Job Discussion Forums

cj750 · Joined: 27 Apr 2004 Posts: 3081 Location: Beijing

TW is this speculation or are you answering the question.

edwinagirl · Joined: 05 Jul 2004 Posts: 68 Location: beijing

To answer the OPs original question, no, you won't be discriminated against for being a woman. EF is a Scandanavian outfit, so they are not sexist in their approach.

Working at EF has its advantages - if you are young, and resilient, you can learn a lot. Overall, however, I must be honest, it is not a rewarding experience. The EF approach is to exploit teachers for every hour they can squeeze out of them. As a DOS, this puts you in a very difficult position - by being loyal to the job description, you automatically conflict with the teachers, who often feel exploited. Add to this the experience of a first-time job in China, and you have a huge challenge on your hands. Nor is the pay particularly good. I say, look at the options.

tw · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 3898

tw · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 3898

tony lee · Joined: 03 Apr 2004 Posts: 79 Location: Australia

nolefan · Joined: 14 Jan 2004 Posts: 1458 Location: on the run

Very well said, Tony!

Most people just think that all recruiters are out to get them and take away a part of their salary when that is seldom the case.

Yes, there are some snakes out there who have no office, no licence and no conscience either. They promise the moon and the stars and when anything bad happens, they're nowhere to be found; The cell phones are turned off, emails are no longer answered etc...

Remember that folks like Buckland, New Times International and Yakup deal with hundreds of schools and teachers a year and they do have quite a bit to put up with sometimes. They give you a place to stay, they feed you, you always have the option to come back if things don't work out for you at the school... geez, not every "teacher" can be 100% happy no matter how hard they try. And some of them do try pretty hard!

We make it a point to talk about all the so-called bad schools and bad agencies but we tend to forget that there are quite a few rotten apples in the teaching community that make it hard for everyone else. Those are the teachers that skip town because they found a better offer after they signed a contract, teachers that show up to class drunk or late, teachers that are here for reasons other than teaching.......

jencoyle · Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 4 Location: spain

Thanks for the advice folks. Seems there's quite a mixed bag of opinions out there regarding EF. As it seems to vary such alot between specific schools, I guess I'll take my chances. All the best Smile

tony lee · Joined: 03 Apr 2004 Posts: 79 Location: Australia

"No matter how deep a study you make, what you really have to rely on is your own intuition, and when it comes down to it, you really don't know what's going to happen until you do it." Konosuke Mat su sh ita

Have a go Jen. The biggest factor in your success or otherwise is how you yourself will react to the situations and no advise or comment from us can prdict how that will turn out.

[What's this "beep" thing Dave -- is M-a-t-s-u-s-h-i-t-a a rude word

gulam2 · Joined: 19 May 2005 Posts: 137

Dear Lady,
Yes "have a go"
But maybe you could promise me that once the bad experience is over
you will return and thank all the contributors to this thread by WARNING
future teachers?
gulam2

tony lee · Joined: 03 Apr 2004 Posts: 79 Location: Australia

give it a rest Colin

Zero Hero · Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Posts: 944

englishgibson · Joined: 09 Mar 2005 Posts: 4345

Zero Hero, I like your point of view above.

The bottom line here is that the EF franchiser's influence on the EF English First centers in China is ridiculously minimal. So, anyone suggesting here that the founder is Scandinavian and so are the EF standards in China is preposterous.

"Calling all female DoSs" and now is your time ladies again.

Cheers and beers

Zero Hero · Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Posts: 944

Presumably 'edwinagirl' would also claim that, as Bertil Hult is dyslexic, all EF employees necessarily are too.

http://www.garry.karen.btinternet.co.uk/famous.dyslexics.htm

Chris_Crossley · Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2005 5:55 am Post subject: Don't be so naive!

englishgibson · Joined: 09 Mar 2005 Posts: 4345

Yes Chris, MONEY and CONNECTIONS mean everything to franchising and there is no exception in EF English First, more over there is a huge need for both of the above there. The EF marketing strategy in China is to prey on those retired high ranked military officers and other retired government officers that were in high positions previously. I would like to add that franchising is also taking CONTROL of the market and that�s what they are trying to do in China. Foreigners are increasingly getting into the Chinese market, although there is a lot of attempt to have them under some kind of a CONTROL and the retired military/government officers might as well provide that CONTROL, MONEY, and CONNECTIONS never mind the education aspect of the business (poor English learners), otherwise the EF English First would not exist in China. Who would really pay 2,000 000 RMB for an EF franchised center with obligations of 10 % royalty fees and with that �promise� of the return on the investment in �just three years�.