Nobody likes unpleasant surprises and that is why you are reading this post. Let’s cut to the chase. You have about a 50% chance of getting ripped off in China. About 30% of the scam artists are NOT Chinese. The more you know BEFORE you upload or send your resume to anyone, the safer you will be friends. Roughly 20% of all China job ads you see on the internet are posted by identity thieves. Another 70% are posted by unlicensed, unregistered, and unethical China job recruiters looking for low-hanging fruit – you – to swindle. My wife and I lived and worked in China for almost 8 years as educators and are just trying to minimize the carnage. So to be brief…
If you insist on using an agent or job recruiter you will lose about 25% – 50% of your potential income (See www.ChinaScamBusters.com for details) But maybe you don’t know how to find your own job in China? Not hard at all – all the FAO (Foreign Affairs Officers speak English) and you can get a free list of the white listed schools from the CFTU by sending them an email at whitelist{at}ChinaForeignTeachersUnion.org. Don’t let yourself be pressured by any recruiter. There really are no “deadlines” – foreign teachers are in demand every day in China – if you are qualified. Current requirements can be obtained from your own embassy, the Chinese government at http://www.SAFEA.gov.cn, or in English here: http://open.salon.com/blog/china_business_central/2014/09/07/new_china_foreign_employee_teacher_requirements_now_strict
To avoid the identity thieves read: http://ChinaScamWatch.wordpress.com
To check out any China job agent or recruiter for free within 15 minutes, read: http://www.bjstuff.com/profiles/blogs/cftu-dyi-guide-how-to-check-out-a-china-foreign-teacher-job-1
To see if your new school or recruiter is blacklisted, read: http://www.ChinaForeignTeachersUnion.org
Why did I include immigration statistics for you above. Focus on that 47% and then read this last link… http://www.scam.com/showthread.php?t=620155 Enjoy your stay in China and make it a memorable adventure for all the right reasons. Safe journey and best wishes for your teaching career!
China Scam Report 