TEFL Job Scams - We don't know what we don't know...

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Atlas
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Joined: 15 Nov 2020, 11:31
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TEFL Job Scams - We don't know what we don't know...

Unread post by Atlas »

Does your TEFL career sometimes feel like a mystery maze?

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This "interesting" article post was forwarded to me by ChinaScamWatch.org today and I thought it was worth sharing with all of you, because it shows how little we all know about the TEFL job market and the people that manipulate it, and not for the better IMO. Maybe you will disagree, but I think not. https://abroadreviews.com/china-tefl-jo ... ams-reddit
Look Before You Leap at https://reddit.com/r/teflscams
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Vagabond
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Re: TEFL Job Scams - We don't know what we don't know...

Unread post by Vagabond »

A very useful post Atlas - Thanks. I would urge all TEFL teachers to bookmark this link, because sooner or later it will come in handy.

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Before taking any teaching job in China make a quick visit over to https://reddit.com/r/ChinaScamCentral and https://reddit.com/r/TEFLreviews so your dream job does not become a nightmare.
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Cricket
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Joined: 13 Nov 2020, 16:53
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Re: TEFL Job Scams - We don't know what we don't know...

Unread post by Cricket »

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I suggest that every newbie TEFL teacher do three things immediately...

- 1 - Get an read the CTA's TEFL IN CHINA FOR DUMMIES AND NEWBIES (They will send you a free pdf copy upon request)

- 2 - Visit and read here https://opnlttr.com/letter/china-esl-te ... am-artists

- 3 - Visit and read: https://reddit.com/r/TEFL_tips_traps_scams


I think if you just do these three things, you will never have to worry about being scammed in China. Almost everyone gets cheated their first year in China (including myself). But I adopted and used the above as my own personal guide after I went to China Scam Patrol workshop in Beijing, and I have not been scammed since.
Before sending off your resume or passport scan, be sure to check https://reddit.com/r/teflscams and to vaccinate yourself against foreign teacher job scams.
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Blue Moon
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Re: TEFL Job Scams - We don't know what we don't know...

Unread post by Blue Moon »

Thanks for the excellent advice. You know, about six months ago I got a PM on my Reddit account from a 9 year user with a verified account that said

"INew 2021 TEFL Salary charts - don't get low-balled - Ignore the salary quotes of recruiters which will always low-ball you. Get realistic salary charts for 2021 at r/ChinaTeachers or r/TEFL_TIPS_TRAPS_SCAMS which are subs not run by recruiters who recruit with PMs

https://opnlttr.com/letter/reddit-mods- ... l-teachers "


I was curious why I would get such a message, but I checked it out anyway, and then it hit me... TEFL teacher job applicants are just like American voters -- they are only told what other people want them to hear and so much important stuff is being hidden or censored. I then began reading posts here at TEFL.net and only found one liar/recruiter and mostly a bunch of honest teachers so I dropped out of reddits beiggest tefl sub (run by 5 recruiters )and moved here to tefl.net and the two smaller reddit subs above.

The end result is refreshing and I ended up legally bailing out of a crap job that gave me no benefits (they deliberately shorted me on hours so I was technically a part-time hours so they would not have to pay me 12,000 rmb in benefits) and found a new white-listed job that is full time and pays me almost double with a furnished apartment. Looking back, that is one PM i am glad I received. Most all the others were trying to sell me vitamins, water purifiers, or some shit job with salaries less than 16,000 rmb a month.
Watch your step in China. There is a pile of shit waiting for your foot around every corner that only laowai seem to step in. See https://reddit.com/r/workabroadfraud.
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Tiger
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Re: TEFL Job Scams - We don't know what we don't know...

Unread post by Tiger »

The more I really think about it, I guess we really should not have very high expectations of anything in China - especially honesty. I read a while ago that more than 75% of the IP cases in the WTO and World Court involve the Chinese. If they drop these high salaries when they open up for the Olympics, I am outta here.
I suggest every TEFL teacher take a visit to https://reddit.com/r/TEFLscams BEFORE they send off their resumes.
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Prometheus
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Re: TEFL Job Scams - We don't know what we don't know...

Unread post by Prometheus »

It is very easy to spot a fake or shady employer in China. If they cannot send you a high-resolution color scan of their SAIC business license and SAFEA registration like those below (not a photocopy or low-resolution scan which are easily photo-shopped) they are undoubtedly a scam and you should not send them your resume or passport scan.

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Get more details at https://reddit.com/r/ChinaScamCentral

and also https://reddit.com/r/TEFL_tips_traps_scams
The best TEFL advice I ever got is at https://reddit.com/r/tefl_tips_traps_scams and right here at TEFL.net.
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Tiger
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Re: TEFL Job Scams - We don't know what we don't know...

Unread post by Tiger »

I been reading at two other TEFL forums I also visit and saw a quote from Steve Jobs that caught my attention "There are two ways to learn in this world. We either learn from the mistakes of others, or we learn the hard and costly way"

So far, from what I see in China, most expats learn their lessons "the hard and costly way". As for me, I refuse to make the same mistakes twice and now I use this link and go the DIY route. https://www.slideshare.net/LaowaiCareer ... -employers

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I suggest every TEFL teacher take a visit to https://reddit.com/r/TEFLscams BEFORE they send off their resumes.
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Tiger
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Re: TEFL Job Scams - We don't know what we don't know...

Unread post by Tiger »

TEFL careers abroad can be lot of fun - even a great adventure - if you can avoid the minefield of scams imo
I suggest every TEFL teacher take a visit to https://reddit.com/r/TEFLscams BEFORE they send off their resumes.
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