Though it is possible to find a job teaching overseas on your own, there are many reasons why a recruiter is a better option.
Its Free
First and foremost, is that it's FREE! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Recruiters are paid by the schools and should never ask you for a placement fee. Actually in most places it's illegal for a recruiter to be taking a placement fee from both the applicant and from the employer. After you consider that you can have all the work done for you, at no cost to you, why would you consider anything else?
Nobody knows the marketplace better
A recruiter works within the ESL job market everyday and in the case of IPR, the better part of 10 years. Combined with experience, plus day in and day out contact a recruiter can be a very valuable resource. A recruiter knows what a good contract is, what meets the Labor code and what doesn't. Most importantly a recruiter knows how to interpret the finer print of contracts and details that could make your experience an excellent or a horrible.
In a better position to negotiate
Right from the beginning you're in an unfair negotiation advantage. You are negotiating your contract from a point of view as an employer vs. employee - a relationship where the one party has the power - "He who has the gold makes the rules". A recruiter eliminates this & from a cultural point of view can maximize your experience. Additionally, you may think you know a few things about a contract but it is very easy to get tripped up on a technicality and spend a year regretting it.
Speed & ease of getting a job
Recruiters have the ability to navigate you through the many headaches you would normally experience trying to get a job on your own. An experienced recruiter knows where the pitfalls and potential problems are and how to get you around them. Whether it's processing the visa application, negotiating your contract, or making your travel arrangements a recruiter can take care of these things while you focus on preparing to start a new job overseas.
Better contracts and resources
While you email individual schools, a recruiter has the relationships and the power to contact the real decision makers. People always talk of the "hidden job market" and while some jobs are filled by word of mouth, most of the good jobs will go into the hands of a recruiter and won't be posted on a job board. So when using a recruiter you are, "casting a wider net" and have more opportunities to jobs that would not normally be available.
Safety and Confidentiality
In today's world you need to be concerned about your privacy and personal details. It might seem strange that such information needs to be protected when you're applying for a job, but it does - especially when you're going international. There are more than a few examples of different types of frauds being committed so it is always beneficial to deal with a recruiter that is registered in a credible jurisdiction.
All this being said, not all recruiters are the most trustworthy and have been known to be dishonest at times. Therefore, you should try to investigate who you are working with and be aware of what they are asking you do.
At the risk of some shameless self promotion (expected as this is our website), IPR does all of this and more! We've been recruiting for the better part of a decade & we have the track record to prove it. So feel free to APPLY TODAY and have one of the IPR Team get you into an exciting Job NOW!
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