they find a recruiter that is right for them. in the end obviously the recruiter and school were not right for me. if i had ended up at a better school of course i would have a different song. it is tough when a recruiter puts you in a school that is run poorly. neither teachers' fault nor the fault of recruiter.
not all job partnerships end well; i'm just an example of one that went sour.


Last edited by deadhead09 on Mon Aug 24, 2009 5:38 am; edited 1 time in total
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Big Mac



Joined: 17 Sep 2005

PostPosted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 5:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm sure if you gave bad feedback about your school to In-Hui that she would not continue placing teachers there. Sometimes recruiters get burned by schools too. She seemed very interested in making sure both the schools and the teachers were happy. At least that's the sense I got from her anyway.
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jgrant85



Joined: 31 May 2009

PostPosted: Sun Jan 24, 2010 5:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry to bump this old thread. Embarassed

I do have an important question though. Can anyone give me the website for the agency? I tried the one I found but the web page appears to not be working.

http://www.appletreerecruit.com/
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dirving



Joined: 19 Nov 2009
Location: South Korea

PostPosted: Sun Jan 24, 2010 5:20 am    Post subject: Re: AVOID APPLETREE/ EDU Reply with quote

deadhead09 wrote:
this recruiter offered what i thought was a good position with a hakwon in seoul. was lied to on several occasions. most importantly was put into a horrible working environment. was told that even though the school was brand new that there were enough finances to make it through the tough times. of course that lie showed itself in my first three months on the job. was forced to leave when the school ran into dire financial problems and became unable to pay its bills. the recruiting service head office is located in the US. she- the head boss in charge- will tell you lies and make promises of great offers. her subordinates here in korea make attempts to be helpful but are nothing more than pawns. i regret getting involved with this recuriter. was told that they would help me sort out my problems and would be there in times of need. however this proved to be completely false. want to put out the warning so that others do not make the same mistake.



The older woman who's lived near Boulder for about 30 years is not to be trusted at all: She tried the same nonsense on me in 2008-'09.

DI
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sketcha



Joined: 05 Sep 2007
Location: Seoul, South Korea

PostPosted: Sun Jan 24, 2010 7:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

didnt anyone actually read the OP's message and know what's his real beef is?

this is what I get from reading it (reading, not skimming) ~

the OP's beef is not with the school, nor does he blame Appletree that the school went under

but the real beef is that he felt he was lied to in terms of promises made by Appletree, especially by In Hui

In Hui made several promises that she failed to deliver to the OP

She might've been great and friendly at finding you the position, but if she gave her word that she would take care of you - (which she shouldnt in the first place), then it would be good if she follow through on her words.
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