The American University of Phom Penh.

[sanfram]

I interviewed for an ESL gig at this university in Cambodia, which is apparently opening its doors for the first time in the fall. I'm wondering if anyone else has seen this or looked into it? I'm just skeptical that it's a scam of some sort, though there I haven't found concrete evidence yet, just a few red flags.

 

I found the job ad on the Chronicle's site, so that makes me feel a little better. Of course, that's not an absolute safety net, though. The interview was over Skype, and three people asked me questions for about 45 minutes. The questions were no less rigorous than any other institution I've interviewed with--also a good sign.

 

The red flags are this:

 

1) It's a new institution and in a foreign country (duh).

 

2) I couldn't see anyone in the Skype interview. We tried to correct the problem, but were never able to fix it. 

 

3) No one I've been talking with has used a .edu email address. I looked up one of the names of the interviewers and found him at a reputable institution, and I sent an email to that address saying some shit about if he wanted my letters of rec, just to see if I'm dealing with identity theft or something.

 

4) The process has been happening really fast. I applied and heard back within 2 weeks. I interviewed and heard back the same day that they want to talk with me further and that I'm a top priority for them. 

 

So...am I crazy? or gullible? Or am I just in shock that someone is actually showing interest in hiring me, haha?

 

Any feedback or advice you have to offer would be great.  

[b3come1122]

There are a lot of scams lately regarding ESL jobs.. if you can't find legitimate sources about the University or the people you are dealing with.. I would advise you to be cautious.. the name doesn't prove anything.. it could be identity theft. I've been around Asia and know a few people that have been scammed.

[nugget]

Contact the consulate or embassy office and ask for suggestions on how to reduce your risk of fraud. I did that once when I wanted to volunteer at a new and little known organization in Latin America and found their advice was helpful.