Job Discussion Forums

brittbing116 · Joined: 22 Apr 2011 Posts: 10 Location: United States

Does anyone have stories about this recruitment company? They are offering accommodations, flight reimbursement and rmb6300 a month.

I am excited, but don't want to make a bad decision.

They get you a Z visa, but you don't sign any documents for the specific school until you arrive in China. I understand in some places that is pretty standard, but again, I don't want to make a bad decision.

Please let me know if you have anything good or bad to say about this company- or just about teaching in Guangzhou. I appreciate it!

Miajiayou · Joined: 30 Apr 2011 Posts: 283 Location: Nanjing

That seems like a low salary for Guangzhou, but the worst bit seems to be that you won't know which school you'll be working for until you arrive. I wouldn't consider that "standard" at all, to be honest. I also don't see how they can get you a Z visa without a letter of invitation from a school? It seems shady.

I won't ask you to share personal info if you don't want, but...

1. If you don't have a degree or any experience (and you really, really want to spend a year in China), this might be a good offer for you. But, don't take it unless you are prepared to roll with some serious punches and have enough savings back home to GTFO of China at a moment's notice, even if your employer is withholding your wages and airfare reimbursement.

2. If you have a degree and are willing to pay money for a stupid online TEFL course, you can get a better job offer.

brittbing116 · Joined: 22 Apr 2011 Posts: 10 Location: United States

Thanks for the response!

I am waiting for my recruiter to answer my questions, but her reasoning before was that we go through a 3-5 day training period where they ascertain your level of competency then place you accordingly.

I am graduating in May with a bachelors in Secondary education. I know the pay is lower, but I wanted to get a job with weekends- and a lot of the higher paying private schools required you to work weekends.

I really appreciate your input- any other thoughts on the training period thing? She says they guarantee a job.

rogerwilco · Joined: 10 Jun 2010 Posts: 1549

How can they provide you with the correct visa if they do not even know where you will be teaching ??
They do arrange a Z work visa for you ? Right ?

I am guessing that they are asking you to arrange your own tourist visa, and that is not a good way to start your "China adventure".

They may just want you here in person before they announce to you that they will place you in the worst school at the lowest salary....
What will you do then ?

brittbing116 · Joined: 22 Apr 2011 Posts: 10 Location: United States

They definitely supply a Z visa. I didn't realize it was such an oddity. The recruiter said there is initial paperwork for a z visa and then once I arrive in country they assign you a particular school that adheres to the initial offer stipulations (rmb6300, 2 days off per week, flight reimbursement) and so on.

daCabbie · Joined: 02 Sep 2007 Posts: 244

Ohhh, my Lady GaGa!!

Don't do it. This is a terrible situation and borderline illegal.

Two days off a week, does not mean weekends. It means any two days... monday and wednesday this week, monday and thursday next week or maybe tuesday and thursday off. "We will let you know..." two weeks later...."oh you have today off, why are you here at 7:30?"

To asses your skill-level? They are going to pimp you out to the highest bidder! The more blonde you are the more money they will demand. Yes your salary is secured at 6300 (possibly the lowest in Guangzhou) but their contract is not set with the school. Nothing they promise you is guaranteed by your final school!!!

Everything about this says RUN!!! You are a wide-eyed doe in the headlights of a Mac truck. You are very lucky you came here first.

You can get this same offer in ANY city in China! Put your resume on Dave's and you will have 5 tomorrow and 50 by next week.

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Miajiayou · Joined: 30 Apr 2011 Posts: 283 Location: Nanjing

Is this an agency or a chain of schools? If it is an agency and they can't tell you what school you are going to be working for, it means you either won't be working under a Z/RP (which they may not tell you until the last minute, after you've already booked your flight) or they may actually be arranging you to "work" for a company or other, legitimate school that you will never step foot in. If it is the latter, you would be working illegally, as only the place that sponsors your Z is allowed to pay you.

I agree with the pp that they likely will not be assessing any kind of teaching competency. They may be figuring out who is bubbly enough to stick in a kindergarten (and, if you check the salaries of kindie jobs in Guangzhou, you'll see why you would be getting totally screwed), or who is good-looking enough to put in the more centrally located schools. My guess, however, is that they use the training period as an excuse to break any intial agreements they've made: "Oh, you wanted weekends off? Well, you're not a good fit for any of those schools." Or, "Oh, you expected your ENTIRE ticket to be reimbursed? You're only a good fit for schools that give a 6000Y reimursement, sorry."

To be honest (and I'm not prepared to die on this hill - if anyone can correct me, go ahead), I can't imagine there is any GOOD language training school where you get weekends off. Any owner with a scrap of logic in his brain would rather lick the sidewalk than close his business on the two days that stand to be the most profitable, just to give the teachers a break. If you want weekends off, look at a uni, middle school, or international-type prep school.

Speaking of, how many hours do they want you to work for this 6300Y salary? Or, is that something that could vary by school? If the recruiter said anything about "The maximum is 30 hours, but you'll probably be working around 16" then you're going to be working 30. When a school says that, there is a small chance they're being honest, but you really can't trust anything a recruiter says. At that low of a salary, they probably stand to make a few thousand kuai off you each month, so they'll say anything.

Miajiayou · Joined: 30 Apr 2011 Posts: 283 Location: Nanjing

Okay, I found some information about this place. I guess it is an agency that hires teachers itself and then farms them out to schools... potentially many, many schools. There is still time left in the "hiring season," please keep looking! I'd hate for your first experience in China to be one of such exploitation.

brittbing116 · Joined: 22 Apr 2011 Posts: 10 Location: United States

Ah! Okay, I am so bummed now.

What do I do if I signed the initial contract? I didn't buy a plane ticket or give her any of my official information. Is it possible to back out of this gracefully so I will still potentially be able to work in China without getting blacklisted?

brittbing116 · Joined: 22 Apr 2011 Posts: 10 Location: United States

These were the expected hours as stated in the precontract:
Monday to Friday (18hours=27classes/week) 8:00AM-12:00AM; 14:30PM--17:00PM or 17:30PM. A few positions require teachers work at weekends and Company guarantees 2 days off within a week.

slareth · Joined: 29 Jun 2010 Posts: 82 Location: Shandong

daCabbie · Joined: 02 Sep 2007 Posts: 244

You are making the right decision.

Don't worry about anything. These people can't blacklist.

Post your CV around the net and apply with a couple of better known recruiters (maybe NetworkEsl and Horizon) you will have a fabulous new offer in no time.

Don't be afraid to ask others if they think its a good offer. Asking for help is the first step in becoming a gggrrreatttt teacher. A bad teacher is someone who knows they are right, imho.

brittbing116 · Joined: 22 Apr 2011 Posts: 10 Location: United States

Thank you everyone for your helpful responses! I am disappointed, but I would much rather be disappointed at home then disappointed getting off a plane in China!

I am going to keep putting my resume out there. Thank you for the suggestions on recruiters!

Miajiayou · Joined: 30 Apr 2011 Posts: 283 Location: Nanjing

You'll get over the disappointment fairly quickly and get excited about a new school. Almost the same thing happened to me when I first decided to come to China, except it was a TEFL "school" trying to screw me instead of a recruiter. I'm starting my fourth year soon and am in the process of finding a new job myself, so if you want to talk, feel free to PM me!

brittbing116 · Joined: 22 Apr 2011 Posts: 10 Location: United States

Okay, so my recruiter responded to the visa question and the way it works is they give you a z visa where you are working for the company rather than for a school. While that eliminates some of the shadiness, I still respectfully declined.

She was super nice and understanding about it. My sense of panic has definitely diminished.

Thanks everyone for the great advice!