Job Discussion Forums

[pystough]

Generally do you find it easy to get information about prospective jobs from former teachers? Or even current teachers?

It's impossible it seems. For every 10 enquiries I make, maybe one will respond to me, but usually with little more than "yeah it's a good gig" or "no, it's rubbish".

Do people just not have any concern for whether or not another foreigner is able to evaluate a position and come to a reasoned decision over a job, or are most teachers just too overworked and too busy to reply? Or maybe they feel their experiences are too subjective to be of value to other prospective teachers.

Kind of frustrating trying to get any kind of information.

[FreakingTea]

I didn't have any problem getting a reply. The guy answered all my questions, and was prompt. I suspected he was a fake because his written English was so terrible, but I took the job anyway, and met him at a school banquet recently. Real English speaker, from England. With atrocious spelling and no understanding of punctuation. He writes like one of my students would, and it's kind of amazing.

I know that was off-topic. I was just amazed by it.

[rogerwilco]

I have both given and received school info on the phone.

People might be willing to give more info if you can call and talk with them instead of expecting them to sit down and write a lengthy email.

For my current job I send an email to the previous teacher asking her if it was ok to call her, and at what time. I had a list of questions ready when I called, and she was kind enough to talk with me for about 30 minutes answering all of my questions.

[pystough]

Thanks guys - sage advice.

I'll try this in future.

[Harbin]

It probably goes without saying, but you should ask to speak to foreign teachers when they're away from work. My company is currently trying to hire several more foreign teachers, who occasionally ask to speak with a current foreign employee during work hours. Guess what happens? 9 times out of 10, the boss sits right beside the foreign teacher while they're talking with the perspective employee.

[johntpartee]

[Bud Powell]

I agree with Harbin. I'd get at least TWO FTs on the phone. I made the mistake of taking the word of a single teacher who had been at the school for four years. I didn't bother to get a second opinion. When I got there, I found that for four years, every other teacher had either left in the night or was fired. The female FT was drama queen and a compulsive liar who kept things continually stirred up.

Get as many referrals as you can.

[Denim-Maniac]

Id refuse a phone call TBH ... Im not a phone person, dont have a simcard in my mobile for that reason. (just weixin on wifi). Emails are OK ... but it can be frustrating to reply to people. Ive had long emails, sent long emails ... and had no reply. Also had confrontational newbies trying to argue with me about how much they should get paid and what they arent prepared to accept when that is nothing to do with me at all, and it only serves to turn me off the applicant.

Ive told my boss I wouldnt employ a few of them ... mainly those who have zero interest in discussing or commenting on the teaching practice and just get stroppy over salary.

Havent been asked to contact any prospective teachers this year though. Dont think Ive had to email anyone since 2012. We dont seem to have too many new teachers these days. 9 FTs at the moment ... 7 of us on our 3rd or more contract.

[thechangling]