Job Discussion Forums

[jonniboy]

Caxton College is undoubtedly a real school but as ever the school name has been hijacked by scammers, complete with the usual giveaway inflated salary and promises of visas for non-EU citizens.

(3,300EUR ) comfortable accommodation, health insurance and visa assistance for non EU citizens etc...

Avoid!

[adrianmark]

Is this part of the Caxton College scam, too or actually a genuine post?

BRITISH CO-EDUCATIONAL SCHOOL IN SEARCH OF AMERICAN AND CANADA LANGUAGE TEACHERS. We offer good salary,(2,100.00 GBP, 2,402.88 EUR )

[jonniboy]

That also sounds very dubious, why would a British school be looking for "American and Canada teachers" (sic) ? The spelling is a bit of a giveaway, no? But there's a sure fire way to find out. Apply and see if they ask you for money for "visa processing" or "rent deposit." If they do, it's a scam.

[maruss]

As a general rule,agencies charge employers when they recruit people for jobs,not the people who apply for work..... and especially in the current recession when there are more than enough people searching for jobs in many countries why would they need to advertise salaries and conditions which are way above the going rate??I can hear warning bells!
If you have the time and inclination to check it out,do so, but DON'T send any money(and don't forget to let us know what happens!)

[grant28358]

I applied to work at Caxton College in Valencia, and have supposedly been offered a job, but I really don't know what to think. I'm a first time ESL teacher, and they never even interviewed me, so it does seem surprising that they're offering that much money. All I've done before is a TEFL practicum and some volunteer teaching, and I have a university degree. I was told to contact some lady to get a work visa, and I've done that and am waiting for her to respond, and I'm honestly waiting for the catch. I haven't been asked to send money to anyone. It seems too good to be true, because they're even offering free airfare. I'll post another message once I find out more, and please, if someone from Caxton College reads this I would appreciate it if you e-mailed everyone from the US and Canada who has applied to work with your school to somehow try to prove that this isn't a scam. All my friends are telling me it's all some kind of elaborate identity theft scam or something, but I really need a job, so I hope it's not.

[maruss]

Why would someone who needs teachers be prepared to pay your airfare from the U.S. when there are hundreds of people who want such work in Europe already who they could get at no cost and for around 1000 euros per month starting salary?Do you know anything about these people or even if such a job exists?It is very difficult to get work permits in Spain for non-E.U. nationals,especially with the recession and high unemployment rates there!
You never bought a ticket so you never won the lottery!And there's a Spanish scam with that too!

[spiral78]

Grant, it's a total scam. They can't get you a work permit.

I'm a first time ESL teacher, and they never even interviewed me, so it does seem surprising that they're offering that much money. All I've done before is a TEFL practicum and some volunteer teaching, and I have a university degree.

Work permits for non-EU citizens are issued on a very limited basis in the case that a school (not a recruiter) applies for an exception to the EU-only hiring laws. Successful applications must show that the candidate has qualifications that no EU candidate has. This is totally not applicable to a newbie! As other posters have pointed out, there are really many, many UK teachers with degrees and CELTA or equivalent on the job market.

I know a bit about this, being a US citizen who has such an exceptional work permit (for the Netherlands). I"m not being smug at all - I worked really hard to get the 12+ years of experience, the MA in the field, and the specialist qualifications it took to beat the rules. I also got extremely lucky, having local contacts here willing to go through the paperwork on my behalf.

It's unfortunately really rare. I'm grateful every day.

But, don't hold your breath on this - it's really 99.99% sure not going to work out.

[jonniboy]

[grant28358]

Thanks for the advice. I just got a response from the lawyer that is supposed to help me get a work visa and she wants me to send her money, so I imagine they're just collecting fake visa processing fees from lots of people. And, I went to the real Caxton College website and found an e-mail address that I know is connected to the institution and wrote them to explain this whole situation. This turned out to be a huge pain in the ass! I suppose I'll just have to continue my job search.

[maruss]

At least you asked us before sending your cash so put it down to experience-and the wisdom of using Daves forum!
By the way Jonniboy is an expert on the Spanish situation from his first-hand experience and his advice is spot-on!!