State of the Market

[Paralytic]

Had a random call from a lady in China today..

"Hello CS, I found your profile on JobSite and you look like an ideal match for this job."

Turns out they're trying to fly me to China to teach English lessons for sub £20k p.a. Flights, digs and training are provided. Just need a uni degree.

Surely this would suit one of those uni graduates who are now facing unemployment?

Unless you have such experience on your public profile, it was probably a scam. Otherwise, ask yourself why they'd contact you.

Have a google and you can read about the scams.

[CheeseSlice]

Unless you have such experience on your public profile, it was probably a scam. Otherwise, ask yourself why they'd contact you.

Have a google and you can read about the scams.

Could be. They claim to be a TEFL scheme which is a real teaching abroad organisation, but something doesn't smell right.

Firstly they say the salary is paid into a Chinese account that is set up for you.
They also meet you when you arrive in HK before taking you across the border. Not sure why. No visa first?
The flight fee needs to be paid in advance by you but they reimburse it at the end of the scheme.
Lastly the brochure states that the scheme starts in 'August 2020'..
Other than that they have a fancy YouTube video about the scheme as a sales pitch.

I don't know about how TEFL works but I assume you aren't normally directly head hunted by the receiving country.

[edison]

Could be. They claim to be a TEFL scheme which is a real teaching abroad organisation, but something doesn't smell right.

Firstly they say the salary is paid into a Chinese account that is set up for you.
They also meet you when you arrive in HK before taking you across the border. Not sure why. No visa first?
The flight fee needs to be paid in advance by you but they reimburse it at the end of the scheme.
Lastly the brochure states that the scheme starts in 'August 2020'..
Other than that they have a fancy YouTube video about the scheme as a sales pitch.

I don't know about how TEFL works but I assume you aren't normally directly head hunted by the receiving country.

Sounds fishy to me.

When I spent 6 months backpacking around Asia, including China, there were a lot of western backpackers who taught English, some with the TEFL qualification. Although the number of backpackers must be sharply down, I find it hard to believe there is such a shortage that native English speakers have to be 'headhunted' from the UK.

[MisterLysenkiy]

Sounds fishy to me.

When I spent 6 months backpacking around Asia, including China, there were a lot of western backpackers who taught English, some with the TEFL qualification. Although the number of backpackers must be sharply down, I find it hard to believe there is such a shortage that native English speakers have to be 'headhunted' from the UK.

That's genuinely true. Not even native speakers - I know plenty of folks from Russia and Mexico going there for teaching English, there is a massive demand from mid. class Chinese parents and they start teaching English from age 3 normally

[dangerouswhensober]

The flight fee needs to be paid in advance by you but they reimburse it at the end of the scheme.

This always is the BIGGEST indicator of "Advanced Fee Fraud" - any fee or payment that you have to make before you get anything in return is (almost) always associated with a scam.

Just think about it ...

They are not asking for any teaching quals at all - not even TEFL ?? They are going to set you up in a job just on the basis of you having a degree and speaking English ???

(BTW - the potential sucker pool count for this scam is many millions of people - everyone who has a degree and can speak English - I think it's a genius idea, in a very bad way ...)

Just do a Google search on "Advanced Fee Fraud" - the results will educate you (and might keep you amused for hours) - and you will see that this is a perfect example.

Seriously - do yourself a favour - avoid this like the plague ...

[Old Greg]

This always is the BIGGEST indicator of "Advanced Fee Fraud" - any fee or payment that you have to make before you get anything in return is (almost) always associated with a scam.

How do you ever book a flight or train journey?

[dangerouswhensober]

Or alternatively you could post the details of the scheme on one of the various "scambaiters" sites (Google for details) so that someone could possibly have some fun with these low-lifes ...

BTW - It's no coincidence that they are advertising jobs in China just when the availability of work in the West is very limited - think about it ...

[simes]

It has been a ride, to be sure.

But, the contract for the first role is now signed for a contract to start 1st October. And, the second role is also progressing. This last probably to start mid October. Both Outside IR35.

Both these contracts are through past contacts. Applying via Jobserve has elicited zero response.

Well, it's Friday, one week into the new job and frankly, it has not been worth the trouble.

Job 1: Before starting on the 1st, had murmurings about the signed Outside contract being magically turned into an Inside variation... Monday of this week, am given two options.
a) Live in the HO foreign country to direct the UK project, even though one Can't really move there, and would only be sitting in an airbnb or some such as opposed to an office, but be paid in Euros to LtdCo.
b) Live in the UK to direct UK project but be payrolled in an unspecified currency.

I ask if the current contract can run its course and we talk again next year... I hear nothing, but.... By Thursday, yesterday at the time of writing, the contract termination lands incontrovertibly in the Inbox and I receive a call from some bright spark all eager to pop me in to his payroll situation.

I've had a hard week. I have turned it all down.

Job 2: It is slightly delayed, but it is still going ahead. One prays to the angels.

I know these things can change but frankly, it's been seven working days of utter rubbish.

Take home information; say Yes to everything. Even start everything if needs be.

Have a good weekend folks.

[FIERCE TANK BATTLE]

Been canned. Managed to weather the terrible market this far. CV updated and ready to field fake job calls from desperate recruiters starting on Monday.

Not hopeful, but we'll see what happens.

[NowPermOutsideUK]

That’s terrible news. Did you see that coming or was it out of the blue?. Be interesting to hear where in Uk and what industry you are in.