Job Discussion Forums

[HollyC]

Hi. Has anyone ever gone through this recruiting agency?

[eslstudies]

Holly, you seem detemined to go down the chain school and recruiter pathway. Why?
if you've got a degree, why not approach public universities directly? The benefits would certainly outweigh the drawbacks, and for a first-timer, its a much more secure option than swimming with sharks.

[HollyC]

Hi. Thanks for your email. Actually I have been teaching english for around 7 years so it's not my first time. It's not that I'm going the chain school way or the recruiting way..its just that I want to go to China and I dont know much about these schools that are advertising here so I'm just putting in questions. If you ask me about Japan, of course I can tell you which schools are chain schools but I have no idea about schools in China. I've heard way too many stories about people getting scammed and I dont want to go all the way over there only to be left standing there with nothing. I haven't signed anything or agreed to work for any one school. I'm basically just trying to get info from people who have lived there or worked at these schools. and actually my first job in japan which paid the most...I got through a recruiting agency. They aren't all that bad.

[Steppenwolf]

Many FTs negotiate deals direct with their "end users" i.e. employers, not with go-betweens. No matter whether the agency is overseas-based or run from China, they are unlikely to be in direct charge of you, and should you fall foul of the system, your employer or the environemnt you will be really left to your own devices or your people skills in securing your exit with your contract partner (not your agency!).

I don't know whether "many FTs" means "the majority" but clearly, the majority here would prefer being hired by their own employers rather than being involved in a triangular relationship.

There are some recruiters that are clean and deserving of praise; Footprints hasn't generated any waves yet, apparently, which can mean that they are totally new and no one has has problems with them yet.

Unfortunately, most advertisers are agencies. This becomes quite obvious when you read "80 teachers needed" or "positions available all over China".
Trouble is that some are legitimate and some are not; many hire you, then shunt you off to a new employer (who pays them a commission to take you).
I don't know whether this system is akin to a slave market!

[Noelle]

This REALLY IS a good recruiting agency. They know what they're doing and even though they are a business, they are about keeping their reputation with schools and teachers in good standing and they will not screw anyone over.

I've come across very little negative feedback about Footprints. The only thing I can think of is that they are a bit picky about the age of their applicants and they require a bachelors degree. They do work with teachers primarily from Canada and the U.S. but I've met a handful of others placed by them who are not North American.

If anyone is interested in personal contacts for Footprints teachers, feel free to PM me.