Sir Doubting Thoas,

You write: "I never looked for a job that was offered through a recruiter, mainly because it was one more person to go through to get the same job I could get on my own. Why should I pay somebody else to do that for me?"

Obviously, you are not working in China, and probably haven't before. In China, ESL teachers do not pay recruiters. Recruiters collect their fees from the "school," "unversity," "training center," who engages them to deliver a foreign teacher to them.

Their fees range wildly from a minimum of 4000RMB per ESL body up to 45,000RMB per teacher (as a few ex-partners of recruiters will attest). Therefore, a great many (majority, perhaps) will not only paint an overly-rosey picture of living and teaching in China (especially to those who have not yet entered the PRC), but will also withhold as much negative information as possible concerning the position.

If you know what questions to ask, they will SOMETIMES answer them fairly, but first one must know what questions need to be posed, which can be quite difficult because so many positions have very unique, negative features that one could not possibly anticipate.

The unsuspecting/trusting FT is caught in the scramble of educational "disorganizations" who are desperate for FTs, and the financial ambitions of recruiters who see us as little more than their personal ATM.

And please -- ALL READERS -- keep in mind that when one applies for an ESL teaching position in China, you must provide any all documents (diplomas, transcripts, main passport pages, photos, etc.) to prove your identity and credentials, as stated in the resume.

That is certainly fair from the side of the employer, but NEVER forget that recruiters operate under numberous aliases, and that they -- and schools -- are not required to truthfully identify themselves to us.

China is full of ESL landmines.

Doubting Thomas, before you admonish those of us who are trying to protect ourselves IN CHINA (and warn others considering coming here), try first having more informed knowledge about the plight and challenges of FTs here.