Job Discussion Forums

[ChrisRose]

http://www.time-ent.com.hk/

We received your application. Please come to interview at 5:00pm on Wednesday or 11:00am on Saturday. Please bring with your recent photo and detailed CV,

Our admin office address is at: Rm.804 Goldfield Tower, 53-59 Wuhu Street, Hung Hom, Kowloon.

(For position of coordinator, Please be sure that we need people who are excellent in oral and written English and Mircosoft Office and network, for coordinating our team of 200 native English teachers.)


When I spoke to the lady on the phone, I was requested to go for an interview. When I sought clarifiction on the position, I was told, well we have fulltiem and part time projects.

I asked about the position advertised which I had applied for. I heard mention of primary and secondary schools. I enquire further, is there a position of Coordintor either full or part time?

Again I was told we will have some projects. I asked if they were merley makinf a database of teachers for future reference and got the run around, put on hold, you will be told after we have had an interview with you.

Now either it is blantent dabase collection or just incompetance HR. Either way I almost canclled a supply post to attend the "interview".

If anyone else is plannign to go this Saturday or Wednesday, I would suggest you telephone them for details such as the position and potential start dates. You will be told, we will have projects in the future, you have to come for an interview first.

[echo2004sierra]

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=20557&sid=42dab3442514ee16725d363f68dbe554

That outfit is advertising again - probably because of the incompetent way in which they dealt with people who applied to their previous ad.

[ChrisRose]

AHA there was no mention of Wise Far East in the advert, the link was Times Education with logos for Times publications and the British Council no less.

Didn't realise it was the same people.

Oh well, good think I changed my mind and will work on that day.

I dont' fancy a 10 stop MTR ride with tunnel crossing followed by 2 mini bus rides to a flim flam outfit.

[ChrisRose]

CHECK OUT WHAT THE FUCKERS REPLIED TO MY EiMAIL OF COMPLAINT.

It is evil and disguising that you think in your own way. No school will confirm any applicant who does not show up for interview to prove its CV. No matter it is a part-time or full-time position for teaching assignments.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris" <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Fri, 18 Mar 2005 06:49:26 PM GMT+08:00
Subject: Re: Auto-Response Message

>Thank you for your confusing telephone call.
>
>I understand from your staff that there is not a position as advertised.
>
>I am also informed that there may not actually be any jobs. And that the
>purpose is to build a database of teachers.
>
>I find this most unethical.
>
>If you actually have a position as advetised, I should appriciate soem
>details before traveling for an interview.
>
>Christopher

[Susie]

Why don't you call them back and say that you've changed your mind, that you'll attend an interview if they pay you "interviewing expenses of $300 per hour".

I was told by one middle school vice-principal that his school does use that company (time enterprises) for teaching English summer camps at the school.

My complaint is that this outfit is only one such agent that takes your cv, sets up interviews and teaching demonstrations and then doesn't reply any futher - are they just undercover cops looking for illegals?

Which brings me to the point that if you don't have legal status in HK that allows you to earn money then you wouldn't be able to ask that outfit or any other for interviewing expenses - so be careful.

[ChrisRose]

My complaint if fraudulent missrepresentation.

The job posted seems not to exist.

To add insut to injury, look at the reply they gave me when I informed them that since the job advert is bogus, I shall not be attending.

>It is evil and disguising that you think in your >own way. No school will confirm any applicant >who does not show up for interview to prove its >CV. No matter it is a part-time or full-time >position for teaching assignments.

A) I did not apply or respond to an advert for a teaching position.

B) They are not a school.

C) They use purposefully misleading information in order to encorage people to attend intervies so tht they can colect your data and forward your details to schools. Hence using your credentials for thier own purposes.

[once again]

I have worked for them in the past, and actually they were quite a nice outfit. You could negotiate your rate and they had more work than a lot of other agencies at the time. They may well be fishing for teachers now for future projects, but it seems that agency work has now been turned into a competitive business both on price and teacher qualifications. Agencies have cut their own throats...the schools have got used to sending out choices of CV's for teachers, and there are so many more agencies out there now.

[echo2004sierra]

Once again, when you applied to work for time enterprises - wise power company etc. was their advertisment an anonymous one or did they reveal their name in the advert?

Further, did they send you auto-message replies with two job types included therein?

What was the interview process like?

At the interview, did you have a groupie and a written lesson plan test?

Who is/are the owners of the outfit?

Did you meet Lawrence Ho, the interviewer?

What schools did they place you with?

[once again]

Lots of questions echo..I will do my best to answer...

I got the number from someone else who worked for them, so I have no idea about their advertising pracises.

I didn't get auto message replies, I just went for the interview.

At the interview they asked us to fill in a lesson plan, and then asked us questions in a group.

Lawrence did the interview, and to my understanding he and his wife are the owners. ( I may be completely wrong about though, but that was always my understanding)

Not to be too specific about schools, they did put me in some very nice schools, reputation wise, and some very nice schools (with no reputation) but great to work at.

The materials were poor, but the office staff at the time were really nice to work with and very helpful. They have changed now, as the company seems to demand too much from the office staff. They always seem to be needing a curriculum developer because they quit all the time. They asked me to provide lesson plans for a proposed course that would have amounted to around 60 hours of teaching, with worksheets and other materials included. They asked me to do this in 5 days. I declined the offer. It seems that they request similar things of their material designers.

Anything else you would like to know, please ask away.

[ChrisRose]

Well that was nice enough, if that was the position you applied for.

However, placing adverts for positions that they say "are not there" is something completly different.

Not to mention the e-mail reply I have shown here.

[once again]

Chris, dont get me wrong, I am not saying they are are a great outfit. In fact, when the office staff changed it became very difficult to deal with them over a number of issues. But they were no more difficult to deal with than many other companies, and any agency will only offer a limited amount of work initially.

Anyway, how far have you got on your curriculum project. It takes a long time to get the material together, I know. Are you still continuing with it?

[ChrisRose]

Which curriculum?

The new primary readers have been finished. Will be in use in schools in September of this year.

The Cambridge has been placed onto the back burner. Have a new rush job.
The two courses (writing and oral comprehension) are extra curricular for a local International school, to be offered to non International students.

The deadline is tomorrow. Unfortunately my home is full of nothing but continuous distractions in my home. My wife is off work, we have a house guest (With a cat, which won�t interact in any positive manner with my cats.). and an old family friend due to visit at some random time today.

However I am very excited about these courses. Lots of freedom and opportunity, just a lot of balancing to finalise then check availability of resources.