Job Discussion Forums

alonzo9772 · Joined: 23 Sep 2016 Posts: 55

I kept on getting into back-and-forth email arguments with recruiters in Chinese language centers. Has anybody else experienced this? People always tell me that as long as you have a bachelor degree, TEFL certificate, and an American passport, getting an ESL job in China is relatively easy. I have all of those. However, the complete opposite is true in my situation. If you were to go into First Leap's Facebook page, you can see the nasty review that I left for them. I recommend for nobody to apply for them.

Anyway...I have now been left to become an ESL teacher in Korea. I used to be an exchange student in Korea, and honestly, my experience there was very substandard. Koreans give off an air of xenophobia towards foreigners. I hear that the Chinese are not that way. Nevertheless, a Korean recruiter has promised me that once I get my FBI background check and my bachelor degree apostilled, there is a large list of private schools that I qualify to teach in.

This has really surprised me. I would have thought that it would be the other way around where getting a teaching job in China is easy while getting a teaching job in Korea is difficult, but at least in my case, the opposite is true.

santi84 · Joined: 14 Mar 2008 Posts: 1317 Location: under da sea

I read your review. What is the actual issue there? The recruiter implied that they just decided not to hire you, rather than screw you around. If you're getting into arguments or leaving one star reviews on company pages, I am wondering if you are coming off as unprofessional and troublesome.

alonzo9772 · Joined: 23 Sep 2016 Posts: 55

Understand that I condensed my experience with First Leap in the review. I do not feel that Facebook posts should be to an essay length.

However, since you have asked, what happened was during my interview with them, the recruiter asked what cities that I was interested in working in. I said no preference. She said that I have the choice of working in either Hefei, Beijing, Chongqing, or Nanjing. I said Nanjing sounds like the best choice. She said that I could choose Nanjing, but the job in Chongqing has a higher housing allowance. I said "Ok...Let me think about it." The interview ended after she gave me the instructions on the demo video that I needed to do. The following day, she emailed me several health forms that I needed to fill out. I filled out the health forms and emailed it to her. Suddenly, she replied with what seemed like a generic copy-and-paste email of "Thank you for applying to First Leap...We found someone else that is more qualified for the position." What position? I did not even choose the city yet.

I asked her what happened. She has since refused to respond to any of my emails or Skype messages.

suphanburi · Joined: 20 Mar 2014 Posts: 916

Sounds more like you failed the IQ test (medical questionnaire) and were summarily dumped.

You'll find a similar situation in Korea when you apply.

You can also choose one of several hundred other Chinese recruiters. It's not like there is only one choice.

Good luck to you.

.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Keep trying. PRC must be better than South Korea.

getbehindthemule · Joined: 15 Oct 2015 Posts: 712 Location: Shanghai

Anything abnormal on your medical questionnaire?
But anyway, you really need to chill and pull yourself together. There is such a demand for FT's in China, so if you really want to come here to teach you easilly can.
Go register yourself on seriousteachers and you will get about ten offers emailed to you daily from language centers and a variety of schools!
Inquire on the China forum and you may get pointed in the right direction of a decent job offer also.

Osiry · Joined: 19 Mar 2015 Posts: 84 Location: Nanjing

What age are you looking to teach? I know of an excellent training center in Nanjing that is currently hiring (good city btw, I lived there last year and rather enjoyed it).

alonzo9772 · Joined: 23 Sep 2016 Posts: 55

simon44 · Joined: 15 Mar 2013 Posts: 118

If you have a pulse (and not much else), you can get a well-paid teaching job in China, regardless of your teaching abilities and age.

IMHO, leaving critical reviews of teaching agencies may well be useful information to other teachers, but will not endear you to the agencies! Perhaps you have been blacklisted by some of the Chinese agencies.

As others have commented, chill out Smile

alonzo9772 · Joined: 23 Sep 2016 Posts: 55

creeper1 · Posted: Fri Oct 28, 2016 4:24 am Post subject:

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

I mean as a place to live and work. Why the aggressive tone ?

alonzo9772 · Joined: 23 Sep 2016 Posts: 55

The whole ESL China versus ESL Korea is completely dependent on personal preference. People who have taught English in both countries tend to like one more than the other. It is not common to hear someone say that they enjoy both countries equally.

The pros of teaching in Korea are: clean environment, higher salary and better exchange rate, free housing, and the language is a bit easier to learn.

The pros of teaching in China are: everything costs less, Chinese people tend to be more friendly towards foreigners, easy Z visa process, and a large country with many activities to do.

simon44 · Joined: 15 Mar 2013 Posts: 118

piglet44 · Joined: 26 Aug 2010 Posts: 157

As has been stated above getting an ESL job in China is way easier than in Korea. The folks in China are so desperate for teachers they are prepared to bend rules (a lot). The country is massive and there are n jobs if you are not overly fussy about who and where you teach. Korea is far more rigid. If you are flexible and can try out of the way places, and teaching kiddies, you will find a job. But again, as said before it's a question of preference. I loved living in China, and enjoyed visiting Korea but could only find kiddy jobs there.