satisfied
- 2008-12-01
I got a job in Jiangsu through them. Good job, low hours, good pay, still here after 3 years, no complaints. Can't comment on the experiences of others, just my own.
somewhat burned
- 2008-11-30
I took a job this outfit hooked me up with and have lived to regret it. Ask questions. Lots and lots of questions. This Chris guy is lazy and does very little of the actual legwork. He is a real expat, though. I talked with him on the phone a few times. There's a Chinese woman there whose name now escapes me and she is the one who communicates with schools. I find it impossible to believe they could find you a job for 12000 yuan a month. They work mostly with universities and middle schools and I wound up not even getting the 6000 I was supposed to get so 12000 sounds a bit out there. It is essential to stay on top of them. They'll go weeks and weeks without getting in touch if you let them. They're not the worst folks out there and they do have real positions, unlike some other shady recruiters, but just keep in mind it's the schools that pay them so they'll do what it takes to deliver a body to a school even if it requires telling some little white lies. Their claim that they help you after you arrive at your school is simply not true. Be very wary if they attempt to push you to a particular school when you have never expressed any interest in it, especially if it isn't quite what you asked for, and keep pushing even after you express interest in another position. They did that to me and I'm sorry I didn't pick up on it. They seem to have a few "pet" schools they work a bit harder for. (Possibly for "guanxi" reasons.) It's possible to get a good job from them. Just keep your guard up.
Robert
- 2008-11-30
Hi Bryan,
I am in contact with networkesl for a position now, did you ever accept their position? Are they legit?
Regards,
RB
Bryan
- 2007-01-29
Brian,
I see your points and they are well taken. For you and anyone else that cares to know, NetworkESL actually does have a web site...sort of: http://www.networkesl.com/index_en.htm
Anyhow, I did in fact ask for pictures of the campus and the e-mail addresses of teachers, but got no reply to these requests. This bothers me, but the assurance is that NetworkESL will be putting me in direct contact with the school, from whom all these particulars can be gotten. I want this to be the great offer it seems to be, but as you pointed out the salary almost seemed overly generous compared to the majority of offers out there. I researched that NetworkESL has been posting ads for a long time, which clearly doesn't mean anything useful, except that they've been around for a while. They've fallen curiously silent over the last 10 days in their correspondence with me. I don't know what to make of that.
But I stumbled upon a website entry that circuitously confirmed a little bit about what they were offering: http://www.sarahbschenck.com/STupdate1207.html
Do a document search on the term "Marshall" and read the paragraph that this hits.
So around and around it goes. Where it stops...I'll let you folks know.
Thanks Brian,
Bryan
Brian
- 2007-01-26
Bryan you are right to be concerned. Although I have not heard anything bad about these guys there are a few red flags.
First off these guys are not The China Network as someone else has suggested.
These guys don't seem to have a website and while that is not the be all and end all, it is something that I would be wary of. If they are really serious about their business then they really need to invest in it to build confidence.
They seem to be based in Guangdong but are offering two positions in Shanghai. I have no idea how they operate, but generally speaking you are best to deal with a recruiter who is actually in the area that you want to work in, otherwise their value is somewhat negated.
The salary being offered is about double what most middle schools would pay and that seems suspicious.
You are in contact with them already so you probably have nothing to lose from pursuing the deal but be wary.
Don't pay them any money. Don't sign a contract with them. Don't rely upon this job as your only opportunity and reason to travel to Shanghai.
Do ask to speak with current or past teachers at the school? Ask those teachers to send you some pics of their classrooms and the school - everyone has a digital camera these days or can access one, but someone who is not at the school but pretending to be will not be able to come through on this.
Finally let us all know how you go. Be sure to report your experience here as well as at www.buxiban.com so that other teachers will know in future.
Dianne
- 2007-01-16
Bryan,
I am not sure, they are not the same.
This is the only NETWORK, I heard about, run by foreigners. The fact that a Johnson is in contact with you, doesn`t mean much.
Why don`t you try to contact a school by yourself ?
( from this site )
Bryan
- 2007-01-16
Dianne,
Network ESL does not appear to be the same thing as "The Network", aka, The China Teaching Network. So, do you stand by the idea that they're bad news?
Bryan
Dianne
- 2007-01-16
Bryan,
Check " Schools and recruiters review " on this site ! You can find the information you need there.
It seems these guys are bad news.( THE NETWORK ) 
Hello everyone,
Can someone please tell me anything that they know about NETWORK ESL/chinaeslnet@yahoo.com?!
I found their ad here: http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/China/index.pl?read=35047
They claim to be one of these "we're anglo-expats prepared to place you in direct contact with a top-pick school" groups.
My concern is that this really sort of seems to be too good to be true:
1. The correspondent's name is "Chris Johnson", and though his English is good, there seem to be run on sentences and sundry other minor mistakes that make me think that the letter writer is not an actual ex-pat.
2. They're looking to pay me 1,600 USD a month, ~ 12468RMB, at current exchange rates, along with the usual free accommodations, etc. Though I am not complaining, that does seem high compared to most other offers out there.
3. They say that they'll be putting me in touch with the school soon.
That's not much to go on yet. I expect that Mr. Johnson WILL be putting me in touch with the school soon, and overall I have a good feeling about this, but I've read enough horror stories that I know to try to do some research.
Thanks,
Bryan