Job Discussion Forums

[Gorm]

http://www.traininglinkchina.com/

Any comments on them? Can't find anything online.

Cheers

[Susie]

From the website, they are offering a TESOL. I wonder if they are working with Boland? Is their TESOL more recognised than the Boland TEFL? Their TESOL is less than half the price of the Boland TEFL!!

I have heard of Jiangsu Education Services for International Exchange but haven't had any direct experience with them.

[frank d]

Hello again, Gorm,

As I metioned before, I was recently looking for a new job in Nanjing. I had responded to a posting from Jiangsu Ministry of Education. As you have probably learned by now, most schools and organizations will ask applicants to send resume and copies of diplomas, certificates, etc., at the time of inquiry, or application for the posted position.

My usual habit is to send these requested documents upon my first inquiry, but I withhold send the main photo page of my U.S. Passport until I have more information about the position (the ads are often rather cryptic).

When I received a reply from the folks at Jiangsu Ministry of Education, before answering any of MY questions, they asked for the passport page. I politely told them that I supplied much information about myself, and now I feel they should reply with some information about what they are seeking, in kind.

Two different people from this organization contacted me and very politely persuaded me to send the passport page, stating they fully understood my concerns about the situation. They also asked for a telephone number, which again, I don't provide until I'm sure I have some real level of interest in the position.

I sent them the passport page, and received a perfunctory "We'll get back to you very soon with an offer," only never to hear from them again after that!

This kind of behavior, in my opinion, is not unusual, and certainly not limited to Jiangsu Ministry of Education, but it REALLY ANNOYS me!

As for finding information, schools/educational organizations/agencies rarely have official, or credible websites. Many universities do, but the English versions of these webistes are often riddled with poor English and offer little insight into the true situation at the school.

In my job-seeking experiences here, I have noticed a few, typical patterns (perhaps other FTs will agree with me?):

!. They get the information they want, and ignore you, not because of your qualifications, but because they don't like answering so many questions. They put their attention on more seemingly agreeble applicants.

2. They are slow to respond, but when they do, they want your acceptance or refusal of the position immediately (again, usually answering few of YOUR questions in the process), or

3. They respond very quickly and very enthusiastically, and urge you to interview the next day.

Remember, ask LOTS of questions. Politely demand information and clarification of various elements of the contract. Also, I urge you to try and conduct as much of the application process as possible by email, not telephone. When things are discussed at length by telephone, it is hard to hold them to certain statements or agreements later. A lot of amnesia kicks in when there's a disagreement or "misunderstanding" later. Get things in writing.

Good luck!

[hairuo]

I never got a reply to my inquiry, either. But I would not send my passport information. My passport was stolen in Wuhan and many yuan later and expensive trip to Beijing, I have a new one. The people at the Embassy said not give out that info unless you have the job and the school copies it. Quite a racket in Russia and eastern Europe selling stolen passports and info...

[Gorm]

They were very nice on the phone and in E-mail correspondence, answering all questions I had. They didn't ask for a passport scan....
Maybe it's best to be safe and pass on it. We'll see... I've still got a lot of other offers to consider.

[Gorm]

So I was going to get my TESOL here but the program sucked and was way over-priced....

This one is fairly cheap and takes about a month, but will it be worth anything? Is it true that some TESOL certificates are actually useless and not recognized by anyone?

Thanks...

Gonna make a decision soon...