Job Adverts – Some warning signs to watch out for

Having passed the CELTA or whichever qualification it might be, your next step is to turn that newly earned certificate into a new job. So, naturally, you hit the web, TEFL.com, TEFL.org, all of the usual suspects and begin to peruse the listings. But wait, what’s this, it looks perfect, and best of all, the magic words (for a freshly matriculated teacher such as yourself): No experience necessary. Of course you’re tempted to fire off an application so fast that your cover letter spins. But wait, hold fire before you do, and consider: is it too good to be true?

The internet is a mirror of reality, and like reality, it can seem as though it’s full of tricksters and shysters looking for any opportunity for a quick payout. Here are some of the signs that the job advert you’re looking at may be a fraudulent one.

A brilliant wage package and set of benefits.

I mean, think about it, why would a school located in a city you’ve never heard of, in a remote part of a country not especially known for its wealth be paying a neophyte teacher thousands of pounds a month?Well, when you put it like that… they wouldn’t, would they?

Requests above and beyond the usual.

If you’re a native English speaker, chances are you hold a passport that is fairly valuable in the right circles.If an ‘employer’ is requesting it, this is generally a bad sign. Other scammers might try and skip the middle man and request bank details, ‘to pay your inordinately high wages into’, naturally. Exercise caution, and if you’re a little older, think of it like this, “Would I send this information in a letter?”

If you’re unfortunate enough to get sucked into any scams like this, please do the civic-minded thing and publicise it, starve the scammers and hopefully they will begin to recede.