Job Discussion Forums

[zaser45]

Does anyone here work at EF or ever applied to EF? I would like to know how you were hired. It seems like there is just one recruiter at EF that does all the hiring, this is a big obstacle if you really want to get a job there. If this lady does not like you or has a biased toward you, you can never get hired by EF. What can we do in this situation? How can we bypass this main recruiter if we want a job at EF?

[johntpartee]

English First is a very strange outfit. They have all these rules that they try to pass off as Chinese law, e.g., visa regulations, minimum and maximum age requirements, etc. They gave me so much double-talk that I just gave them a pass. They seem to want neophytes straight out of ESL training that they can mold into their idea of what a teacher should be.

[golsa]

A better question is why on earth do you want to work for EF?

[Teacher Jack]

If you really really really want to work at EF, pm me. The local EF has been looking for more than a year to find a native speaker....they currently only have filipino teachers.

[bestteacher2012]

For EF schools in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen you have to apply through their HR office. Other cities you apply directly to the school.

[B4UGO]

EF was the very first place I worked in China and yes, getting hired there is a complicated pain in the ass. But after a few months and about 20 schedule changes (no exaggeration) I had to fake a family medical emergency back home to get out of there! Maybe things have changed but I have not heard anything positive from my old friends there and someone told me they were on CCTV for some scandal about three months ago. I ran into my old supervisor at Mix and she told me she left two weeks after me! My brother in Los Angeles tells me they are advertising like crazy for teachers to come work in China.

[bestteacher2012]

[vikeologist]

EF has a central recruitment department which some EF schools use to find teachers, but many of them find their own teachers. if they use EF Recruitment (maybe not its official name) then they have to pay a fee.

Some (I'd imagine most, but I honestly have no way of knowing, bestteacher could be spot on) Most EFs are franchises and the owners don't want to pay EF Head Office for something they can do themselves.

Most EFs are deperate for teachers, but sure, the most popular locations can pick and choose a bit more, and the visa requirements are that much strictly adhered to by the PSB.

Anyway, I have worked for EF. If you want to work for them try the Ningbo schools. I'd say they're as good as you get with EF.

Has the recruiter told you why she doesn't like you or is biased towards you? If she has a reason for believing that you're not a good match for an EF school, it's possible she's right. It's not for everyone. There's plenty of people start working at EF and then winge and moan, sometimes with cause, sometimes with none. It's kind of her job to wean out the people who aren't going to be up to scratch.

She's probably just looking for someone a little younger, but I was older than you when I started teaching there, so if its that don't worry too much, (as long you're fairly fit. If you're morbidly obese then IMHO EF is not the place for you if you're going to working with kids).

You can easily bypass her though. I'm sure there are EF branches so awful and desperate that their criteria are minimal.

So, I'm not asking this as an anti-EF person. It's a serious question. Why do you want to work for EF?

[creeper1]

People are asking a question "why do you want to work with EF?" when it ought to be plain staring you in the face why the OP and other people want to work for EF.

There aren't that many good employers in China!

On paper, it looks not that bad. 13,000 Yuan (in Beijing and big cities) and a proper Z-visa. A hotel when you first arrive. Help with getting an apartment as well as a start up loan.

However

Many people have a hard time in EF. They work you hard and you may not get along with the middle level management or your local DOS. There is a culture among many of the rank and file teachers of just bending over and taking it. And yes they complain quite a lot and much of it is justified.

OP. Tell us what city you want to work in and we may be able to give you alternative company names for you to try.

[kungfuman]

When I first had an interest in coming to China I had a phone interview with EF. A recruiter from corporate in the UK called me. The salary and locations she promised were not what panned out.

So I passed - as did thousands of others I think.

[zaser45]

I don't know why this lady refuses me, maybe it is the age limit, I think I am qualified enough. I wanted to choose EF because it sounded reasonable. Good working conditions, good class curriculum, also able to get a Z visa. As well as others such as medical insurance. I am keen on working in Shenzhen or Guangzhou most likely.

[cedarstreetcowboy]

As a former EF employee, I'd advise you to give the place a big miss.

The salary they offer really isn't anything exceptional since they don't provide housing, and in big centres like Shenzhen, Beijing, or Shanghai, that's a very crucial detail.

The classroom materials range from passable to dismal.

I personally found the little edutainment classes we had to organize (English Corner I think it was, or something like that), tedious at best.

Some of the mid-level managers are dreadful human beings and even worse administrators.

Just about all of my ex-coworkers, foreign and Chinese, quit.

There are better opportunities out there.

Best of luck.

[golsa]

[golsa]

To the person who sent me a private message about this thread:

My phone can't send private messages. I'll respond as soon as I have access to a computer.

[Denim-Maniac]