Job Discussion Forums

guangho · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 476 Location: in transit

So I'm online as always and see an ad for teaching in S.A. The ad is by a company called Teach South America (http://www.teachsouthamerica.com)

Now, the M.Ed. I'm doing is global and there are campuses in S.A., a place I want to see anyway, so I send off my CV. I'm told that jobs are paying $10-12 per hour. I look at the site again. Dream of some good carne guisada and plantains. Dream on son.

"Teachers looking to apply for positions will need to send us the following:

� Program Fee $700 ($350 deposit which is refundable if we can not place you)"

Heh. What if, and I know this seems impossible, nobody who applies to them can be placed?

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

With an MEd, why are you looking into placement agencies?

Oh, and might I add that I absolutely love your signature! (by-line? sorry... don't know the proper term for it)

d

misteradventure · Joined: 18 Aug 2003 Posts: 246

...with a MEd, you'd easily find placement thru ISS or one of those agencies with an International School...

guangho · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 476 Location: in transit

I'm halfway through my M.Ed. but have not completed it yet. Can I still apply?

Sgt Killjoy · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 438

Well isn't it the new scam, pay to teach? When company are able to do this and get away with it, it truly is a school's market, isn't it?

guangho · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 476 Location: in transit

It's not a new scam by any means. I have had international schools from Greece and Ghana try to pull similar stunts, but sneakier- they send you a bunch of interview questions, and when you write back they rave about how fab you are and how they are ready to offer you a position- all you need to do is to pay a few hundred bucks for "visa processing".

talllolyman · Joined: 15 Aug 2006 Posts: 5

I am just curious. I am looking at teaching overseas and I see many companies that charge a fee to place teachers in jobs. I am trying to figure out what the scam is. For instance, teachsouthamerica.com as used in the example says they refund the deposit if they can not place people. Where is the scam if they are refunding the deposit?

I am also trying to figure out, how would a company like that survive if they worked for free? I guess this all seems very confusing calling a company and their services a scam based on the fact that they charge people to place them in jobs.

The other thing to mention, since many of the companies seem independent from the schools that they place people in, does it not make sence that if they worked for free that their product would either not be very good, or they would not stay in business very long.

I know many people that pay companies in the states to place them in jobs. To me it seems like a great deal, if I pay a company a small fee and for that they take care of me in finding a job, taking care of how much I will make an hour and getting me many hours a week to work, and also finding me a place to live and making sure I do not get taken for to high of a rent in the city I am teaching in.

Also I have noticed that teachsouthamerica.com charges one half to one third what similar companies charge, so perhaps maybe we should be thanking them.

guangho · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 476 Location: in transit

RyanS · Joined: 11 Oct 2005 Posts: 356

Whatever it is, its a horrible dishonest business practise taking advantage of the naive.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Actually, there are quite a number of companies out there that charge a person to help find them a job. Many work both ways - a company looking for staff may go to a professional headhunter, or simply outsorce their human resources completely. Common in the service industry. As well, companies like Manpower charge jobseekers (taking a cut of their pay), for finding a job...yeesh...even within the same city.

Working internationally, such a company should be providing much more than job placement services. You have to consider travel, labour law, accommodations, contracts, language difference, etc, etc, etc, to the point that the company is providing a pretty deep package of services.

talllolyman · Joined: 15 Aug 2006 Posts: 5

I have contacted teachsouthamerica.com I have asked them about the deposit, and they guaruntee to get a job that pays within a certain hourly base as well as negotiate for higher pay and better hours.

They also help in finding housing and negotiating that as well. They do not get paid by the schools or by the housing companies. They only work for the teachers they are placing. I would rather work with a company that is in my best interest like teachsouthamerica.cm than a company that is only looking out for the interest of the schools.

I think it would be wise to do your homework before accusing a company of being a scam. They are a very open company and seem to answer any questions I ask in a timely manner.

Also it is important to note that this company works with the teachers in the United States as well as South America and has locations in both places to better serve the teachers.

It is easy to make up stories about a company with checking facts, it is another thing to actually do some research before making statements about a company being legit or not.