Re: China: Reputable Organisation? ZhuoWen Int. Culture Exchange

You ask for first hand information, then here it is.
BE Warned of these ROGUE UNSUPPORTIVE COMPANIES. READ THIS, YOUR RESEARCH WILL SAVE YOU MONEY
As a mark of SAFETY AND WARNING for YOU!!. Please NOTE. And read carefully!! Note that they employ teachers on “L” and “F” visas, TOTALLY Illegal and if you get caught neither the school not these companies will support you.
The words “CULTURAL EXCHANGE” and "We are a COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION SERVICE INSTITUTION", or “We are a Recruitment Service for ESL Teacher’s Candidates” are, in some instances, are words used to cover the absence of a true licence to employ foreign teachers. Asking for "ORAL ENGLISH Teachers is another way of saying "We can also employ unqualified teachers"!!.
Be warned that they are hiding behind words such as, “ESL International”, or “Recruitment Service for ESL Teacher’s Candidates” or ESL Teacher Recruitment Centre or “Foreign Service HR Centre” or Beijing Foreign English Teacher Recruitment Centre or “We are an honest HR Company” to give the impression of animosity and NOT!!, repeat “NOT”, advertising their names or companies. Also using the word “Honest”.. For goodness sake, why would you want to tell everyone that your “Honest” Think about it!!
These companies even advertise teachers that do not work for them, and will never work for them; these companies are false and employ teachers without the proper Visa qualifications. Note Paragraph (1)
If you ever get caught working in China, without the correct papers, you are in trouble and these companies will not ever be held responsible. NOTE:- NEVER, NEVER be employed by these companies. You will be left high and dry if there are any problems.
1) Boao Tong Wen International Culture Exchange Centre.
2) boaoedu86; or TONGWEN International Centre
3) Zhuo Wen International Cultural Exchange.
4) Zhuowen Foreign Service HR Centre.
DO NOT EVER, EVER consider employment by companies that list themselves as "Cultural Exchange Companies", COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION SERVICE INSTITUTION. or Recruitment Service for ESL Teacher’s Candidates Without first investigating, AND ASKING for a copy of their “Business Licence”, and confirm why they do not advertise their names. Ask them.

This will of course be in Chinese, So, (1) Make sure you can see a RED Stamp on it, so do not accept black and white copies, (2) Then get a trusted friend to translate it for you, (3) then get your friend to place a call to the Chinese Education Bureau and investigate the TRUE status of the “Cultural Exchange Company” that your thinking of talking to. It is well headed advice for you to stay clear of these “Cultural Exchange Companies”

Research is mandatory. Or your trip to China will be a disaster.

There are some companies in China, BEIJING!!!, that are in financial trouble. REAL financial trouble, NOTE They have no financial backing and are desperately trying to recruit foreign teachers to pay off their debts

That they cannot pay you a decent wage, without some schools supporting them by paying part teachers wages. This way the company is NOT, repeat NOT totally responsible for paying you. (BE WARNED of pay structures)

There are “Cultural Exchange Companies” that cannot pay the teachers on time and correctly.
There are “Cultural Exchange Companies”, that are so in debt, that they are asking the Staff to give the company money so that they can pay you, the teachers their small part in the wage structure.
There are “Cultural Exchange Companies” that promise you commissions for introductions and are so broke that when it comes time to deliver, you will never get you money, and the teachers that you recommended to come to China on YOUR!! Behalf will not get the care they deserve.
There are “Cultural Exchange Companies” That having placed you at a school that is either in some local school or in a far flung remote area of China, that they will NEVER support you or care for you or even help you. BE WELL ADVISED. Do your homework.

I would ADVISED MOSTY STRONGLY.. Before you come to china, research these "Cultural Exchange Companies financial status. And be VERY wary of companies such as Boao Tong Wen International Culture Exchange Centre, listed as boaoedu86; or TONGWEN International Centre or the subsidiary companies, Zhuo Wen International Cultural Exchange, or Zhuowen Foreign Service HR Centre. Listed as JobPlacementChina; they are all financial disasters. And should be well steered clear of. For further proof here are also sites that have school reviews and even school/recruiter blacklists. ZhouWen seem to have a negative presence all over the ESL Teachers Websites.

It costs you a lot to come to China, a beautiful, culturally rich country, filled with warm hearted people, but we advise you that all that glitters is not gold. You must, for your own safety and security BE CAREFULL.

Advice is FREE, The Research and results are in your hands. I hope you heed this advice and do not come to China for wages of Y5000 RMB, Your well qualified and worth more. And even though they will offer you FREE accommodation, free School meals,(and some of them are well stayed clear of!!), they only want you as a means to make money for themselves. You will not make your fortune, but you will get life experience.

REMEMBER.. All help will cease once they have you placed and in their grasp. Be well advised.
Stay well clear of them.

China: Reputable Organisation? ZhuoWen Int. Culture Exchange

Hi, recently I've been offered a job by this organisation. Has anyone heard of this organisation? and can they give me some feedback? Are they reputable? While frequent emails have been friendly, and they have been open with information concerning every small detail of the school, they are suggesting I come over on a tourist visa and then once I am in the country to apply for a Z Visa which they will help me with. Is this normal procedure? Allow me to be ignorant here and please educate me. Many thanks.

[Edited by Administrator (admin) Thu, 30 Jun 2011, 08:11 AM]