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The ESL Recruiter: or, Have I got a deal for You! By Robert T. Tuohey The ESL recruiter is a relatively recent phenomenon. Over the last couple of years, however, this profession (if I dare deem it such) has spread like locust over the fertile field of ESL. In fact, they’ve become all but unavoidable – and just about as disreputable. Seeing as they can’t ignored, let’s take a brief look at the ways for prospective teachers to deal with these characters. The Why Roughly a decade ago the combined force of the general economic prosperity and the continued “opening” of China served to increase the demand for native ESL teachers. However, the various schools (of whatever type or legitimacy) quickly discovered that their foreign affairs staff had neither the English not the net-savvy to access the means whereby these foreign fish were to be caught. Enter the recruiter. Initially, the recruiter was nothing more than some young computer geek with a bit of written English and some nominal connection with the school in question. The job was simple enough: post the school’s advert, collect whatever the tide brought in, and e-mail the lot to some paperpusher at the school. These small-time electronic middlemen were of little trouble, or consequence, to anyone: they merely performed a routine function. From this foggy bureaucratic mist, there then arose that most enigmatical of entrepreneurs, the freelance ESL recruiter. Often with little more than a PC and an unbounded enthusiasm for cash, these wheeler-dealers set about establishing contacts with sundry schools, claiming to be able to provide the resumes of willing victims (i.e. degreed, breathing, native speakers, prepared to take the plunge). The commission copped is usually negotiated to be one month’s salary of said indentured foreign fool, paid solely by the school. Now that the schools often gyp the recruiters, and that the recruiters con both the schools and the foreigners, and that the foreigners don’t know what the hell is going on, should be as obvious as New York City’s rising crime rate. Results In physics we now have Chaos theory, and logic is said to be fuzzy. Dealing with ESL recruiters is hereby related: the results are random and unclear. It’s not that honest, reputable recruiters don’t exist – it’s just that they’re far and few between.
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Something like a Black Hole in reverse – he doesn’t suck you in, as with the run-of-the-degreemill sort, but rather actually provides you with something. Conclusions Nowadays, nearly every ESL job-search will run across recruiters. Seeing, then, as they can’t be practically avoided, a few helpful hints are in order. First, erring a bit in the direction of wariness will, as likely as not, save you from being sold down the river. Having done a bit of research, you should know, more or less, what’s being offered for what. Ergo, if a deal looks too good to be true, chances are that the recruiter is blowing sunshine up your yazoo. Next, no recruiter should ever ask you for a red cent for his/her services. Any fee is the sole responsibility of the potential employer. The end. Lastly, the recruiter should be able to provide all pertinent info quickly and without complaint. If you experience delays, a string of “I don’t knows”, or just a plain unwillingness to cough up key facts, I’d simply look elsewhere. In short, then, most ESL recruiters are kissin’ cousins to used car salesmen. However, if you keep your good eye focused on these shysters, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to slip you a lemon. But, as ole P.T. Barnum remarked, “There’s a sucker born every minute”…