Job Discussion Forums

Wandryss · Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 4 Location: Vermont

Has anyone worked for Compass IELTS or Tianjin IELTS in Tianjin? They appeared to be reliable when I accepted their job offer. However now they're seeming a bit iffy - first wanting me to come on a tourist visa then when I objected, wanting me to get an F visa, but say that it was for an unpaid position, plus flip-flopping on a couple of things.

william wallace · Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 2869 Location: in between

Give it a miss ! Problems this early ?

tw · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 3898

mike w · Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 12:16 am Post subject:

Shan-Shan · Joined: 28 Aug 2003 Posts: 1074 Location: electric pastures

During my stinky stint in Tianjin, IELTS Tianjin/Compass/Huitong (I think that's all the names they use) advertised continuously for both students and foreign teachers. Their constant desperation for tuition and FTs in and of itself made the school look very suspicious.

No personal experience at the school myself, but I do know that they have a very high turnover rate (except for the three old New Zealand ladies who seem to have been at the school longer than I've been on this here planet), and offer what appears to be a somewhat below average FT package.

And as other posters have already mentioned: if a school wishes to employ you, yet is unable to secure you a work visa, something is definately amiss.

william wallace · Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 2869 Location: in between

I may have taught IELTS there at 300RMB an hour for a Summer, but that was low(average was 350-400 an hour), and I believed one of the Kiwi women examined with me.

johnchina · Joined: 24 Apr 2006 Posts: 816

WW - one did.

NickD · Joined: 11 Sep 2005 Posts: 15 Location: SE Australia

Sorry for resurrecting an 6-week old post but I only just came across it. I know a lot of people search out old topics to research schools, so my two cents' worth:

I worked for this school for about 15 months and I thought it was an okay place to work. I'd recommend it, but with reservations. If anyone wants more info about the school then feel free to PM me and I'll tell you what I think are the good points and bad points about the place.

As for the visa situation, everyone working there has a Z visa, eventually. But it seems the process is that teachers arrive on a tourist or F visa, then the school organises the medical, sends them down to Hong Kong with all the paperwork and the Hong Kong visa office issues the Z visa. That's what happened with me and a few other teachers too. The school pays for the airfare and accommodation - but please note that in China there's no such thing as a "free" trip to Hong Kong. (Again if you want more info please PM me).

For all its faults, the school was always honest with me and won't rip you off. And it is definitely a legitimate school with a legal licence to hire foreigners.

Shan-Shan · Joined: 28 Aug 2003 Posts: 1074 Location: electric pastures

If it's in Tianjin, you'd best find a very good to excellent place to work. The city itself will not make up for the shortcomings of the school.

Robin53 · Joined: 24 Oct 2008 Posts: 74 Location: New Zealand

Sorry for reviving this VERY old post, but the school still exists and I wanted to add my bit. I worked there a few years ago but was fired after about 5 months. The reason given was that my student feedback ratings were too low being in the low 90's. I was told by the obnoxious young Chinese manager who fired me that they should have been above 95% . I asked if there were any other reasons but was told that there weren't. I got the feeling that I wasn't being told the truth and that the ratings story was a euphemism for something else such as brushing the manager up the wrong way. He had tried to do a CELTA certificate overseas but was failed because he arrived late and seemed to have a chip on his shoulder about the country he went to, and FT's in general.

The good things about the school were that it was a very successful example of joint foreign/local management. The local team pulled the strings, and the foreign team, which yes, did consist of old New Zealand ladies were well-trained former high-school teachers who really knew their stuff. They were also IELTS examiners, so had a good handle on what was required to train students to get that extra point or .5 needed for overseas immigration or education requirements. Also, the salary was pretty good, and the relationships between local and foreign staff above average. It was a well run school with a weekly teachers meeting which lent a professional air to teaching there.

I was pleased though in retrospect to be kicked out, as this led to better things, and the water in Tianjin was the worst I've ever tasted in China. I also found it difficult to make a social life for myself away from the school, whereas its been easy to do so elsewhere.