Job Discussion Forums

[Arguss]

[chinatimes]

[wonderingjoesmith]

[choudoufu]

i don't understand why this is a problem.

if'n you don't like the job that ain't got housing, don't take it.

if'n you do like the job, don't take it if'n it ain't got a reasonable housing allowance.

then if'n you still take the job, don't come to china without a sufficient
wad o'cash to cover your first three months (plus emergency flight home).

seem reasonable?

[twilothunder]

[wonderingjoesmith]

As reasonable as US $ 1,000 for the flight, 6,000 RMB for three months rent, and a few thousand quai to make your home livable. Of course it's not a problem if one agrees. Madoff got so many less obtuse and wealthier individuals to agree. No problem buck! We're just writing, not investing.

[doogsville]

I would never advise a newbie coming over for the first time to take a job that offered a housing allowance but not the actual housing. How is such a person supposed to find and secure suitable accommodation upon arrival? My first two jobs both provided accommodation, and I know they kept at least two or three apartments which were unoccupied for at least two months between teachers moving in to them. I guess its better for the business to swallow a couple of months rent than to have to go through the process of cancelling a lease and then having to find a new place and pay the security deposit and rent in advance each and every time.

The expense of staying in a hotel until you find a suitable place would have been prohibitive to me, and I would have needed the schools help to find a place anyway. I only found my current accommodation because my wife is Chinese and dealt with all the finding, securing and paperwork involved.

Are we seriously advising newcomers to get off the plane, stay in a hotel, which they would probably need the school to find and book for them, and then go through the whole process of finding and securing an apartment for themselves?

[GreatApe]

+ 1 ... to doogsville's above post.

My advice for newbies (particularly ones who have never visited any part of Asia before), would be to make it easy on themselves and take a job with housing. Of course, it depends on the job and the location, but it makes adjusting to life in China SO MUCH easier and convenient.

There will be a big adjustment period anyway ... we all know that. I've had three different jobs in three years in China (in two provinces) and all have had housing attached as part of the contract. It's made it much easier for me to travel, to adjust to location and to the indvidual school. All of this means it's been easier to focus on the job of teaching.

The exception to this might be if you have a job opportunity that you know will assist you in finding housing. The dependability (or lack thereof) of those offering the job and "assisting" you on your re-location often makes all the difference in the world.

--GA

[NoBillyNO]

Or take a job that has a HR department that helps you locate housing.

[rogerwilco]

[NoBillyNO]

[MESL]

For anyone who has a degree and no experience, Yangshuo is an excellent option. There are a zillion language schools in Yangshuo and the classroom atmosphere is more relaxed. The pay is much lower than other cities, but you can adjust easier. For someone who has some qualifications but has some visa issues, Buckland has several visa options. But the OP has a TESOL degree and a TESOL certificate, so their options are not so limited.

[doogsville]

[rogerwilco]

[weigookin74]