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The Teachers' Lounge => School Reviews and Experiences (ON-TOPIC) => Topic started by: Raoul F. Duke on May 31, 2007, 07:50:00 PM

Title: Linguatutor Agency (Shanghai)
Post by: Raoul F. Duke on May 31, 2007, 07:50:00 PM
This experience is short indeed...as in, didn't make it past the initial phone call.

Was searching new jobs on AsiaXpat last night and came across a listing that looked idyllic. Company job. 4 afternoon hours office; 3 evening hours classroom. Good pay and benefits. I was amazingly well-qualified for the position. I sent a resume immediately.

Today I followed up by calling the phone number provided, in order to touch base and make sure my resume had been received. I was really excited about this job!

Turned out to be a recruiting agency. The company personnel was nice enough, and said she would make sure they got my resume OK. She then told me to be sure and visit their company website, and make sure that I understood about their agency fees.

"You require teachers to pay a fee?", I asked.
"Oh, yes, we do" was the reply.
"Sorry," I said. "I don't pay agency fees. Never mind."
She said "OK" and hung up.

I did go in and visit the site afterwards. Sure enough, these weasels stick you for a 200 RMB "application fee" up front, and then take a substantial percentage of your pay. (I think it was 10% but I was too busy vomiting to look closely.)

Folks, there are lots of good jobs out there. Lots of places BADLY needing teachers that won't require YOU to pay THEM. Please...never, never pay an agency fee...even if you simply must use a recruiter at all. aaaaaaaaaa
Don't get played for a chump.  bibibibibi

Title: Re: Linguatutor Agency (Shanghai)
Post by: AMonk on May 31, 2007, 10:50:24 PM
Stupid question....did you have any luck contacting the employer directly?
Title: Re: Linguatutor Agency (Shanghai)
Post by: Raoul F. Duke on May 31, 2007, 11:07:17 PM
No, sadly. These guys never release any client info...
Title: Re: Linguatutor Agency (Shanghai)
Post by: AMonk on May 31, 2007, 11:08:58 PM
Bugger  asasasasas
Title: Re: Linguatutor Agency (Shanghai)
Post by: Raoul F. Duke on June 02, 2007, 09:30:30 PM
Do you believe in miracles?
Have faith in the ultimate goodness of human nature?

Yeah, me neither. Not after all these years of working in EFL and living in China. But I may have to re-think this position after receiving the following e-mail:

Dear Raoul,
 
I read your CV and we decide not to charge your agency fee. I will forward your details to the company and they will contact you directly talking about the job.
 
Regards
(Linguatutor staffer)


Wow.
Well, it does help to stick to your guns when talking to schools and companies.
And ol' Raoul gives good resume.  aeaeaeaeae
But maybe, just maybe, I've encountered a recruiting company that's hones...hon...h...
No, I just can't finish it. It's too unbelievable. But we'll see.
Headlines at 11.
Title: Re: Linguatutor Agency (Shanghai)
Post by: AMonk on June 02, 2007, 11:13:37 PM
And if said employing Company hires you, will Linguatutor be receiving their fee and/or that 10% of your first paycheck (deducted before you get it)?  gggggggggg



Just curious and wondering. mmmmmmmmmm
Title: Re: Linguatutor Agency (Shanghai)
Post by: Raoul F. Duke on June 02, 2007, 11:25:00 PM
As am I.
There's obviously much still to explore here. But I takes my glimmers of hope anywhere I can finds 'em...
Title: Re: Linguatutor Agency (Shanghai)
Post by: AMonk on June 11, 2007, 12:32:13 AM
Is your "glimmer" still flickering, or has it turned into a "shine" or a "twinkle"?
Title: Re: Linguatutor Agency (Shanghai)
Post by: Raoul F. Duke on June 11, 2007, 12:45:19 AM
I just interviewed Friday. I may have to do one more interview with them. I have no idea if I got it or not. Either way, Linguatutor was as good as their word and I am working directly with the employer.
Title: Re: Linguatutor Agency (Shanghai)
Post by: AMonk on June 11, 2007, 01:11:29 AM
 bfbfbfbfbf on Linguatutor. *crossed fingers* on the employer.
Title: Re: Linguatutor Agency (Shanghai)
Post by: AMonk on June 23, 2007, 09:48:37 PM
Did all work out???  Are congratulations in order??
Title: Re: Linguatutor Agency (Shanghai)
Post by: Raoul F. Duke on June 24, 2007, 08:37:49 AM
Don't think I got it. I've heard nothing from them, which is the Chinese way of saying 'no'.

It's OK, though. There are always more listings.
And this one wasn't nearly as attractive in person as it looked in the job ad.
It's located way, way, way the hell out in the furthest eastern fringes of Pudong. Almost to the airport. A real transportation nightmare, even with their shuttle bus. aoaoaoaoao

They handed me a list of topics (mostly business English stuff) and demanded I excrete an unplanned demo class for them on the spot- no book, no knowledge of goals, no nothing...just trot up and teach their topic and just happen to meet their unspecified expectations. I HATE this...if you do it, you're probably going to deliver a shitty performance. If you refuse to do it, you're going to look "uncooperative." It's a no-win situation.

And they were frankly kinda stupid. Their MISdirections on getting to and from their plant wasted about 200 of my precious few remaining RMB.

Sometimes it hurts when you miss a job. Sometimes, though, you view it as a bullet dodged...which is kinda how I see this one. There's better out there.

I should repeat, though....for their part, Linguatutor was nice. No problems stemming from them.
Title: Re: Linguatutor Agency (Shanghai)
Post by: AMonk on June 24, 2007, 09:05:59 PM
Glad to hear you taking a positive view.  As you say, there's more openings out there.  We just have to have the right-for-Raoul one come along.  Here's hoping for it ..... SOON!
Title: Re: Linguatutor Agency (Shanghai)
Post by: cheekygal on June 25, 2007, 02:31:30 PM
You live in Shanghai now???
Any recent development?
Title: Re: Linguatutor Agency (Shanghai)
Post by: Raoul F. Duke on June 25, 2007, 11:01:43 PM
I'm still in Suzhou and hoping desperately to stay there.
But may end up back in Shanghai. I need to find new work pretty quickly, and I'm not optimistic about Suzhou right now.

The training centers are all either 1) lousy deals, 2) really dishonest, or 3) both.

I don't want to work in a primary or middle school, and all the unis are shutting down for summer.

There is freelance corporate work to be had here, but in a city this small it's just too dodgy and unstable to rely on for a living. It's a hobby, not a full-time job.

I think it'd literally kill me to ever leave Suzhou. But at least I'd be an employed corpse in Shanghai.