Job Discussion Forums

[mnguy29]

I tried the search option, no luck. Last Friday I went to Network ESL which is accessed from Daves ESL and I applied for over 20 Uni positions in the south of China. I have received one confirmation email from the site administrator saying they received my documents, etc. It is now Wednesday and I have not heard anything. Has anyone ever worked with this agency? What can you tell me?

[NATO]

I am looking for my first job in China and I tried NetworkESL. I applied initially for a university job in Nanjing, sent in my documents etc. They sent me a job spec for a school in Fuzhou which I politely declined. I enquired about what was going on with my initial application and outlined quite clearly that I was looking for University work in Nanjing.

They sent me two job offers for private training schools, each time I politely declined and outlined my requirements again. When I finally got an offer for a University in Nanjing the salary stipulated was 3500rmb - I sent an email back asking if the salary was negotiable because I could not accept it at that level, and I also requested the name/address of the university so I could see where in Nanjing it is located - I haven't heard anything since and that was a couple of weeks ago now.

My experience of the service is that it is also very impersonal.

[Loop]

Thanks for starting this thread. I started using NetworkESL yesterday but haven't applied to any schools yet. From reading the two posts above it sounds kind of iffy. However, a friend of mine used it and got a response from a school. I'll add my experiences after I have some.

[NorthofAmerica]

I got my current job through Network ESL and nothing is the way it was promised. I got an employment offer/package with the details of the school and contract. Most things were close but the location of the school was COMPLETELY off, waaaayyy out in the middle of nowhere in spite of the exact opposite being put in the info package. Also, the apartment that the school provided did not match the apartment described in their info. So my lifestyle has been shot to total hell. When I emailed Network ESL about these inconsistencies they first wrote that they were contacting the school "discreetly" and then after nothing came of it I mailed them again (won't name names here but if you want my contact at Network ESL IM me) and was ignored. After that I just ceased to hear from them again.

IMO, if they can find you a good looking school great, but then get in touch with the school directly and re-confirm everything that you have heard so far. And ask for more info. I talked to the school but didn't ask enough questions to know beforehand that the information I was reading was totally wrong.

All in all the school has been mediocre at best and not what I was looking for, have had an unremarkable and disappointing year compared to jobs gone by.

So thanks for nothing Network ESL!

[Loop]

My update on my experience with Network ESL: zero replies from the nine schools I applied to (all universities). I did get a recruitment e-mail from Web International English (a private chain English training center) as a result of registering with Network ESL.

At least for the ads I looked at, almost all of the universities on that site give only the basic information about their offer, such as salary, hours and city but not the name of the uni. One of the ads that I was interested in gave the name so I simply found their phone number and called them.

And a correction to my previous post: I was wrong about my friend who got a reply from a school through Network ESL; he got it from another site.

OP, did you have any success through Network ESL?

[Gamecock]

I, too, contacted them last year about specific university job openings they advertised on their website, only to be sent contract after contract for private training schools on the other side of China.

I really don't know how they place anyone. I suspect that many of the jobs they advertise are bogus. There are tons of other ways to find jobs in China. I wouldn't be bothered with these folks.

[powerrose]

I applied to Network ESL and didn't hear a peep. I also applied to Angelina's and they sent me a job 3 hours from Shenzhen and told me it was "close". Finally I applied to ReachToTeach, and they were really nice and professional, but they only really work with WEB and EF in Shenzhen, and I don't really need a recruiter to get those jobs.

So, that's my recruiter roundup.

[mnguy29]

I agree its a waste of time applying with these people. About two months ago I applied for about 20 positions. I got an acknowledgment and nothing else. I have two years experience teaching in China and a BS in teaching.