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Q: How safe is it to use an agency to find a Teaching job in China
I would love to come to China to teach, I have a BA in Business and Marketing although I have been teaching English Language and Literature for the past 8 years in the UK. Could anyone please recommend an reputable agency to help me find a teaching job and any other tips and advice would be great. Thanks
11 years 43 weeks ago in Teaching & Learning - Fuzhou
Agencies come in all sizes, shapes and flavors, mostly of the bait-and-switch variety. That being said, there are some at least mildly respectable agents out there.
Probably one of the biggest is www.anesl.com but it's hit-or-miss with them. If they see something that they like in your profile and they have a job to match it, you will be taken care of quickly; if you not, you might languish for months.
www.chinaabroad.org or something like is a portal with direct access to the employers.
Avoid Helen of Hangzhou -- she is infamous throughout the land -- and also avoid Frank Z.. who is nefarious throughout the land and now goes by more monikers than one can believe. Try the jobs listings here on this site and the jobs listings on www.teachersboard.com. I cannot for professional reasons name the one agent in Shenyang that I would never, ever, ever, ever, ever use but suffice to say you will quickly learn the identity.
Tom P. from Shandong is another master of-bait-and switch, best avoided altogether.
Thank you very much for the info, its really good of you and what a quick reply. I have been feeling very negative after researching information and reading blogs, its all so negative, I would love to hear some positive comments and how everyone is enjoying teaching in China. Thanks again for your help
Thanks for that it made interesting reading. I have looked on esl teachers board website and it seems good, they have made it clear as to whether you are applying direct or through an agency, its full of good information as well. I am spending most of my evenings now researching everything I can find on Teaching in China as I hope to have found a position by February. It's still really hard to find any really positive stories though
Thanks for that it made interesting reading. I have looked on esl teachers board website and it seems good, they have made it clear as to whether you are applying direct or through an agency, its full of good information as well. I am spending most of my evenings now researching everything I can find on Teaching in China as I hope to have found a position by February. It's still really hard to find any really positive stories though
Helen from Hangzhou also goes by moniker 'CTN BPO China TEFL Network' on adverts at Dave's ESL Cafe job Board.
One of their employees is Hongtao Wu, psychopathic liar and cheat.
Their relatively high paying job offer of 7500 Rmb monthly salary contain so called 'housing allowance' of 2000 Rmb, which get deducted from monthly salary. Conveniently, Helen suits teacher with 'house', too. 'House' is never bigger than 30 m2 room on the Campus.
Currently, I live in 25 m2 room with bathroom, for 2000 Rmb per month.
When asked Helen to use 2000 Rmb of deducted housing allowance for renting apartment in the city, Helen replied: ' You cannot use 'housing allowance' for renting apartment in the city, because we can't guarantee your safety.'
These days, I will try to present my Helen's experience to Zheijang Government.
I feel sorry for icinif above. She doesn't stand a chance against Helen and her doings.
Helen was previously the Director of the Foreign Expert Bureau in Zhejiang Province. She retired from that job several years but she has maintained all of her old-boy network of contacts. She and another recruiter called Frank Zhang are known in China as the worst of the worst. Helen runs a portal - I don't remember the name -- where one can contact schools directly. That works. However, if one falls into Helen's hands, one is doomed.
icnif77:
The biggest chance to fight Helen is to make teachers aware of their dealings, IMHO.
I follow their CTN BPO adverts at Dave's.
It doesn't look like too many teachers fall for Helen's job vacancies at Dave's. Helen's job vacancy advert is longer and longer, same School names are there forever.
One of my teaching destinations by Helen this summer was Zhengding Middle School in Shijiazhuang, Hebei. Job advert for this School is on Dave's longer than one year.
manasyt:
I went through the same shit my first teaching year in China....absolutely the same...I'm not a native speaker and had no idea I could contact the schools...I almost left China...many times...I'm glad I didn't...so just lay low and finish the contract. Get a job next year without signing any third party contracts!
who are you? are you an agent or are you living and working in China
who are you? are you an agent or are you living and working in China
Icinif: You're getting screwed! 2000/month for that! Crazy!
Agencies here are usually ok to use, just try to find the ones that put you in touch with the school directly and one's that you sign a contract with the school. Otherwise you could be losing around 2000/month as the agency likes to take a nice cut!
I came to China through an agency who put me in touch with EF in Dongguan. Good school, just usual Training center bullshit.
Like I've said on this forum before, don't be afraid to leave your job when you're here. Visa's and everything can be transferrable and if you end up in a bad school don't worry, this forum is here to help you and also just try and make some friends (local & Chinese) that way if something happens they can help you too. When you're here visit some other schools and build contacts. I've been here for 3 years and I have full-time jobs waiting for me at 4 or 5 schools, anytime I want them! The pay there isn't great but it's a relief to know if I ever lose a job or get screwed I have the power to say bye bye.
So finally, it's better to find a school yourself and come here with a big school like EF or Meten for example, the salary may be lower but you have security and they will get you a legit visa and shouldn't be any problems with salary being late, then just keep an eye open for your second year here!
Good luck and if you are interested in coming to Dongguan City then drop me a message and I can help you find some work here!
Thanks for all answers, I used an English Agency and they sent me a contract, after reading all your answers I turned it down. It was Helen's Group, for a laugh I have copied and pasted a paragraph from the contract, thought this was amusing.
4.7 Party B shall not pass on any information relating to Party A and Party A’s BPO School or its operations to which he/she may become privy during his/her employment, and that he/she shall neither defame nor make public statements of a damaging nature concerning Party A and Party A’s BPO School or its associated companies, schools or personnel.
So hoping to join you all in February, and thank you all again.