Job Discussion Forums

[elsay]

I know I've heard many horror stories and disapprovals of recruitment companies but what about Footprints? It seems pretty credible and I don't even have to pay them to look for anything for me! My friend told me they came to promote and talk about their company during her linguistics class at my university as well. They are a company from Vancouver, BC, Canada. To me, it sounds and looks ok. BUT..have you guys heard anything about them? Thanks!!

http://footprintsrecruiting.com/index.php?abarcar_Session=8a854650240e864d86dda3e1f95a3922

[teacha]

Bad news.

[clark.w.griswald]

Footprints would be one of the better recruiters here in Taiwan. As always exercise due caution and research what you are told, but overall I wouldn't expect that you will have any trouble with them. They will most likely place you with Kojen school so you might like to do some background research on Kojen also.

[Pop Fly]

[elsay]

[tink_007]

[clark.w.griswald]

[TaoyuanSteve]

I agree that teacha is providing no real information here. However, taking the line of advising against recruiters is not mere generalising, it is advice that has a sound grounding in the reality of the TEFL world.

It's little news to long term readers of this board that I had a less than positive experience with recruiters. This experience, however, didn't on its own make me anti-recruiter. I've met countless others in my time in Taiwan who have also come away unsatisfied from their dealings with recruiters. Problems have ranged from low paying jobs in the sticks, to broken promises and rip-offs. These kinds of experiences, in combination with my own, have led me to forward the following "rules of thumb" or "advice" (though some may call them 'generalizations' if they please):

a) Recruiters are not necessary to obtain employment as an English teacher in Taiwan. Even if one wants to secure a job ahead of departure, there are more than adequate resources to do so without the use of an agent who works for commissions. Search Hess, Jordan, Joy, Giraffe as well as sites like this one and tealit among others for plenty of contacts.

b) Enough people have had problems with recruiters to consider them a risk. Given a), it is not hard to conclude that this is an easily avoidable risk and one that ought to be avoided.

c) The veteran consensus of opinion is against the use of recruiters. Go to Forumosa.com and ask if recruiters are a good thing (search first as I bet this has been asked before). I bet you'd get at least 3:1 against recruiters. Also search tealit.com for an informative article about recruiters and agents.

[clark.w.griswald]

[Pop Fly]

T Steve,

You know me to be pretty much against all recruiters. I and friends have used Jenny Liar for interviews b4 and I've even been sent on an interview by Ms. Lin from the Cosmo hotel. Furthermore, you know that I don't really like KoJen all that much.

So why do I come out with a positive take on Footprints? Because I used them to get into KoJen. As a matter of fact, they conducted the interview, then recommended me as a suitable candidate to Prentiss, then HR Mgr for KoJen.

Now Prentiss spent more time on this board than anyone. He kept meticulous files and had the memory of 3 elephants. So good was his memory that he recalled my name from somewhere and found a resume I had posted some 6-8 months earlier claiming that I was only interested in Director positions. Prentiss turned down Footprints recommendation that I be hired.

When Footprints called me, they were more broken up than I was. And given the personal shite that was swirling around the toilet bowl that was my life at the time, that's a lot of empathy. It was way beyond the call of duty or the desire for a commission.

I consoled the guy and told him not to worry, I'd fix it. He gave me Prentiss' number and time to call. I did and insured P that the posting he was referring to was more of a fishing expedition than representative of my current ambitions. He was impressed with my stoicism and offered me a job.

Footprints then made sure I was doing okay with a steady flow of contact over the next 6 months. If I had accepted P's oringinal evaluation of me (he suggested I'd best be suited teaching adults) I'd prolly still be with KoJen and be directing one of their adult schools. But I was broke and in a hurry to work, so they (Prentiss/KoJen) put me in School 4 kids. My own impatience made the bed for the trials that would fill the following 10 months. The Harridan that runs #4 Kids would break a saint, never mind some recalcitrant person like myself who'll never learn to suffer injustice or fools gladly (or silently). It is because of her that I suggest people give KoJen a wide berth, on the off chance that you may land in one of the schools she breathes her dragon breath over. That's pretty much all of SW Taipei (city and county).

I also take exception with their tired old curriculum, as I am struggling to undo the crap my students have learned from such places as KoJen, but hey, that also means more work, so more hours, so more $$$.

So, if the OP or others are in a situation where they are broke, unsure or just plain scared, then KoJen is an okay training ground for a year and Footprints can help you get your footprint in the door, as it were, without any cost to the teacher.

What's so wrong about that?

Sure, if I was to do it over again, what with my magical 20-20 hindsight, I would just show up and start interviewing everywhere I could on my own. But I completely understand how this may not be for everyone. So, until someone who can supply that comfort and ease of transition without locking into a year in a suspect contract with a sight-unseen school, Footprints remains a viable option to good people.

Just don't let them place you in the SW part of Taipei. You've been warned.

[krustyloaf]

Hi,

I just wanted to say that I've been dealing with Footprints for a few weeks now and can only say positive things about them. Granted, I'm not yet able to say conclusively how everything has gone because I'm not yet in Taiwan (end of November it'll be), but they are the company I've used to find me a job and help me with the move. I think for those who have either moved so far before without a job and therefore aren't worried about it, or have a decent amount of money saved, using an agency such as this wouldn't be quite so attractive, but I have to say that having the backup has certainly put my mind at ease. They sent me a guide to the moving process, going through what I need to do step by step, and the contact I have there (who is now exclusively responsible for Taiwan - Jenn Marcus she's called) is exceptionally friendly and helpful. Having lived in Kaoshung herself for a year and a half, I found her a goldmine of information and spent about an hour on the phone to her getting as good an idea about what to expect as possible. And she always does her utmost to answer any questions you have, no matter how trivial.

OK, I know this sounds like I work for them or something, but I'm actually not the kind of person to throw compliments around freely - especially when it's regarding a company whose primary motive always has to be profit. However, I saw negative feedback on this thread that seemed entirely unwarranted and thought I had to add to it.

Hope this helps,

Nathan

[Ki]

I like most other people first came to Taiwan thinking that because of my position, lack of funds and experience, having a job secured before I arrived would be in my best interest. So when I was offered what I thought was a job I took it. Thus began a year of hell with a less than honest "consultant company". NOT Footprints.

The one positive thing that they provided was airport pickup. But it is really so easy and cheap to do it yourself that this meagre service didn't really make much difference. They also provided accomodation and later gave me 12 hours notice to move accomodation, because they just neglected to inform me, into the dirtiest most horrid place with no hot water and a blocked toilet. So make sure that you check out the accomodation before comitting to anything. They would lie to me for no reason except that perhaps they thought I might possibly use the truth against them. They held my passport and degree hostage and wouldn't return them saying that they were "safe". My contract hours changed for the worse but I was never reimbursed. They often underpaid me. Then when I did complete my contract, probably the only teacher that ever has under them they decided to keep my bond money and not pay the money owed from my last month thinking that because I was no longer in the country I was no longer a problem. Emails were simply ignored.

So yes, I was a little bitter about it. But just because one recruiter has decided that it will steal as much money as possible from teachers it doesn't mean that every recruiter will. Sure, recruiter positions often paid less and are often in less than desirable locales. The contracts also seem to contain more adverse clauses and penalties than other jobs. So make sure that you know what you are getting yourself into. And NEVER sign your contract with the actual recruiter. Only go through them to sign the contract with the school. Another reason to be in Taiwan first so you can interview and check out the town for yourself.

Even if you sign a contract overseas, don't worry because it isn't legal anyway. If you come here having signed with a recruiter and find that the offer isn't suitable then get out as soon as you can.

But that doesn't mean that you should not sign with a recruiter. I agree with Clark that although recruiters are not necessary some people will absolutely insist on using them. So it is very beneficial to let people know which recruiters are honest and which ones are, well, less honest.

[Aristotle]

[clark.w.griswald]