Job Discussion Forums

[dreamingofhk7]

Hi Fellow bloggers,

I just got off a one hour interview with a recruiter with EF. She was very pleasant and the interview went very well. She seems very knowledgeable and EF seems very sturdy and dedicated to their students. But I've been seeing some negative reviews about EF for foreign teachers. I'd like to hear your opinions on EF and whether or not I should accept it a contract is offered. They seem to be offering a lot to foreign teachers in terms of support and what not.

[Dan The Chainsawman]

I went out and partied at some bar in Xi'an. The next table over was some EF teachers grousing about work. Oddly, it sounded about the same as when myself and my coworkers groused about our work.

It is a franchise with a great deal of local control. So you definitely are in for a surprise as to what exactly you can get.

[alter ego]

You can find posts about EF Shenzhen on the discussion wall here:

http://www.shenzhenstuff.com/group/shenzhenforeignersteaching?groupUrl=shenzhenforeignersteaching&id=1343813%3AGroup%3A42260&page=6#comments

You might have to join to post comments but you'll find a number of teachers who are either working or signing up to work with EF in SZ. Good luck.

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

EF is like a language McDonald's.

If you get a bad burger in Moscow, you cannot blame all of Moscow nor all of McDonald's.

There are some lousy EF's and some real good ones. It's all according to who is running any particular one.

[dreamingofhk7]

thanks for the replies. after doing some more blog hunting i realized its as you said, its sorta like mcdonalds. I'm just hoping with an established city like Shen Zhen they would have better Mcdonalds. Theres a difference from the lowest side mcdonalds and midtown manhattan mcdonalds. I'm hoping shen zhen is the midtown of China -=D

[john henry]

I'd be more concerned about living in Shen Zhen.

Just Sayin.

[dreamingofhk7]

whats the concern?

[alter ego]

Shezhen is one of the fastest growing cities in China. It's a big, busy, crowded, and polluted place. The upside is that despite those concrete jungle realities it's still a very livable city, with nice weather (for China), just enough green space including parks and mountain trails for climbing/hiking, designated expat areas with Western bars, cafes, and restaurants, and an active community of foreigners enjoying their lives here and socially networking on two growing websites.

I've never lived in Beijing, Shanghai, or Guangzhou, but people I know here who have tell me that Shenzhen is in many ways the best metropolis to live and work. That's debatable. But what isn't debatable is that if your work, your choosen profession, brings you here then it doesn't matter what other people think. Sure, there are nicer places to settle down in China, and big city life isn't for everyone.

Just like the steady flow of Chinese migrant workers coming here for work, more and more foreigner teachers are moving here, too. Some are younger and looking for the cool nightlife/nightclub party scene. Some are older and looking for higher wages/salaries and the chance to put a little money in the bank.

It's all here. Some folks like it, some make the best of it, some hate it. I say a job with EF here means you'll be able to choose whatever lifestyle that suits you and find out for yourself if it's the right place to hang your hat for a spell.

[dreamingofhk7]

Thanks for the wonderful take on Shen Zhen alter ego. I chose Shen Zhen because of how close it is to HK( a trains ride away). I love HK but its very difficult to become a NET these days. So this is sort of my plan B. I've been to Shen Zhen before but never out side of Lowu. I am hoping Shen Zhen's EF is well established and more professional than what i have read about other EF establishments. As you said, Shen Zhen is nothing like the other cities such and BeiJing or Shanghai, it is quite developed as opposed to other cities so here's hoping EF is better developed and managed as well!

[The Ever-changing Cleric]

[TexasHighway]

My first teaching job in China many years ago was also in Shenzhen. I also liked the proximity to Hong Kong. If I go to the theater and am not sure if I will like the movie, I like to sit near the exit for a quick getaway. And if you work for an EF franchise, you may experience more drama than you anticipate and may need an escape. As the McDonalds of the ESL industry, some EFs are fine while others are a real horror show; so try to find out more about this particular franchise. The recruiter you talked to seemed very pleasant and accommodating, which is what one would expect. My army recruiter sounded like the sweetest guy in the world, when in reality, he just wanted some bodies to ship off to Vietnam. Due to EFs heavy turnover and negative publicity, they prey on newbies who are naive and vulnerable; so heavy advertising and slick recruiting are their lifeline. But in spite of EF's reputation for its low pay and long hours, some FTs claim they get good training which is useful as they move on to better teaching jobs. I lived in the Nanshan district of Shenzhen and have good memories there. Just beware of the pickpockets and petty thieves in Luo Hu and the Dong Men shopping area.

[thefuzz]

Proximity of Shenzhen to HK is the only benefit, apart from that this place has ZERO going for it. There is no culture to speak of, because of the migrant Chinese population and its focus on the manufacturing sector, Shenzhen is not as cosmopolitan as Shanghai or even Beijing. You'll see lots of people spitting, pissing in corners and the streets are dirty and crowded. Plus, daily life stuff is much more expensive than in other Chinese cities. Forget about taking cabs as they're VERY expensive (the most expensive in China I hear) and even a bus ride of more than 30 minutes will set you back a cool 5 RMB. The best thing you can do is get a value stored IC card called Shenzhen Tong which enables you to travel on the limited metro/subway line(s) and take all the buses...paying, I think, 30% less if you were to pay by cash. You can buy/top up these cards at the metro stations and 7-11 stores in town.

I suggest you live somewhere in the Nanshan/Shekou area as it's a much better place to live than Futian/Luohu. More green, usually less crowded and, if you search around, cheaper to rent an apartment. Plus you're very close to the new Shenzhen/Hong Kong bridge. From my apartment it takes all of 5 minutes to get to the bridge (by bus) and another 10 minutes to cross into Hong Kong. Very convenient. The downside is that EF might make you work in one of their Futian or Luohu branches so it takes about an hour to get to work (one way) if you choose to live here.

Anyway, some like Shenzhen, some don't...I don't really care for the place myself. Thankfully in a few months I will be back in Shanghai. Check out this website (lots of people on there that actually like the place and may be more helpful than me):

http://www.shenzhenstuff.com/

Cheers.

[waxwing]

[The Ever-changing Cleric]

i constantly hear people claiming shenzhen is a filthy, polluted and crowded city. of course it has pollution, and yes, it is crowded. newsflash to all: that's the nature of cities.

anytime you hear someone claiming shenzhen is the armpit of china (and there are plenty) you can assume that individual hasn't been around the country very much. of all the cities i've been to/seen in china, at least 100 of them in half the provinces (and all the major ones), shenzhen is the cleanest and best planned. zhuhai might be cleaner but zhuhai's a backwater compared to shenzhen.

[alter ego]