Job Discussion Forums

[canucmeee]

I applied to two different TEFL schools in Prague. I accepted one of them and informed the other that I was not going to be joining them after receiving an email soliciting questions. In response the school representative asking why I had decided to go with another school and I responded honestly that I went with the other because I felt I was getting more for my money and the security of a "guaranteed" job if I chose to take it.

Instead of just saying thanks, sorry you won't be joining us I received an interesting email in response. Long story short, her tone was rather annoying/aggravating in her attempt for a final sale on her school (EVEN though it is already too late as I have already given my deposit to the other school).

One of her claims was that a "guaranteed job" is not actually guaranteed at all and that they would stoop to lowering my performance scores in order to not honor their guarantee. I don't know but it just made me really angry that she would do this. Are all TEFL schools so catty with one another and distrustful? Yes there is competition to get students into your programs but geeze. Also, how would she know if they lowered performance scores? And how is this regulated anyhow? All I can fathom to say in response is just 'thank you but I have already placed my deposit and will be attending the other school'.

If she is correct about this lowering scores business how would I know? How would I correct the situation if it occurs?

[spiral78]

I've been involved in the past with a couple of teacher training schools in Prague, and still have friends who run one of them. However, I've personally got no financial or other interest in any of the centres (and haven't for years now).
I've also got friends who own/run language centres in the city.

What I've been told this year is that, thanks to the global economic dip, many of the training centres have seen the numbers of candidate trainees drop, sometimes to an alarming degree.

This may well have increased the pressure on some of the training centre owners/staff to become more aggressive in pursuing potential new trainees.

If you've decided to go with Caledonian, who guarantee successful trainees jobs in their own set of schools, well - they've been around a long time and have a decent reputation. They are seeing some drops in business from both the training centre and teaching side at the moment - there's an article in last week's online Prague Post (www.praguepost.com) on this. But I expect they will still have something to offer.

There is work in the city, though the summer is always a gap July- August. I wouldn't worry about guaranteed jobs and whether a training centre is going to lower your performance score to avoid employing you, unless you prove to have really no talent or energy for the job - people can legitimately fail these courses, but there should be clear reasons for this other than a job guarantee!

At worst, assuming you pass the course, you will need to line up interviews and spend a bit of time and energy to find a job on your own - this is definitely do-able. Further, the schools that offer in-house jobs also often pay at the lower end of the scale, so there may even be some benefits to you in looking around on your own a bit before settling on a contract.

Just remember that you've got only 90 days after arriving in the Schengen zone to file for legal working papers! Be sure to time your course and job search so that this will work.

[ITTP]

[spiral78]

(I just don't believe for example that somebody who spends enormous amounts of their personal time on various TEFL forums has no vested interest in the business),

Neville, there are lots of regular posters on Dave's who have no vested interest in the business. We simply find it interesting.

[ITTP]

[spiral78]

I'm still baffled why you would notice or care when or how often I post.

Whatever.

In any case, I'm obviously entitled to spend as much time, at whatever hours I wish, on Dave's and any other forum I wish to.

I simply don't understand why you comment so frequently on my internet habits.

[canucmeee]

Thank you both!