William paints a pretty picture of the Aston Schools in Jinan without mentioning that Aston has a very bad reputation in China. Either he got lucky and worked for an Aston school that was somewhat honorable or he sees the world through rose colored glasses. The unfortunate truth though is that they have been exposed in numerous forums as just another chain school that places its own profit interests well above the interests of their students or their teachers. Never believe the positive information of one poster, nor the negative information of another. Do your research, read the forums, ask meaningful and probing questions.
For more information regarding Aston Schools and other schools thay you may be interested in,read the teacher's forum here at eslteachersboard.com and check the archives. Also, be aware that some schools, such as Aston, pay little and ask a lot. In addition, many private schools want you to believe that because they are Western owned you will be better treated than you will be by those who are Chinese owned. The truth is that they are often run by Chinese businessmen who are extremely profit motivated and have only jumped on the EFL bandwagon in China because it represents an opportunity to rake in some quick and easy profits.
My advice for first time teachers in China is to avoid private schools all together until you gain a clear understanding of how things work here. Working for a public school or university doesn't always guarantee that you will be treated fairly; however, your odds are much better. Furthermore, there are legal issues that are somewhat clouded and glossed over by private schools and training centers, and that is rarely the case with the universities and colleges. I should mention here also that you there is very little you can do here in terms of legal recourse should you encounter any problems. (There is a US Government website that has posted the same warning.)
And finally, avoid recruiters - the chances that you will encounter an honest one are very slim. Do what you can to make direct contact with colleges and universities. Most of them have Foreign Affairs Offices that do the hiring and take care of visa processing, housing and etc.
If you have chosen to work in China or any other overseas location, do an extreme amount of research - you'll be glad you did. As the saying goes, "better safe than sorry."
Good luck!