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Posts: 69

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Q: Common practice for agencies to take a cut of salary?

Is it common practice for them to take cut of salary, on top of "finder's fee"?

Any worst offenders in the industry?  

2 years 20 weeks ago in  General  - China

 
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Shifu

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Of course. How do you think they make money? They should never be asking you for money, so the hiring school does the paying. ESL teaching is a business from start to finish. We teachers are merely the equipment that keeps the business operating. Although we are treated much better than Black slaves all those centuries ago, we are still property to these schools and companies. 

 

That being said, we have all the power at the beginning of the negotiations. Insist on all the things that are important to you. Compromise on the lesser things. Make sure everything is in the contract that you negotiated for. Once the contract is signed, you become their property for that contracted period, unless you do a "runner". The recruiter is not working for you since you are not paying them. They are trying to get butts in the teacher's chairs of the schools. 

 

I am not sure how prevalent the scams are nowdays, as I have been with my employer for over 6 years, but I would never send my documentation to a recruiter or employer without some adjustments. I always blacked out the important details so that they could not sell my information on the "black market". I only provided clean documents in person as I was signing the contract. That never seemed to be a problem with serious schools looking for teachers.

icnif77:

I've never thought about that, i.e. personal data protection. I was mailing my CV to anybody in China or elsewhere, school or recruiter ... and I've never suffer from any hack of my data.

2 years 20 weeks ago
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2 years 20 weeks ago
 
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Posts: 2855

Emperor

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Never use agents unless absolutely necessary. 

icnif77:

It may work your way, if you're holding native English passport ... Doesn't matter what, I would still use placement agents 'cause in the end it's on you to judge the job offer and accept it or no .. doesn't really matter from who the offer is..

In my non-native English case the best/the highest paying stunts in China came through the placement agents.

 

Zhang was his handle/name, some 25-y old Chinese guy .. He even helped me when I was stuck on Bj's Railway station on my way to Xinjiang gig by speaking to the ticket window rep. over the phone.

He also got me into the Summer camp with New Oriental at the starting pay rate of around 125 Rmb per class, year 2010. My first 8000 Rmb per month contract in Xinjiang also came through him. Outstanding guy, overall!

 

We've never talked about his payment. Why would I ask anything about his pay, when he got me into the highest paying gigs, already.?? 

 

However, I was aware, his cut was most likely the same as my one-month's salary.

2 years 20 weeks ago
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2 years 20 weeks ago
 
Posts: 548

Shifu

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Of course. How do you think they make money? They should never be asking you for money, so the hiring school does the paying. ESL teaching is a business from start to finish. We teachers are merely the equipment that keeps the business operating. Although we are treated much better than Black slaves all those centuries ago, we are still property to these schools and companies. 

 

That being said, we have all the power at the beginning of the negotiations. Insist on all the things that are important to you. Compromise on the lesser things. Make sure everything is in the contract that you negotiated for. Once the contract is signed, you become their property for that contracted period, unless you do a "runner". The recruiter is not working for you since you are not paying them. They are trying to get butts in the teacher's chairs of the schools. 

 

I am not sure how prevalent the scams are nowdays, as I have been with my employer for over 6 years, but I would never send my documentation to a recruiter or employer without some adjustments. I always blacked out the important details so that they could not sell my information on the "black market". I only provided clean documents in person as I was signing the contract. That never seemed to be a problem with serious schools looking for teachers.

icnif77:

I've never thought about that, i.e. personal data protection. I was mailing my CV to anybody in China or elsewhere, school or recruiter ... and I've never suffer from any hack of my data.

2 years 20 weeks ago
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2 years 20 weeks ago
 
Posts: 18

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They should not be taking a cut of the salary. If this job was legitimate then the employer would be paying the finders fee in addition to the salary and that's assuming they are honest to the person or company that referred. The problem in this specific type of recruitment industry is that many of the people and companies do not have exlusive agreements with the schools that are hiring, so often they refer candidates that are not accepted and the positon is filled with someone that another entity referred. Then they are not paid. The employer may also just choose not to pay. If there is no agreement and nothing official then this could happen. It also depends on the details - usually the referring company is not paid when you sign the contract but after a certain period of time during your employment. The employer may find you unsatisfactory in that time.

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2 years 19 weeks ago
 
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Answer of the DayMORE >>
A:  "... through ..."?  Only "through" comes to mind is "S
A: "... through ..."?  Only "through" comes to mind is "Shenzhen agent can connect you with an employer, who's authorized to hire waigouren ... and can sponsor Z visa." It's not like every 10th person you meet in Shenzhen's hood can sponsor work visa ...  The only way to change from student to labourer visa is just a regular way by: 1. Finding an employer, who'll apply for an Invitation letter; 2. Exit China and apply for Z visa in your home country's Chinese embassy; 3. Enter China in 30-days after Z visa was stamped into your travelling instrument ...As I am aware, you won't be able to switch to Working permit by remaining in China....,so make ready for a return to your home .... -- icnif77