Job Discussion Forums

[hewlett77]

I need to know more about this Rebecca. Today I went to have an interview an International school next door to Tsinghua University. Well surprise, surprise Kevin the leader of this school seems to be dealing with this agency finding teachers through her. But then he said the agency demanded the school pay 25000 per year, and give the teachers 100,000. I had to ask him a few times if this was true, and he said that�s the rules the agency made. I'm surprised and a little shocked. And these are professional teachers who went through teachers college.
Meanwhile at my main gig, I'm finding there are fewer students at the school, and the Chinese teachers are having major issues with the leader of the school, but refused to say what. One of them said something in regards to reduced pay or something along those lines. I'm enjoying my work, but each day feel more and more like I'm in a pond with the sharks.
Another point I like to make, before coming to Beijing I had no clue I would be working illegally, the agent said I'd be legal before I got here, but now she says she will only do a business visa. She knew from the start I had no degree, but just TESOL and a few years of teaching experience. Anyhow I will stay cool and thinking my way out of this. But love to learn more about this agency. The good and the bad.

[Gamecock]

Rebecca is not a recruiter, she is an agent. The difference is that a recruiter gets paid a one-time fee for placing a teacher in a job. An agent like Rebecca gets paid a percentage of your salary the entire time you are working. You sign a contract with HER, not the school, and part of the contract says you cannot go directly to work for the school in the future and cut her out of the equation.

It's all a bit shady, and I'm not sure why she should continue to get paid for your work. I looked at a job with them and was sent one of the most unbalanced contracts in favor an employer I have ever seen. It included deposits taken out of the first 3 monthly paychecks and about a dozen clauses where the employee could be fined for minor infractions (with zero accountability clauses for the employer failing to abide by the contract). The salaries she offers appear to be decent, but I'm pretty sure if the job is in Beijing NO housing in offered, which really marginalizes the salary.

With all this said, I have heard that she can find jobs for people who might otherwise have difficulty obtaining employment (i.e. folks like you without proper credentials).

After finding out more, I honestly don't know what kind of connections she has to stay in business, but it must be some serious guanxi. Maybe rock stars and professional athletes need agents, but ESL teachers certainly do not. I'd stay away.

[sainthood]

Read the contract, find which school you're supposed to be working for, go to them directly with a counter-offer You get the job, she gets screwed - win/win situation!

[askiptochina]

[askiptochina]