Job Discussion Forums

[CV]

This is my first time posting. I was wondering if you get in touch with a recruiter, what's the most he can ask for when you start to apply? is it safe to send a photocopy of a diploma and passport if he asks for one? Also, should I trust them if they say that it's better if you don't have much experience besides a BA because the school wants to mold you "to suit the exigencies of culture here." Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[Glenski]

It might depend on which country the recruiter is from, but sending a photocopy of your passport is usually only needed to start processing of a work visa, so it won't otherwise be necessary. Photocopies of your diploma might also fall under the same category.

Molding you sounds like the situation here in Japan. No experience is indeed needed for entry level work. Some employers want to train you on their own system and don't want you rocking the boat with new ideas. Some employers (like the JET Programme) just want people as green as possible because they can show off their own culture more effectively than someone who has lived in Japan for the past 5 years.

[tedkarma]

Most recruiters will want to build a little package about you - to show to your potential employers. So - I would guess that they would like photocopies of all qualifications and the face page of your passport.

Not providing them with what they ask for - might well limit your possibilities.

I, in the past, used recruiters for jobs twice and found that cooperating with them in a positive manner worked very much to my benefit.

[NathanRahl]

Personally I'd be weary. Someone who feeds you this kind of line is usually full of it, not always, but if they sound like they are selling something, be weary. Also, don't deal with a recruiter if you can avoid it, trust me. talking to a school directly is always better. First off, you can make more generally uif you talk directly to a school. Secondly, the recruiter takes a piece of your salary. If your making 5,000, their getting 7,000 or 8,000 for you, and pocketing the rest. This is because in many area's a recruiter has the contacts to get the visa's, and the schols do not, it's all about who you know. Recruiters are not all bad, don't get me wrong, they are a product of their environment, but some are worse then others, and it could be argue that finding a good one will make it the best of the worst. Anyhow, talk to the school if you can, avoid recruiters unless you otherwise have no choice. As for giving them your photos and such, recruiters will often contaxct a school claiming to be you, negotiate as you, then get a good salary, and present you with a salary which is about a third of what they got, pretending to be you. then they get paid, and then they pay you. It is all very low down and seedy, but thats how it often works. So, deal with a school, look here, and elsewhere, they are out there, you just have to really really search, cause many a school is a recruiter pretending to be one. Later.

[ls650]

Recruiters generally are not great to deal with. They're in it to make money first; finding you a decent job always takes second place.

Decide where you want to teach, and then start researching in the forums for that particular area. You are likely to find yourself a better job if you do your own research.

[Gregor]

NathanRahl wrote:

[NathanRahl]

Now I'm not saying all recrutiers are bad, don't get me wrong. however the good ones are rare. The good ones only take a one time fee from the school, and you end up working for the school, getting payed by the school, and so on and so forth. The majority though, stay on you after you get the job, suck money from your hard work, and generally are a plague on mankind. yeah, they have the connections, usually not so above boards ones, to get almost anyone the proper visa, however, is this good? I think the school would be better served to hire folks to handle this specifically, and pay them decently. That way they would actually save quite a bit, since they would save the extra they must pay for the recruiter to pocket, as wel as the initial finders fee. If anyone has found a good recruiters who doesn't continue on as a parasite after they got you the job, let me know, I'd sure love to meet them.

[Gregor]

I'd like to go on record now saying that I have never used a recruiter. They are unneccesary (is that spelled right??). Really, if yo have some confidence, you'd be best to go to the country of your choice and look for work. Another option is Dave's joblist. Dave's was my one and only job source for YEARS. I do more research now, because Im often looking for a more specific thing, or more money (like, for example, a DoS job). Plus, I have connections these days (not bragging - anyone on the job for more than a year would know that it's not much to brag about, hahaha).
Seriously - look at a lot of job ads right here on Dave's and apply. Take the first one offered that doesn't seem dodgey. Dodgy. Whatever.
Not 100% safe, but what is? I've never gone wrong or been screwed in the nine-plus years I've been in this field.
And I've heard NIGHTMARES about recruiters. They are not necessary.

[tedkarma]

I'll "go on record now" and say I have used a recruiter twice and they did a GREAT job for me.

I didn't have "confidence" for my first EFL job in 1991 - I had never worked in EFL and had never been to Korea before. I couldn't read or write Korean.

My first job worked out poorly - but my recruiter was VERY helpful and I ended up with an excellent college job with 20 weeks PAID vacation, four day work week, eleven teaching hours per week. Not bad!!

[Pollux]