 Should
I use a Recruiter?
Aren't some recruiters
crooks?
Tough issue. I
used one for my first job. And this was back when some
recruiters charged as much as US$500 for placement.
(pre-Internet they could get away with that!) Even
though I had been in the Peace Corps, I was not an EFL
teacher in the PC, I still had no idea where to start.
So, I used one - and it worked out.
Problems
Was my first
placement problem free? Hell no! I lived in eight
places in the first eight-nine months (from literally a
closet to a shared apartment, to finally - a nice new
apartment). My first school got out of the TEFL
business and left me essentially unemployed in a strange
land. But, my recruiter handled it all and actually got
me upgraded to a college job. All of a sudden I went
from one week of vacation per year - to four months paid
vacation! Wow!
Was I
Lucky?
Yes and no. I
was patient and dealt with my recruiter in a reasonable
way. I asked for their assistance. I didn't
demand it, swear at them, call them crooks and
criminals, or demand an investigation! Many others did
react in such ways when confronted with similar problems. Because I was reasonable - and
behaved in a culturally appropriate way - my recruiter
tried hard to solve my problems and - in the end - did a
great job of upgrading my situation to be even
better than I could have hoped for!
Western
Assertiveness - (this IS important!)
Western
assertiveness can be your greatest downfall.
Other cultures
deal with problems in different ways. Try to learn the
most appropriate way to get things done - to get the
things done that you want done. I always knew what
I wanted, what I needed, but I used their cultural
behavior to get it done. Overassertive behavior would
not have worked. I got what I wanted, many others
didn't. I don't care who is right or who is wrong. I
just want done what I need to have done. Period.
Follow the cultural rules. They work.
Favorite Phrases
What did I say
for getting things done - even when it wasn't my fault
and I knew someone was jacking me around? "I'm sorry I
am such a problem - can you help me with this?" Another
one that works well is, "What would you do if you had
this problem?" Swallow your pride. Life overseas is
more like a fun cultural game. Learn how to play it -
so YOU win. It is fun and challenging to figure out.
The "What would
you do if you had this problem?" question got me a
driver's license in Taiwan, only seconds after the
same clerk told me it was impossible - as my USA
license had expired a few days before.
I asked her the
question - she stamped the forms - and gave me my
license! Getting angry and assertive would not have
worked. She was right, she was following the law and
had every right to refuse my request. But because I
politely and respectfully asked for her help and advice
- she gave me a license. Pretty good deal, no?
Recruiter or Not?
Up to you.
Check them out - ask on the discussion boards. BUT,
check out the employer just as you would if you found
the job yourself. Because a recruiter finds you a job,
does not mean you have to take it! Check out every
angle. KNOW that YOU are the person responsible
for your success or failure in your life overseas (or
anywhere for that matter) - don't cede that
responsibility to anyone else. Check and double
check everything. A recruiter is just one more
resource to help you get what you want.
Would I use one again?
Sure, if I thought it would help me find what I wanted.
Do most people overseas agree with me? Probably not.
But why not take every advantage you can to improve your
situation? While some recruiter may only want to
place you to get their fee from the school, if they find
a job you would not have otherwise found - and it is
what you want - why not?
Do be careful,
don't send your originals of ANYTHING to ANYONE - except
an embassy or immigration.
The #1 Problem with Recruiters?
The biggest problem is that people forget to check
things that they would ordinarily have checked when
finding a job on their own. DON'T DEFAULT
responsibility to your recruiter.
Ultimately
EVERYTHING that happens to you abroad - Success OR
Failure - is up to YOU.
Yes,
that's YOU.
Now get with it
and ASK all the questions you need to ask.
|
"Twenty
years from now you will be more disappointed
by the things that you didn't do than by the
ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the
trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream.
Discover." -- Mark Twain |
|
Raise your hand if you'd like to spend your "working"
time in a Luxury Resort . . . 
