Job Discussion Forums

mehrlin26 · Joined: 20 Feb 2004 Posts: 52 Location: South Korea

I'm looking for university jobs in China. Now, I've never worked there before so I'm a bit unfamiliar about how things work over there.

I was having an interview with a recruiter yesterday on Skype. Interviewer and recruiter seemed legit until they said that I would need to take a TEFL certificate in order for the Uni to consider me (and lo and behold the recruiter offers an online TEFL for a cut-rate price). I have a CELTA.

My question being is this normal procedure? I was in contact with another recruiter who offered a Uni job and they failed to mention this part. Am I being paranoid or am I right to be suspicious?

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

buravirgil

hz88 · Joined: 27 Sep 2015 Posts: 162

I would agree with buravirgil's comments.

If it was a native speaker(s) they are simply trying to flog you a TEFL course and will earn commission from it. Chalk that up to experience and if they bother you again tell them to flog it somewhere else.

If not I guess that they don't know what CELTA means. It would be accepted without question. Politely explain the difference and invite them to check with their SAFEA office and hint you have found another job that will accept it. That will probably get them to change their tune somewhat.

Most if not all provinces do require it now, mine certainly does and we have to upload a copy of the certificate before we can get approval for your application.

Not all recruiters are dishonest but it is generally easier if you bypass them. We haven't used them at our school for the last four years and the endless problems we did have when we did were eliminated almost overnight essentially due to the endless lies they used to tell the applicants just to get their commission. Just my humble opinion..

mehrlin26 · Joined: 20 Feb 2004 Posts: 52 Location: South Korea

Thanks for your replies. The job was in Shanghai and Shanghai region.

The interviewer appeared to be native speaker (excellent English, North American accent or possibly mid-Atlantic accent).

Flogging a useless TEFL course eh? It could be an honest mistake. I'll check back with them.

mehrlin26 · Joined: 20 Feb 2004 Posts: 52 Location: South Korea

HZ88, where does your school go to look when you do need teachers?

hz88 · Joined: 27 Sep 2015 Posts: 162

this very website is our first choice.

pm sent.

Dan123 · Joined: 08 Jan 2014 Posts: 112

It's either the recruiter trying to get a bit of extra money from you, or they simply don't know what a CELTA is. If you explain to them that a CELTA is an internationally recognised certificate and is one of the best ESL certificates available, and he still insists that you need to take his course, then he's full of crap and you should move on to somewhere else.

If this person really is a non Chinese recruiter, they should definitely be aware what a CELTA is.

It's true that many regulations in many places do require a TEFL certificate now, but a CELTA is more than ample to pass this requirement.

22Yossarian · Joined: 20 Jan 2013 Posts: 68

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

mehrlin26 · Joined: 20 Feb 2004 Posts: 52 Location: South Korea

"You will be amazed how little English teaching "professionals" actually know about the industry in China."

Incidentally, how many recruiters are former English teachers themselves?