Pros
EF is the biggest international education company in the world. They have a strong global presence and great brand recognition. The package they offer employees is on par with competitors and also includes many nice perks such as staff activities, development opportunities, parties, and bonuses. Here are some of the main advantages that I have experienced in my two years working with EF: - fun orientation with socialization opportunities and free hotel for your first two weeks in the country - flights were booked and paid for by the company; visa costs were all reimbursed in a timely fashion upon arrival in China for all international staff - reliable pay at the last day of each month - relaxed hours (some would argue against this but most of these staff are young recent graduates who have never held a regular 9-5 job before) where you only teach a couple hours in the evenings and a few hours on the weekends. - days off during the week (typically a Monday & Tuesday or Tuesday & Wednesday) meaning you avoid the crowds typical for weekends in China - quick opportunities for promotion (assuming you put in a minimal of effort) due to many specialized roles within the company as well as high turn-over in the ESL industry (that's not just EF) - paid development opportunities such as distance learning courses, TKTs, and the Cert/DipTESOL certifications.
Cons
Having said all that, every job has its downsides. Here are some of the main disadvantages I have found working with EF: - low level managers with little to no management experience. Most just get promoted by sticking around long enough rather than actually possessing any real skills to do the job, Depending on the center you end up, you could have a wonderful supervisor or a completely terrible one. I've experienced both and it makes a massive difference in your experience at work. - sales-driven work environment; as a teacher this can be the most frustrating because often times what is best for the students is disregarded. At the end of the day, EF is a business and they are out to make money. A big part of being a teacher at a training center like this is to remember not to take yourself too seriously. Otherwise you will surely get frustrated and throw in the towel. - Along the same lines, there may be some communication issues between different departments due to the fact that your goals are not the same. This rings true for any job though. - some people dislike the odd hours (evenings and weekends). I actually prefer this schedule because I have my days completely to myself to spend as I like. Personal preference. - Extra hours for a few weeks in the summer and winter for our special courses. These hours are compensated and really don't amount to that much more teaching time yet people always seem to complain. It is in the contract you sign so there really is not any reason to be bitter about it. - some unnecessary and unhelpful required trainings or responsibilities (make the most of it anyways) - just the complete lack of uniformity from center to center (goes back to who your managers are) but some people definitely get the short straw - high teacher turnover (due to cons I have listed above but also the fact that many of the staff they recruit from abroad just comes here looking to travel or party or do a gap year abroad)