Job Discussion Forums

[Carolebest]

i've been communicating with a recruiter in Hefei, China for 2 mo now and my "letter of invitation" is supposed to be in the works for the next week. In negotiations he would never send me a contract even tho he's sent me loads of stuff on China and pictures of the school etc. He says by local law they don't do it. The name of the school is Bluniverse in Hefei. Has anyone heard of it? and should a person go even tho they won't send a contract?..they've been good at everything else and i said send it just so i can read it even if i have to sign over there..the answer was still "no". Everythin;g you hear and read says "Do Not Go Without a Contract" are there exceptions?.. Also, i asked to communicate with a teacher there and he sent me the email to a fellow who has been friends with the owner for 10 yrs.....It seems they've been so efficient in everything else i'm really need to hear from someone over there in the know! Thanks to anyone who can let me know!..C[list]

[kev7161]

No, they are hiding something. If it is a Chinese "law", then it is a new one that I've never heard of and has yet to be discussed here at Dave's. My guess is that they are telling you one thing and the contract says something else. Perhaps there are extra duties on the contract without extra pay. Perhaps there are some severe restrictions when it comes to holidays or living arrangements. I would be very wary if I couldn't see the contract before I came all the way to China.

My future job sent me the "appendix" to the contract which, my contact says, is where all the negotiation stuff is. She says that the actual contract part is just a "standard" Chinese contract and, by the way, she doesn't have it on her computer to send as an attachment. Hmmm. Luckily, I'm not in the same boat as you. I'm planning on traveling up there this weekend to have a look and to POSSIBLY sign it if it seems above board.

[go_ABs]

No. Don't fuss around with this lot. As Kev says, if it IS a law, then it's not one that people take any notice of. I DEFINITELY would NOT head anywhere without seeing a contract. A signed one, preferably.

Also, what do you know of Hefei? I live an hour and a half from there. It's not exactly wonderland, though tolerable. I sometimes go there to stock up on butter and cheese. It has a vaguely good 'wild' animal park. It also has plenty of beggars, starers and people; it's quite a condensed city.

It's a bit personal, so only answer if you wish: what salary are they offering? I work in a private school outside of Hefei and earn 8,000 a month. In Hefei the minimum offer should be ~4,500, though 5,500+ would be better. Depends on whether it's private or public, though.

Anyway, good luck with your decision, and remember to tell us how you get on.

PS I've just re-read your post. Is the recruiter offering you a job in Hefei? Perhaps they are reluctant to send you a contract because once you arrive they will try and farm you out to other schools in other places. Have a look around these boards and there's very little to say that's positive about recruiters in China. The general feeling is to negotiate personally with the school you are interested in.

[SimonM]

If it's a law it's only a couple of weeks old. I asked for a copy of the contract at my job less than a month ago and I was sent one without any hassle.

[lowes13]

Based on the info you provide I would be very suspicious of Bluniverse and indeed I would be looking elsewhere for work.

The contract is something you must see before coming to China, no need for discussion! If you take the time to read on this forum you'll discover that even though FT's have agreed to a contract they've seen there can still be difficulties down the line.

You describe them as being "very efficient in everything else" when the "everything else" is of little importance, think about it.
Photos of the school are virtually never truly representative of a school and will provide no proof as to what life will be like there. They are efficient in the sales pitch and not much more, the fact they use an old friend as a reference should really make alarms bell ring for you.

Remove the doubt aspect and look to another company or school unless you can see the contract, I would choose somewhere else anyway.

Good Luck!

[Roger]

You mentioned a "recruiter" and a school - the latter going by the name of 'Bluniverse". Are the one and the same?
Recruiters normally are go-betweens that accept no responsibility for those they hire on behalf of an employer. You have to sign a contract with your employer; recruiters mostly are illegitimate businesspeople. In fact, the majority of them are ex-FAO's who simply learnt the tricks of their new trade while on the job working for a public school where they were the only ones who could communicate with English speakers.
I would be doubly careful in this case. Hefei is a backwater and you cannot choose from among many jobs in that area.
Why don't you ask your would-be hirer whether they are going to hire you legally, i.e. offer you a work permit, resident's permit and a one-year contract with airfare paid at the end of your stint?
If he says yes, then he should also be willing to forward to you a signed contract. And an invitation letter for your visa application.

[tofuman]

Eager to take that job and come to China? Careful. There are lots of legitimate jobs available. If you are willing to fly around the world on the word of a person who may be a liar, a cheat, and a thief, slow way down.

[Carolebest]

I can't thank everyone enuf for their responses to my "contract" dilema!..to answer a few questions..they are offering 3500-4500/mo in this private school. The guy i've been writing is an attorney from California (so he says.. from not far from where i used to live ..might also be a pitch!)..i'm not sure if he's and independant recruiter because i had the understanding he worked for the school, now i don't know what to believe. The climate , niceness and convenience is important to me and again thanks to the person who told me it was a "backwater" ,.not my scene at all!! and with so