Job Discussion Forums

[arioch36]

I know we complain (sometimes with good reason) about Chinese recruiters. But I have found good old "foreigners" to be pretty slick with the truth to.

Had to laugh when I saw the ad

[Roger]

When expats get involved in helping schools recruit fellow-expats, they invariably show as much opportunism and duplicity as many (but not all!) Chinese agents! I have the following rather lively memories:

I answered an advert offering jobs in my area of this country. Soon it is evident to me that the hirer has no definite jobs lined up - she would recommend me to various schools. Soon it also was clear that she was an expat herself, in the pay of a training centre.
She asked me what I would consider a good salary, so I mentioned "any job that pays 100 an hour, no housing needed...". She replied that my expectation was "unreasonable", but I should forward my resume anyway.
Next I got a job from a private school, together with a Western chick. We were taken to a party held for the inauguration of the school with lots of potential students and parents of children. We both delivered a speech each.
I asked that Westerner to stay in touch with her - and she gave me her e-mail address. I did not tell her that, recognising it as the one of the agent I had been in touch with before, I knew her.
More amazingly, she later submitted a lurid description of her former employer in the JOb Discussion Forum. Although I have no reason to doubt some rather graphic details (such as thugs breaking into her apartment that was rented by her employer for her), I wondered why the heck she had the nerve to advertise for new teachers that she intended to introduce to that same former employer?

[goldstar]

I've seen two warnings about Shengda College. One in Dave's Job info section, another in the TEFLChina job archive. Both people felt they had recieved an overly rosy account of the place by this particular recruiter and/or FAO.

[smarts]

How about potential foreign teachers who use the service of a recruiter and then when they have the school contact information or the contact details of a foreigner teacher at the school, they then try to by-pass the recruiter and do a deal directly with the school.

it works both ways you know.
foreign teachers can be as good at cheating as anyone else.

[arioch36]

That would be my exact recommendation...bypass the recruiter and deal with the school direct. The recruiter gets paid...unless the recruiter is playing fast and loose and doesn't have a long term relationship with the school. And if that is the case, the recruiter has no business introducing a foreigner to teach at a school if the recruiter doesn't really know the school.

Any foreigner would be teacher who doesn't contact the school directly is setting him/herself up for trouble.

This said, there are foreigners who stiff the school, get sent an invitation letter and never show up, never warn the school.

For those , recruiters and teacher, who work illegally, well when you purposely deal with law-breakers, what can you expect?

[Jacob]

Recruiting teachers in China is an unregulated business that lures the bottom feeders from both cultures. I wouldn't trust Chinese or Foreign recruiters alike.

[tony lee]

Goldstar talked about a couple of posts critical of Shengda College -- one on Sperling and one on chinatefljob.

those interested in the story can check out

http://www.escribe.com/education/teflchinajob/m5825.html

http://www.escribe.com/education/teflchinajob/m5818.html

http://www.escribe.com/education/teflchinajob/m5007.html

http://www.escribe.com/education/teflchinajob/m5824.html

One of them is from a prospective teacher who is now at Shengda and who is still happy with the quantity and quality of the information she received, one is from the teacher who shot through in the middle of the night during the SARS problem (and who originally posted to the Sperling forum), one is from RS, who took a position at Shengda AFTER visiting the college, and one is from me.

RS was a 'recruit' of mine and she was fortunate enough to be able to visit the college before accepting a position. RS is still a valued member of my email group and has been willing to give her perspective on life at Shengda. Her views are not always complimentary but are certainly welcome as being fair. The other teacher who shot through, I'm pretty sure was recruited by others, but I do remember getting involved at a late stage just prior to his arrival. To do with making sure there would be enough beds for his family I think.

I am happy for all Shengda teachers to join the group regardless of whether I recruited them or not because obviously the more members there are, the more chance that prospective teachers will be fully informed.

There is a lot of advice to bypass the recruiters and just deal with the school direct. This can be good advice if all that recruiter does is pass on your resume and then runs.

What I see as far superior is to deal with a recruiter who is western and who has taught in China (and so understands your concerns), AND who not only passes you directly to the school, BUT ALSO puts you in touch with a large source of relevant information AND runs an unmoderated email group where you can contact not only your future collegues, but also past and present teachers at the school. If that recruiter then sticks by you through the whole process and helps sort out misunderstandings and failed communications, then I think there would be little for anyone to complain about.

Tony Lee

[arioch36]

But as i said, Tony, you are no longer around. You are basing what you do on your experiences of three years ago. From all reports Buckland does keep tabs on the schools. He not only helps you before (and it is pretty darn easy to apply to a school) he also helps you out after you are here. And he speaks Chinese