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The English Club

 
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nadi1016



Joined: 18 Feb 2006
Posts: 14

PostPosted: Tue Oct 31, 2006 2:06 pm    Post subject: The English Club Reply with quote

Hi there!

I am supposed to sign a contract for 18 months with The English Club, Inc. for an ESL Job in Saitama, Japan. Although the package sounds attractive, they do want a contract signed quickly, plus, if I cannot get my certified degree from the university then they would like the original and say that it will be returned. Is this normal? Have you heard anything of the English Club, Inc.?

Thank you very much for your time, Lucy
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Chris_Crossley



Joined: 26 Jun 2004
Posts: 1797
Location: Still in the centre of Furnace City, PRC, after eight years!!!

PostPosted: Tue Oct 31, 2006 2:58 pm    Post subject: DO NOT SEND THEM YOUR CERTIFICATE! Reply with quote

nadi1016 wrote:
Hi there!

I am supposed to sign a contract for 18 months with The English Club, Inc. for an ESL Job in Saitama, Japan. Although the package sounds attractive, they do want a contract signed quickly, plus, if I cannot get my certified degree from the university then they would like the original and say that it will be returned. Is this normal? Have you heard anything of the English Club, Inc.?

Thank you very much for your time, Lucy


Take this little snippet of advice from someone with five years' international experience of teaching English: NEVER HAND OVER YOUR ORIGINAL DEGREE CERTIFICATE TO ANYONE, WHATEVER THEY SAY!!.

Although I have never worked in Japan, the fact is that any private outfit claiming to hire foreign teachers can copy your degree certificate and then use it for fraudulent purposes without your knowing it. Not only that, but the people you give it to can then claim that they have "lost" it - "accidentally on purpose".

You are begging for trouble if you agree to send or hand over what is one of your most valuable documents that should be kept within your reach at all times. If they then claim that they have "lost" it, consider it stolen. Some outfits will do anything they can to get hold of original degree certificates, especially British or American ones, in order to fool whomever they want to fool into believing that they have genuine foreign teachers at their school. You may find facsimiles of your degree certificate with DIFFERENT people's names on it being used to promote their school without your permission and/or to convince the authorities that they are hiring foreign teachers.

To me, any potential employer who asks me to surrender my degree certificate without my being there physically must be trying to commit fraud. I would only send my degree certificate to a university or college, to which I would be applying to do another degree, since it is quite normal for the authorities there to verify that the qualifications I claim are genuine. Other than that, I would NEVER send them to anyone, not even to a reputable school or company.

By all means, SHOW them to a potential employer/principal, etc., at an interview, so long as it does not leave your sight, but don't let anybody keep them, no matter what "reason" they give for wanting to do so. If they are happy with your qualifications, they will hire you, anyway.

Be cautious. You'll regret handing over your certificate if it carries the risk of your never getting it back.

I am not trying to scare you (or other newbies) unnecessarily. It is just that many foreign employers will stoop to low-down tricks to catch the unwary and sneer at them behind their back. I have never had to hand over my certificates to any potential employer; showing them was enough, so they could just photocopy them (preferably in black and white, not colour) for their records.

If the school still insists that you send the certificate, don't have anything to do with the people there any longer. The chances are that they want to get hold of your certificate, valuing it above you!

Don't take a chance. Find another job. There are plenty out there.

Good luck!
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nadi1016



Joined: 18 Feb 2006
Posts: 14

PostPosted: Tue Oct 31, 2006 3:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you SO much for your quick reply, this helps me a great deal! If anyone else has any comments please let me know!

Thanking you in advance!
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