Job Discussion Forums

[Gibuchi]

I've got an interview with a company, (I think people round these parts would call it a (English mill', or something). These are the specs of the company:

Beijing
5 day work week of 35 hours
up to 25 teaching hours
10 hours of administrative work
The day starts in the afternoon for approximately 6 hours, and 9 hours on Saturday and Sunday
They said I would be tier 4, making 8000RMB base
In addition to 50RMB per teaching hour
A 3000RMB living allowance (we find our own accommodation)
10,000RMB flight allowance paid upon completion of contract
And a completion bonus of 6000RMB
Pre-made lesson plans, with opportunity to supplement as we see fit
We come in with an "F" visa we supply for ourselves, then we switch over to a "Z" visa after the "F" expires (take a jaunt to HK or somewhere to comply with regulations, covered by the company as part of the 10,000 flight allowance)

As for holidays off, I think it's only public holidays (Christmas, new years, etc.), but otherwise, it's a year round, 1 year contract.

As for me, this would be my first teaching position abroad as an ESL (no previous ESL teaching experience). I have academic teaching experience (working with developmentally disabled children, teaching assistant, etc., and am an online adjunct faculty designing and teaching 2 courses for a professional school, starting in the fall). I recently became TESOL certified with a 100 hour course.

I have a follow-up interview here shortly, and would appreciate any advice people would like to lend. Thanks in advance!

~Gibuchi

[roadwalker]

[Gibuchi]

Thanks for the quick reply Raodwalker!

I just completed the second interview, and forgot to mention a few things in the original post:

In coming to China, we're supplied with a hotel room for 15, which we're encouraged to find our accommodations in that time period

This is what they say about the visas:
What kind of visas are offered?
We recommend that everyone apply for the F visa when coming to
China, as it makes getting into the country easier.We do this because
dealing with visas and switching them over to more appropriate visas is
a lot easier domestically.
When applying for the visa, we encourage new teachers to say that they
are going to be a consultant for an English company(with no income) or
that they are coming as a cultural ambassador (cultural exchange).
Most westerners who come here to teach do so in this manner and
remain on this visa until they leave. The company will renew your visa
domestically and cover the costs each time the visaexpires.
Z Work Visa
If teachers qualify for a Z work visa, we will convert your Fvisa for you
once you arrive. To qualify for the Z visa, teachers need to have a four
year college degree, have two years out-of-college work experience, be
25 years-old, and take the health exam at one of (Ithink) two
state-approved hospitals here in Beijing.
F Business Visa
As many candidates do not have 2 years working experience, you can
also come to China by applying for and staying on an F business visa.
The school will email you a scanned copy of the business invitation
letter. Please print it in color and take it to the nearby Chinese consulate
to apply for the F visa. Remember, this time you are applying for an F
business visa for business purposes and business purposes only. If you
tell the consulate you are traveling to China to teach English, you may
be required to show proof of more teaching credentials. It may cost you
more problems. After you land in China, the school will assist you in
getting the visa extension and will pay the visa extension fee. It is quite
common for teachers to come to China in this way. It is up to your
judgmentto evaluate your qualification to apply for the Z or F visa.
No matter which visa new teachers end up on, once they get here and
find an apartment, they will need to register with the police department
at your new address.

Additionally, there's a contract to be signed for a 1 year commitment (though as I'm reading, dishonoring contracts has been known).

Still decline?

[johntpartee]

[roadwalker]

[Gibuchi]

My degrees are in Behavioral Psychology, and Industrial/Organizational Psychology.

I'm eager to leave, to be honest, and this is the first place that has the minimum requirements that I need to survive in a place other than where I'm at. I intend to supplement the income with either private lessons (see what the market is when I get there), or an under-the-table bartending job or the the like. The biggest obstacle I'm seeing, is I have no experience, so Japanese jobs are hard to come by, and Euro jobs don't seem too common. I can't take the best route, and go to a country to start knocking on doors, and I'm not interested in the middle east, or Korea.

[Nkengaola]

I'm in a third tier city, and I make 7,600 RMB, and I get housing. I don't see how you could survive in Beijing only making 8,000 RMB.

You CAN get a job with your qualifications. Coming over illegally is asking for trouble. If you are set in working in one of the first tier cities, you're going to need more money.

[Non Sequitur]

Has the school mentioned a visa trip to HK?
That's a 3.5 hour flight.
You are closer to Seoul (1.5 hours).
A legit school in Beijing would mention that IMO.
I note your eagerness to leave and that could be financial.
But many posters have stated you need a wad of backup cash if you come on anything other than the normal visa.
On balance - too much downside to this one.
Sorry

[Gibuchi]

I like to hear the feedback that you're all giving!

You were right Non Sequitur, part of it is financial, part of it is urge to get out while I can, before I'm stuck in a soul-sucking, ok-paying, gray job that I'd have to work 51 weeks to finally take a 1 week vacation. wash-rinse-repeat. Not my cup of tea.

Yes, they mentioned that teachers leave the country (to Korea or HK, or wherever they choose), to comply with the regulations.

[doogsville]

Don't do it. Take your time, you have plenty of it. First of all the money is not good, and secondly, they are encouraging you, no, telling you, to lie and break the law. Also they are lying to you. It is not a 'lot easier domestically' to deal with visas, and no one should be 'switching' your visa anyway. They should be providing you with the relevant paperwork to enable you to get a Z visa at home, come over using that, then get your residence permit when your here. This forum is awash with advice about that. Do not, under any circumstances, trust these people. If they cannot provide you with the proper papers, then they most likely don't have a licence to employ foreign teachers, and may not even have a licence to run an English school.

Sometimes it seems that there are more scamming, money hungry, criminally minded businesses out there pretending to be English schools than there are honest, reliable, genuine schools. But they are out there, so it's worth taking the time to find one.

As much as you feel your life sucks at the moment, ask yourself if being overworked and underpaid, illegally, with a very real chance of being caught, in a foreign country, thousands of kilometres from home, would suck any less. Oh, and I haven't even mentioned the pollution in Beijing.

Keep looking.

[Non Sequitur]

If you're 30 or under go on a working holiday to Australia or NZ.
You'll mix with a lot of younger people from different countries some of whom will be considering becoming FTs, or have done it.

[choudoufu]

why are you even considering this?

[Gibuchi]

Choudoufu: Because I don't have experience, and no other place has offered me anything yet, for the 3 months that I have been looking. A place is better than no place

Non Sequitur: In an ideal world, I would definitely do that, as I hear the best jobs aren't advertised online. I'm not in an ideal world right now.

doogsville: I agree. I turned down a job in the UK tutoring a 4 year old Chinese girl. pay was 2000 Pounds, room and board, 20 hours a week. Too good to be true. But when there is nothing rolling in...it all seems too good to be true.

So I'm hearing a lot of 'no' from the responders. What alternatives would you suggest? Besides "keep on looking", or "keep on applying". I'm doing that, to no avail.

Again, thanks for the feedback!

[rogerwilco]

[choudoufu]

ok, ok.....THIS one has got to be Hewlett!