Job Discussion Forums

mw182006 · Joined: 10 Dec 2012 Posts: 310

Need some advice from the veterans please. I am planning to change schools after this semester is over; different university, same province. My sister is getting married back home the 3rd week of September. I'm planning to visit a teacher at the school for a tour next week and should be meeting the person in charge of hiring as well. Assuming they want to bring me on, when would you guys bring this detail up? I'm trying to avoid talking myself out of a job...but I would hope the fact that the RP paperwork should be pretty painless (right?) will make them a little more agreeable to my late start.

I thought about bringing it up with the teacher I've been emailing, but as I haven't met her yet I don't know whether she'll relay this info before I'm ready. Thoughts?

johntpartee · Joined: 02 Mar 2010 Posts: 3258

choudoufu · Joined: 25 May 2010 Posts: 3325 Location: Mao-berry, PRC

hmmm.....so i hire this dude to start the end of august, right? well,
come august and this chucklehead sends me an email and sez he
can't start til the end of september! what the CFTU!!!! he's gonna
miss the entire first month of school! now i gotta find a replacement
teacher at the last minute!!! whattayasay? should i put him on the
blacklist?

mw182006 · Joined: 10 Dec 2012 Posts: 310

Haha...I wouldn't have waited THAT long if I went that route. More like once I sent the signed contract back before any 'official' processing started.

Banner41 · Joined: 04 Jan 2011 Posts: 656 Location: Shanghai

If you are lucky they may be in military training the first month. I'd just tell them.

johntpartee · Joined: 02 Mar 2010 Posts: 3258

johntpartee · Joined: 02 Mar 2010 Posts: 3258

Bud Powell · Joined: 11 Jul 2013 Posts: 1736

As Banner41 said, you might just be saved by the freshman military "training" during September. Bring this up BEFORE you sign the contract. Depending upon the size of the classes, your prospective FTs might not appreciate it of you have second year students or classes of middle schoolers in your schedule. (It happens). Someone will have to pull up the slack.

jimpellow · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 913

I would think they would not be very happy about it, and as mentioned by another, your colleagues will certainly not be if they have to pick up the slack (or maybe the hiring manager himself).

It may come down to how much they perceive you are worth to them and how much competition you have.

I know one teacher that should have started a job three months back, but due to the new visa regulations and ineptitude all around, they are still waiting for him as it is a terrible position in a dirty little corner of China that no native English speaker would normally want.

I think the paperwork would be easier unless there is a new requirement in your particular province that would require you to get a criminal background check, for example, even if you stay in the province but simply change jobs.

I think a big factor in deciding how to approach it would be the nationality of the manager?

fat_chris · Joined: 10 Sep 2003 Posts: 3198 Location: Beijing

mw182006 · Joined: 10 Dec 2012 Posts: 310

keeperofpythons · Joined: 28 Jan 2010 Posts: 152 Location: zhu san jiao

Shroob · Joined: 02 Aug 2010 Posts: 1339

Definitely discuss before you sign! It's something the employer should know about. In the contract it should state a start date for employment. If you sign one which has a start of September 1st, that's when you should be there.

roadwalker · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 1750 Location: Ch

I'd say bring it up as soon as possible. This kind of thing cuts both ways though- I passed on the first university I had agreed to work for, way back when, and took a job with another university. That was back in the days where you could show up on a tourist visa and have them change your status in-country. The reason I passed on them, after feeling excited and full of anticipation to work for that school, is that as I was making my last preparations in August to get my visa and fly there, they casually mentioned by email that I didn't need to show up until November, since I would have the freshmen classes. I didn't know what to make of it, and tried to get some more information, but they didn't seem to think it was a big deal.

I had savings but was living on sofas, having arrived home recently. I really didn't want to continue living in other people's homes for another couple of months. My email pleas fell on deaf servers. Finally, I looked around and coincidentally someone who had to go home for an emergency was looking for a replacement and I ended up at a good uni in a better location. The original school's FAO seemed shocked at my betrayal but I felt that they hadn't been honest with me. Perhaps it was a misunderstanding and they were planning to pay me, or would have let me move in and do other things while waiting for my classes, but they never communicated anything like that until I let them know not to expect me.

I think the teacher should give the same consideration to the school as I expected from the school I had bargained with.

GreatApe · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 7:18 am Post subject:

Count me among those who say it's best to be upfront about it. I'd mention it before signing a contract and --assuming your visit to the school and your meetings with teachers and Admin. go well-- express your interest in wanting to teach there, but ... "family is family."

--GA