Job Discussion Forums

gerard49 · Joined: 23 Oct 2003 Posts: 44 Location: Zhaoqing

Has anyone had a really positive experience with an agent to be able to recommend any, one that doesn't dump you after he gets his commission?From people I talk to, they're no better than used car salemen. Ours works out of Beijing, promised big salaries, great localities, free tours, train excursions etc, etc. He conveniently forgot to tell us before we left , the positions we supposedly had were filled, but "hey, there's some great jobs going in north-western China!" It was more luck than good management that we were able to get good positions through other contacts.
If you must deal with an agent, my advise to current job hunters is to demand to speak with the school admin and at least one foreign teacher before u leave home. Also verify where you will be accommodated and what grades you will be teaching. Ideally, bypass the agent and try to contact the Education Bureau in the city or province of your choice.

shenyanggerry · Joined: 02 Nov 2003 Posts: 619 Location: Canada

I had a very positive experience with an agent. I posted my resume here and was picked up by a recruiter from Shenyang. She placed me at a university where I was very happy. She did feed me a little bull but conditions were better than I had expected.

Just received an email yesterday saying my job was waiting when I come back for next semester.

Kapt. Krunch · Joined: 01 Apr 2003 Posts: 163

I'm not sure what a good contract entails for you. If you like having back-up though, tlak to none other than Owen Buckland. He be many things but he's always "got your back".

fat_chris · Joined: 10 Sep 2003 Posts: 3198 Location: Beijing

gerard,

step right up and take a fine look at this outstanding specimen, a '76 Ford Pinto. the price is right, only 12,000 RMB, but since you're my friend I'll give it to you for only 9,000 RMB, yes, my friend, you heard correctly, only 9,000 RMB, that's 4,500 RMB down and I'll even throw in the rear view mirrors for you, free of charge. You are my friend, after all, remember. Hey, tell all of your friend's about fat_chris's auto trader english school agency.

Wink

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

Many schools don't bother hiring by themselves, or don't know how to do it (because they don't know websites, or don't have someone competent and proficient in English), so that's why some recruityers come in handy.
Not that I recommend them in general. They are a plague, bloodsuckers, joyriders, sycophants, parasites, but China is a parasitically-orchestated society.
Part-time jobs? You get loaned to public schools or private companies. YOur employer is your agent.
Find a jb on the Internet? How do you tell the job offer being made to you is not from an agent? You know it only when you have professed being interested in their offer.

I will even defend one of them (I could defend two that I and some of you know): She contacted me on behalf of several schools (and when she mentioned there was a school that offered "8000 kuai", I finally realised she was a recruiter). I was interested in that job, and got it!
But the school failed to enter into a contract with me, preferring to pay me hourly wages for part-time, which fluctuated from week to week, never quite reaching the 8000-per month level. When I was not paid for one week of holidays, I threw the towel - not just because of the missing 2000, but because the remaining thee weeks left me with painfully fewer periods than in the previous month, and the contract was still in the pipeline but nowhere near my desk to sign.
The recruiter accepted my complaints and got in touch with me again, with new offers.
YOu see - the school not only broke its various promises vis-a-vis me, but it also failed to honour its engagement to the recruiter for paying her the commission!
Both the recruiters and the schools tend to be sharks - but not all recruiters are bad, nor are all schools unreliable.

Changjiang · Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 55

I'm pretty happy with my agent and have been for going on 14 months now. Granted, I live in the sticks, but that's where I like it. PM me if you'd like to hear about him and specifics of my contract, (I'm a little uncomfortable directly advertising for someone).

Gerards advice is excellent re: speaking to an FE from the school or working for the recruiter. You can buy a decent used car if you kick the tires good and hard before you pay.