Sean Brogna

[slim]

What's the word out on the street about this guy?

[proust]

Well, four or five months ago at least, he was claiming to be a recruiter based in Shanghai. He sent me an unsolicited solicitation accompanied by an totally intrusive questionnaire. No further contact.

My not-quite-photographic memory tells me that sometime in the not-too-distant past, one of Yakup International's sites was carrying a totally sucky testimonial letter from Brogna. I do believe in guilt by association in this case!

Lastly, a quick Google search of "Sean Brogna" turns up a rather bizarre communication from him in the Greasy Spoon's Job Information Journal on March 8, 2004, "recanting" (his expression) a hatchet job he had done on a teacher he had placed.

Even as a child, I was interested in observing things that live under rocks . . . So, in this vein, I'd be interested in hearing what others know about this . . . uh . . . specimen.

[Raoul Duke]

Who is this guy? Why is his name so creepily familiar?

[proust]

A little more. This guy is--or was--operating under the name of Bright English (www.bright-english.com). Apparently is a recruiter and, at least at one point, claimed to be operating nine "training centers" for kiddies in Jiangsu Province.

Check out his photo on the website--a youngish guy with white eyebrows and more than the usual human complement of teeth. I know I've seen this guy somewhere.

[con's fly is open]

I just got a shiver where the sun don't shine. a beer on me for whoever can post his photo.

[proust]

The Old Computer Illiterate doesn't know how to transfer photos from one site to another, but you'll find his mug in several locations on the
www.bright-english.com web site. I love the one where he's surrounded by rug rats.

I'll pass on the cerveza, but lemme know if you recognize him.

[Raoul Duke]

Well, OK, you asked for it...

but why you want it I don't know.

I do want that beer, however, plus Proust's if he ain't drinking.

[Raoul Duke]

Here he is again, with the aforementioned kiddies, celebrating his inclusion in the Guinness Book of World Records for the World's Most Hideous Necktie. Immediately after the photo was taken he was forced to remove the tie by the CAAC, because it was interfering with aircraft navigation beacons.

[slim]

Hideous! Absolutely hideous! I can hear the photographer now:

"Okay kids touch the foreigner. Touch him or no one's having an afternoon nap! Sean, one's getting away, use the figure eight to trap him!"

I think in the other picture he's healing through the power of English introductions.

[Raoul Duke]

I dunno...I was really hoping hard that having all the kiddies touch him wasn't Sean's idea....

[ilunga]

He looks a bit like that annoying gimp from the Word King advert.
Has anyone seen that? I put a bit of a rant about him at the greasy spoon but no-one replied

[proust]

So, Slim Pickens, what was the upshot of this?

[con's fly is open]

God in heaven, all he's missing is a couple of bolts in his neck.
"Laowai's back! He brought us our methadone!"

[slim]

proust said:

So, Slim Pickens, what was the upshot of this?

Sean Brogna telephoned me a couple of weeks ago, inviting me to work for one of the many schools that he has contact with. Every summer I post a job wanted advertisement on a few websites and each year his name has always appeared in my e-mail's inbox; other regular names are Taiwan's Andrew Lin and Tianjin's Juliet Adams. I was curious, what with the years of experience on display here at the Saloon, if anyone had had any dealings with him.

This year I've noticed a huge increase in recruiters in my e-mail inbox, and they seem to have developed a nasty habit of pretending to be the school they're recruiting for...

Recruiter:

Dear Slim,

We are Fluent School of English in beautiful Baotou, you like to working for us?

Derek Wang


Me:

Dear Derek,

Could you please send me some examples of the course you run, or give me the name of the book you want the foreign teacher to use in the classroom?

Slim


Recruiter:

Dear Slim.

I don't working for the school, but I will send you a something.

Derek Wang


The communication then goes silent, as they find someone that won't ask so many questions.

Another new tactic I've noticed is a recruiter making a fabulous offer, keeping you on tenterhooks as a mythical contract is being drawn up for you, and confidently stating:

"The job is yours, reject all your other offers now! Start packing your bags for this made in heaven teaching job!"

What happens though is that the vacancy never existed, or you were reverse-gazumped by someone willing to accept a lower salary or more hours. There's always something remaining on the recruiter's desk though, usually a contract for 3000RMB in return for an eighty hour month.

By the way, has anybody ever been asked by a school to send a copy of their marriage certificate? I didn't mind too much, but it did seem a bit intrusive.

[troy]

Sean is a total fraud...stay away from this guy. Below is his webpage where he sales fake shoes- & passes them off as authentic & he will not give refunds:
www.eworldmart.com
He has shoes listed everywhere. They are all fake. Sean lists his location in Ohio, Flordia, & China. He got kicked off of Ebay- his ID sportspielerin & Ioffer for selling fake shoes & not sending the correct order. This is the same guy. Sorry to have a negative post, but this guy is a fraud & should be in jail.

www.iofferantiques.com/ratings/jeanfei1980

[bill]

Is he a good teacher??

Bill

[Raoul Duke]

They asked you for your marriage certificate? Well, I was about to get medieval on that school but something did occur to me. I think in China cohabiting with a Chinese citizen may be illegal...it's at least heavily frowned upon. I suppose in the smaller cities and the boondocks it could cause quite a stir. I lived with my first girlfriend and she was highly nervous about it. She told the naybs etc. that we were married. So if you have a Babe in your house the school may just be covering its legal ass.

Troy, nice to see you out amongst 'em. Welcome.
Don't worry about a negative post...you just call 'em the way you see 'em. As you can see, most of us are not shy about a negative post when we see fit.

Is Sean Brogna a good teacher? Well, he says he is.....

[slim]

Raoul said:

They asked you for your marriage certificate? ...I think in China cohabiting with a Chinese citizen may be illegal...it's at least heavily frowned upon. I suppose in the smaller cities and the boondocks it could cause quite a stir...the school may just be covering its legal ass.

Yes, I guessed that was the case too, or they'd had a bad experience with some previous FTs bringing home a different wife every night.

What surprised me was that we (me and the school that is) had only just begun to negotiate and the school had yet to write a figure in RMB on a piece of paper and slide it across the table. The school's offer, after a reference check and my giving him copies of documents, was disappointing.

It was the money, not the marriage certificate, which sent me on my way.

[slim]

bill said:

Is he a good teacher?

I don't know, but even if he is, that doesn't help an FT stuck in a small town without pay or basic utilities in the apartment.

I was curious to know if the man, in his role as recruiter, could be trusted. I doubt the recruiting apples fall far from the fake Nike trainers tree.

[Raoul Duke]

You've hit on one thing I really hate about working with Chinese employers. They seem to delight in making you jump through all sorts of hoops for the crappiest jobs imaginable...umpteen different interviews, class demos with no warning or prep time, insaniac document requirements, etc. I suppose it some sort of idiot 'face' thing.

The HR drones may be the worst. I've had too many instances where an HR person would ask if I spoke fluent Chinese, to which I would clearly answer 'no'. "Oh, well, it doesn't matter", they'd say. "Come on in for an interview". So I'd spend a lot of time and money hauling across town to walk into an office, meet the actual hiring person, and have their first question be, "Can I interview you in Chinese?" When I would repeat that my Chinese is not fluent, they'd thank me and end the interview. I suspect HR drones may get paid by the number of interviews they set up.

[trent]

Some of oyu have been syaing how familiar this Sean Brogna Seems to be.

I may have an answer.
Sometime ago An old girlfriend showed me on the CCTV.com website the section to help a foreigner learn Chinese.

There was ondemand broadcasts of a person teaching chinese. It looks as though the show may have been broadcast on the air also.

This person looks familiar to me also because the person who was teaching chinese was a white guy who looks a lot like this Sean Brogna.

Could it be him? I have not been able to find those broadcasts again. There were too advanced for me so I only watched part of it.

[Raoul Duke]

Trent, welcome aboard!
I'll see if I can find those broadcasts. CCTV's Chinese lessons always seem to be aimed at people who don't really need them...

[ilunga]

I'm worried about this fake shoes business.
One of my Chinese buddies working in Shenzhen wants me to become a 'partner' with him. Sending trainers to England. I took a butchers at e-bay and was amazed at the prices people pay in the U.K.
I take it this wouldn't be a good idea

[ChinaGurl]

Raoul said:

They asked you for your marriage certificate? Well, I was about to get medieval on that school but something did occur to me. I think in China cohabiting with a Chinese citizen may be illegal...it's at least heavily frowned upon. I suppose in the smaller cities and the boondocks it could cause quite a stir. I lived with my first girlfriend and she was highly nervous about it. She told the naybs etc. that we were married. So if you have a Babe in your house the school may just be covering its legal ass.

I'm practically cohabiting with my Chinese boyfriend, and the school I'm teaching at has no problem with it. They know he's my boyfriend and we're not married and they took measures to ensure that my apartment was equipped for the both of us; 1.8m bed and all. Incidentally, I'm living in a small town out in the boondocks and no one seems to think it's strange for me to have this Chinese boyfriend at all. They all think it's great, really. I'm a daughter in law of China and all. It hasn't caused even the slightest stir: my school even went out of their way with my schedule to maximize our time together.

Maybe I'm just lucky?