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mnguy29
Joined: 23 Jan 2008 Posts: 155 Location: USA
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Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 1:35 pm Post subject: Agency websites or Do it yourself?? |
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What is everyone's opinion on this? Should I use an agency website such as chinatefl.com, networkesl.com, anesl.com or another good one to find a Uni teaching position? Or, should I just find contact information on the Uni and do it all myself? What are the positives and negatives of each? I have two years of teaching experience in China and a BS degree in teaching. I want to know if I can trust these agencies. I am looking for job for this fall, 2010. thanks. |
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askiptochina
Joined: 26 Feb 2010 Posts: 488 Location: Beijing
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Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 11:14 pm Post subject: |
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They are just a matchmaker. You don't develop a relationship with them.
Recruiter: Teacher, this is school A
Recruiter: School, this is teacher A
Recruiter: (takes commission) Bye, see you in a year.
You in the end are left with the SCHOOL!!
That's what matters  |
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tttompatz

Joined: 06 Mar 2010 Posts: 1951 Location: Talibon, Bohol, Philippines
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Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 3:00 am Post subject: Re: Agency websites or Do it yourself?? |
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broepke wrote: |
What is everyone's opinion on this? Should I use an agency website such as chinatefl.com, networkesl.com, anesl.com or another good one to find a Uni teaching position? Or, should I just find contact information on the Uni and do it all myself? What are the positives and negatives of each? I have two years of teaching experience in China and a BS degree in teaching. I want to know if I can trust these agencies. I am looking for job for this fall, 2010. thanks. |
Really, when it comes to a recruiter, who cares?
A recruiter is nothing more than an introduction to an employer.
REPEAT: A recruiter is nothing more than an introduction to an employer.
Hello Mr. English speaker this is Mr school representative.
Mr school representative, this is Mr. English speaker.
Mr. English speaker, here is the contract. Please read and sign.
Mr school representative, here is the signed contract. Pay me.
Good bye.
-You are not paying them anything (or you shouldn't be).
-THEY DO NOT WORK FOR YOU! - They work for the school.
-They owe you nothing once you get here.
-They are not your friend.
-They are not your baby sitter.
-They cannot help you if things go to *beep* after you get here.
Beyond that it is YOUR responsibility to check the school out.
Do NOT trust ANY recruiter. They are like used car salesmen. They will lie and sell their soul to get the signature on the contract.
Do your own DUE DILLIGENCE in regards to the school or get burned.
Use the recruiters for what they are. Use more than one and keep going until you get what you want. There is no rush and there is certainly no shortage of jobs.
When it comes to the school - again - repeat - Do your own DUE DILLIGENCE.
1st - READ the contract over very carefully. If that doesn't scare you away then...
The best you can do is minimize the risk by talking to MORE THAN ONE of the foreign staff and ask POINTED AND SPECIFIC QUESTIONS (*when the boss is NOT listening over their shoulder). Don't accept non-specific answers and broad generalizations.
No foreign staff references to talk (directly and via e-mail) to = be very cautious.
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Teatime of Soul
Joined: 12 Apr 2007 Posts: 905
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Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 10:52 am Post subject: |
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To be fair, many teachers consider yielding ten to fifty percent of their wages to a recruiter in return for not having to send tens, sometimes, even dozens of emails to potential employers.
Just sayin', there are two sides of the coin.
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askiptochina
Joined: 26 Feb 2010 Posts: 488 Location: Beijing
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Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:26 pm Post subject: |
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Regardless if you go with a recruiter or not, you have to email the employer. If you just sign a contract without doing this, then you deserve what's coming.
The advantage of a recruiter is that they know at least the minimum (most of the time) of what it takes to get the paperwork sorted.
I had to cancel a contract before it started and get a new job. If I didn't have the paperwork in order to make a switch, the time delay could have cost me a lot more in the long run.
Going through a recruiter, they called immigration, set up an appointment and I walked in with my passport. 30 minutes later, I walked out with my passport and had a new visa with a new school. Usually you have to wait a few weeks and they mail it. I didn't have time for that. |
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tttompatz

Joined: 06 Mar 2010 Posts: 1951 Location: Talibon, Bohol, Philippines
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Posted: Thu Apr 01, 2010 12:06 am Post subject: |
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Teatime of Soul wrote: |
To be fair, many teachers consider yielding ten to fifty percent of their wages to a recruiter in return for not having to send tens, sometimes, even dozens of emails to potential employers.
Just sayin', there are two sides of the coin.
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Why in gods name would you ever pay a recruiter?
They get paid by the school for finding YOU.
YOU are the commodity.
If you are paying... they are nothing more than a dispatch agency.
A recruiter finds you a position. (the school pays them)
A dispatch agency finds you clients. (You pay them). |
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wangdaning
Joined: 22 Jan 2008 Posts: 3154
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Posted: Thu Apr 01, 2010 12:44 am Post subject: |
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tttompatz wrote: |
Why in gods name would you ever pay a recruiter?
They get paid by the school for finding YOU.
YOU are the commodity.
If you are paying... they are nothing more than a dispatch agency.
A recruiter finds you a position. (the school pays them)
A dispatch agency finds you clients. (You pay them). |
But you are losing potential salary. A school has x amount of budget to get their teacher. They pay a recruiter y amount to find you. Your salary = x - y. You are losing potential salary that goes to a recruiter |
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tttompatz

Joined: 06 Mar 2010 Posts: 1951 Location: Talibon, Bohol, Philippines
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Posted: Thu Apr 01, 2010 7:23 am Post subject: |
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wangdaning wrote: |
tttompatz wrote: |
Why in gods name would you ever pay a recruiter?
They get paid by the school for finding YOU.
YOU are the commodity.
If you are paying... they are nothing more than a dispatch agency.
A recruiter finds you a position. (the school pays them)
A dispatch agency finds you clients. (You pay them). |
But you are losing potential salary. A school has x amount of budget to get their teacher. They pay a recruiter y amount to find you. Your salary = x - y. You are losing potential salary that goes to a recruiter |
Nope...
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unless you are here, speak mandarin and have lots of contacts across the country the chances of finding a decent job are slim to none.
With a recruiter you should be able to find positions in the 7000-10000 range + housing, end of contract bonus and airfare.
Without a recruiter you will probably end up with 4000-6000 (or less) plus housing.
Don't quite see how you lose by using a recruiter.
Be informed, know your market value and use a recruiter for what they are; an introduction to a potential employer.
Use as many as you need to find what you are looking for.
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askiptochina
Joined: 26 Feb 2010 Posts: 488 Location: Beijing
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Posted: Thu Apr 01, 2010 9:46 am Post subject: |
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I doubt a school will give more money to a teacher just because they didn't hire a recruiter. Instead, they would look at that as a savings and simply buy more materials for the school. |
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gene
Joined: 03 Mar 2010 Posts: 187
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Posted: Thu Apr 01, 2010 9:58 am Post subject: |
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Its like anything else, sometimes it is a good idea (IF YOU GET A PHAT CONTRACT) and then somtimes it was a good idea that never paid off...(IF YOU LOSE OUT)
I have used them to their credit and the outcome was a bigger paytcheck then those co workers who didnt, then again some have really wasted my time. As with anything else, Buyer Beware. |
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