|
synthette58
Guest
|
 |
« on: October 19, 2009, 05:07:03 PM » |
|
Anyone have experience with these guys? Reason I ask is........I just got offered a very nice job in Sichuan, 10,000 rmb, 18 hrs science curriculum (write your own)..........sounded ok - THEN, I get an email from the Uni - this 'salary' includes everything from air ticket to visa fees, to 'apartment maintenance fees' - whaat?  ......... On an rmb to rmb basis - I'll stay put, or sell my soul to Shenzhen for 24K and curse the commute. Any info of Horizon, guys? Especially "Simon"....... Tx  |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
mlaeux
Barfly
Gender: 
Posts: 1627
|
|
« Reply #1 on: October 19, 2009, 09:30:09 PM » |
|
I have never dealt with them or known anyone who has, but they are pretty prolific on the Chinese ESL job sites. I recognized their name immediately.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
"Happiness has to do with accepting the present moment for what it is, accepting your current life's situation and making the best out of it." - Andrew B.
|
|
|
Day Dreamer
Barfly
Gender: 
Posts: 3105
|
|
« Reply #2 on: October 20, 2009, 02:09:56 PM » |
|
My contract with my company is up next month and I've put feelers out for new employment.
As a sidebar, I really love the school and the people running it. Since its a private school, most classes are of the tiny tyked type, and that's not for me thanks.
I received an email from Horizon Recruitment and during our correspondance, they've been professional, non evasive and never harrassing. After you register, they'll ask you certain pertinent questions to evaluate your standing. Its not really pigeon-holing, more along the lines of city/province/area desired, education, experience etc. I don't recall if any query was intrusive but I didn't object to anything. You are then classified accordingly (rated a 1 or 2 or whatever.) Very professional website.
Then you may apply for the jobs you qualify for (or lower) The job posts usually gives you a fair bit of info. Sometimes, Horizon themselves will send you a referal to see if you are interested.
Since I am very particular as to which city and what type of employment I desire, they have yet to find something to my liking. For a recruiter, they seem very good.
|
|
|
|
« Last Edit: May 23, 2010, 11:10:13 AM by Raoul Duke »
|
Logged
|
As a Reformed Druid, I can now pray at shrubs
|
|
|
|
synthette58
Guest
|
|
« Reply #3 on: October 21, 2009, 04:00:52 PM » |
|
You know, I've been corresponding with them for the past week or so, and they seem pretty straight up - every question I've asked has been answered immediately - they've sent SAFEA contracts, pics of the schools AND the apartments, AND current teacher contacts. If they continue to walk their talk, I might be swayed by them - they certainly seem to smooth the path between non-English speaking Deans and us Laowai...........wonder how much they're creaming off the top though? So far, they're negotiating everything I ask for though - and getting it too! Wondering how far to push???  Only trouble is, the #1 position they've offered (a '6') is right in the middle of 'ground zero' of Sichuan (Chengdu)!!.........now have to research the earthquake history there.......the recent vid I saw (Tears of Sichuan) was NOT pretty!  |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Schnerby
Barfly
Gender:
Posts: 2407
|
|
« Reply #4 on: October 22, 2009, 01:52:34 AM » |
|
I was in Chengdu over summer and it struck me as a modern, well set out city. Yes, it was steaming and felt like a billion % humidity, but if you can stand that I wouldn't rule Chengdu out.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
synthette58
Guest
|
|
« Reply #5 on: October 22, 2009, 04:32:51 PM » |
|
Seems right by the book, and, apart from quakes every 10,000 years, Chengdu is the 4th best city to live in, in China. Getting fonder by the day - numerous calls/emails from other FT's there today. AND........their FAO can speak REALLY good English!! (wish ours could!!........"Spots Day" indeed............only ETR will understand this........). Also, I'm not a big fan of recruiters (though I got to know several in Jiangsu province before my present position - and several of them have become really nice friends - ok, so they're all in it for the money - but, hey, if I'm out on a limb, one phone call, and I've got a job)..........but Horizon play it straight by the book - so far, so good. No "tricky dickies" so far.. (mind you, could be they're really desperate for FT's since May 2008..........the "scary" factor..........hey, I lived in San Diego for 5 yrs - part of the "shake'n'bake" state. Strange thing was, all the quakes we had happened around 6 am! Now that seriously sucks! (waking up to wobbling walls and having to make a mad dash for the telly!) |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Raoul F. Duke
Lovable Rogue
Despot in Absentia
Gender:
Posts: 9577
"Be specific if you order the mushrooms!"
|
|
« Reply #6 on: October 31, 2009, 07:02:39 AM » |
|
Recruiters can be fine friends. I have a few myself. Just don't  let them find you a job . |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
"Vicodin and dumplings...it's a great combination!" (Anthony Bourdain, in Harbin)
"Here in China we aren't just teaching...
we're building the corrupt, incompetent, baijiu-swilling buttheads of tomorrow!" (Raoul F. Duke)
|
|
|
|
synthette58
Guest
|
|
« Reply #7 on: October 31, 2009, 04:24:54 PM » |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Ruth
Barfly
Gender:
Posts: 3343
|
|
« Reply #8 on: November 01, 2009, 08:26:00 AM » |
|
I know nothing about this recruitment company, but I did spend several days in Chengdu this past summer. I'd live there. It's clean, lots of western amenities and people line up for the buses (seemed too civilized, somehow). |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
If you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat.
|
|
|
Raoul F. Duke
Lovable Rogue
Despot in Absentia
Gender:
Posts: 9577
"Be specific if you order the mushrooms!"
|
|
« Reply #9 on: November 01, 2009, 11:25:36 PM » |
|
I'd second that. Chengdu has shaped up into one of the best cities for expats in China. Of course, recruiters suck no matter where they are, so Chengdu si, recruiter no. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
"Vicodin and dumplings...it's a great combination!" (Anthony Bourdain, in Harbin)
"Here in China we aren't just teaching...
we're building the corrupt, incompetent, baijiu-swilling buttheads of tomorrow!" (Raoul F. Duke)
|
|
|
Stil
Barfly
Gender:
Posts: 3996
|
|
« Reply #10 on: November 02, 2009, 05:13:18 AM » |
|
Hospitals in Sichuan to go smoke-free
Chengdu Evening News
October 30, 2009
Come 2012, medical facilities in Sichuan will require you to step outside for your smoke break.
Today's Chengdu Evening News announced the start of an anti-smoking campaign intended to bring the province in line with the WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Twenty percent of the province's hospitals should go smoke-free by the end of this year, 50% by the end of 2010, and the rest by the end of 2011.
Conspicuous "no smoking" signs will go up, ash trays will be removed from conference rooms, and cigarette ads will be barred from hospital shops. Additionally, smoking will be incorporated into performance reviews for medical staff and their employers.
Some statistics provided by the newspaper:
Percentage of doctors in Sichuan who smoke: 16.89% (33.9% of male doctors and 13.8% of female doctors);
Average number of cigarettes smoked per day by male doctors who smoke: 12;
Percentage of doctors aged 60-69 who smoke: over 50%;
Percentage of doctors who have smoked in front of patients: 4.3%.
The money quote:
Professor Li Jing, head of the Huaxi Hospital Mental Health Center's Substance Dependence Department at Sichuan University, told this reporter yesterday...that although doctors may be more knowledgeable about medical matters than ordinary people, some doctors who smoke are insufficiently aware of how unhealthy smoking is, and believe that smoking is not very harmful.
Links and Sources
Chengdu Evening News (Chinese): No-smoking order takes effect throughout Sichuan
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
milkweed
Barfly
Posts: 79
|
|
« Reply #11 on: December 10, 2009, 01:09:07 AM » |
|
Iv'e dealt with these guys before. They are very slow or non-responsive to my questions on schools. They give me offers that are NOT what I'm interested in. Chinese recruiters seem hopeless at giving you a good fit employment wise, compared with Korean recruiters in my experience.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
dragonsaver
|
|
« Reply #12 on: December 10, 2009, 01:11:02 AM » |
|
To quote Raoul (plus most of us here) NEVER use a recruiter  |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Be kind to dragons for thou are crunchy when roasted and taste good with brie.
|
|
|
harry_aus
Barfly
Gender:
Posts: 170
"woof!"
|
|
« Reply #13 on: December 14, 2009, 10:24:54 AM » |
|
Sorry to be a bit late to your question, synthette, but yes, I know a few things about Horizon. Simon Ogilvie-Lee is an alumni  like me  of the same TESOL college here in Aus. He has pretty-snazzy website where they categorise you according to various criteria, (and I rate a stupendous '2' on their richter-scale). Simon's been quite responsive to several enquiries of mine over the years, although I've never been a placed customer of Horizons. I guess I can only say that they appear well-organized, and have been in business for several years. Yeah, they're recruiters, so all the usual caveats apply. I've declared a jihad on recruiters, regardless of what country they're from. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
magnakaser
Barfly
Posts: 40
|
|
« Reply #14 on: December 17, 2009, 02:29:38 AM » |
|
I used these guys, they got me a job, everything was peachy.
I don't know how other recruiters work, never used em but these guys are about as distant as you can get. I gave them some info, they asked me if I wanted jobs, provided me salary estimations and sample contracts... etc... When I said I wanted more info on said job, they got me in contact with the school itself and all contact with them more or less stopped.
In my case, after several interviews with places I decided were no-go's, they got me an interview with a school I liked. Once I had that interview the only thing I heard from them was "So are you going to take this job, or should we keep looking?" I replied and they stopped sending me job offers.
In every case I wanted "more info" I dealt with the school directly, talking to the DoS or some school faculty in interviews, asking them about visas and stuff directly.
Maybe I was lucky, but I'm here, I like my school, I have all the proper paperwork and documents.
So, I used these guys and it worked. Just sayin'
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
