Teach Abroad is a scam. It seeks to cheat naive, adventurous Americans out of almost $400 by promising them a well paying English teaching job in the European country of their choice. Here is what the company does:
- Lures the applicant in with such attractive prospects as; a furnished apartment, a salary of up to 2700 euros per month, benefits, and a short work week of 30 - 35 hours.
- Instead of being up front with the applicant from the get go, only after the application is processed is the applicant told about an odd, 100 euro "Application Fee" and 200 euro "Placement Fee".
- Finally, the company pressures the applicant to pay these fees by telling them numerous schools have reviewed their application and are willing to hire them but can't do so until these fees are received.
Here are some facts that people who are looking to teach English abroad need to know:
- Virtually all Western European countries have little to no desire to hire Americans to teach English. If they did need English speakers they'd probably look towards England, which is a fellow European Union nation. Many of these nations have a huge problem with immigration as it is, and usually aren't too open to foreigners taking their jobs. Anyone involved in the profession of TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) will tell you that the highest paying jobs are almost always in Asia, or to a lesser extant, Eastern Europe.
- While it is possible to get paid teaching English in a Western European country, don't expect to make a lot of money. My fiance, who was born and raised in Paris, doesn't even make enough money to afford an apartment for herself. So unless you're a celeb or some big shot, corporate type, don't expect any company in France or any other Western European country to be throwing you fully furnished apartments and/or big paychecks. Simply put, if they do, THEY'RE A SCAM!
- I am a professional, full-time, teacher, and I know that, with the exception of colleges, no one (and I mean NO ONE) should ever charge you a fee for an application or placement. Having to pay for your own airfare or living is one thing, (though most schools should be willing to house you at least until you can afford your own place), but no company should demand that their applicants pay to be hired. They should especially not be asking for a credit card or bank account number. There is absolutely no surer sign of a scam.
- If a school reviewed your application and was willing to hire you, they would call you themselves and either hire you or ask for an interview. They certainly wouldn't be waiting around until some middle man got his fees.
- Finally, any company that specializes in hiring English teachers should have a good command and understanding of the English language. Therefore, if they are spelling "typically" with an "i" instead of "y" (tipically), you can bet that you're not talking to a reputable business; you're talking to a con-artist probably working out of his/her apartment.
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