Job Discussion Forums

[hewlett77]

Been in Beijing a short time, but it's turned into hell. The new agent, well she introduced me to a school which was unlicensed to employ foreign teachers. Because I was short of money when I arrived she helped pay for an apartment, leaving me in dept of around 12,500rmb, then taking my passport by force. I started work and everything was ok, the first 2 weeks. I kept asking her if she can do my visa, she said she would take care of it. 3 days ago I get a knock at the door from the landlord, asking for 5,000rmb. It was only after that I discovered the agent did not pay the entire rental on the apartment. What a rude shock. Anyhow now I'm fighting to get my passport back, with the help of the embassy, but maybe lose my job here because it�s all attached to the agent. Plus the fact the school pays her, not me. So she knows how to screw people.
I tried to negotiate the contract, 8,000rmb plus free accommodation but refused my offer.


The agents name is Rebecca and has her office in her apartment close to Shuangqiao Subway on the Batong line.

For me it�s like going from the frying pan into the fire.

[daCabbie]

Dude. I just searched through your earlier posting and I must say, WOW!

Do you look for trouble or does it find you? You got some bad luck chasing you around China.

I really hope things turn out for the best.

P.S. Most of would have ran at the mention of, "my office is in my apartment." I hate to say it, but....

[Banner41]

Just wondering how do you lose your passport by force?

[Miajiayou]

Maybe not force, but coercion, I imagine. Still scary stuff.

The only advice that I think is applicable to all people considering teaching in China, no matter for what or how long or even why, is that you MUST have more than enough money saved to cover any emergencies that might reasonably occur, including a last-minute ticket home. Coming over with no money is asking for trouble, but it still doesn't mean you deserve trouble. I'm sorry, OP. I truly hope everything works out for you.

[hewlett77]

A small victory. Saved the house, job is safe too. But very wary of the agent.

[blitzkrig]

Housing "problem"

She HELPED you pay/get an apartment!
That's damn nice of her.
Usually, when you pay for a new apartment in Beijing, it goes like this:
-3 months rent
-Agent fee (1 month rent)
-Deposit (1 month rent)

Considering the money you've paid, it seems pretty reasonable.

Your passport
Are you sure she isn't "holding" your passport because she's registering you at the police station or fixing your visa?
Fixing a visa can take time.
Btw, you can do it yourself through a visa-agency. Go to www.thebeijinger.com and have a look.

I wouldn't say that you're in trouble at all. ChinaESL is a reputable agency in Beijing. I would think twice before slacking them off on a public forum like this.

Don't forget to say "thank you" for hooking you up with an apartment.

[hewlett77]

And how long you been in china? When they first approached me via email they first offered 7,000rmb with free housing, which I accepted but when I got to Beijing, the offer changed. She has never produced evidence she is a licensed recruiter, plus the fact she has placed me in an unlicensed school. Anyhow the people here at school are fine, so I will be here for quiet sometime. I'll keep busy, and rise above this situation. As for China ESL, time will tell if they really show there true colors. I have to make money so will stick at what I'm doing now. I never want to owe any one any money.

[7969]

[hewlett77]

Well, I had no idea before I came to Beijing I would be working for some school illegally. Anyhow work is fine. Just keep going. No choice. The agent is still doing my visa, I'm doing my job, and I need to be extra careful in the future. better planning, including money as well. I'm the only one that can change things. Just be a little smarter next time, and keep calm and cool when dealing with these types of people.

[Lucy Trifaro]

Keep going forward. You'll be fine comrade. Don't let the jealous crew annoy you. Enjoy your trip. Have a nice time in China too.

p

[blitzkrig]

[Oriented]

It's worth checking out the Global Announcements and other such posts, where you would have seen this:

[askiptochina]

I have also talked to China ESL while looking for a job. Here's the worst of what I experieced with them. The first school offer was a lesson planning job. They asked me to write up a demo lesson plan in a few hours. Ok, no big deal there. I went home and emailed one.

Then when I had the face to face interview, I found out the school was expecting more than just a lesson plan. If I had known they wanted more, I could have prepared that as well and had a better chance of getting the job. It was an interesting school and position. However, China ESL didn't really communicate what the school did in the face to face interview.

Then a week later I get another offer to work at a language school. I already stated I didn't want a kindergarten position, but that didn't stop China ESL from offering one. I got to the school after 2 hours of trying to find the place, and the first thing I saw when I entered was a kindergarten classroom. I repeated that I don't teach kindergarten classes and the school said, "No problem. You can teach high school students."

After asking about the books, class size, and a sample schedule, she finally told me she has no high school classes, but "We will be starting new classes and the current teacher is Canadian, he isn't American." So, what does that mean lady? You want an American teacher to replace a Canadian teacher for a non-existent high school class?

Oh, it's gets better. She then said, "You can teach a few classes a week and then if they like you we can add more classes." Ok, where do I live? She said, "You will have to rent at first and then when we get enough classes, you can work full-time." Ok, how many weeks of this? She couldn't give an answer. So, I gave her one, "I came all the way up here looking for a full-time job with 3rd grade and older. Let me know when you have one."

All this could have been sorted out over the phone. Even with the first job, if I talked with the school initially, I could have known what they wanted. ChinaESL definitely wasted some of my time with promises they simply didn't own up to. However, this seems like the way of Beijing recruiters. There is another one that asked me not to schedule anything for Wednesday after the holiday in early April. Luckily, I didn't listen to them (Enke Education). They never contacted me for an interview that day.