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30 teaching hours a week
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dackinator



Joined: 17 Sep 2010
Posts: 105

PostPosted: Sun Jan 13, 2013 10:15 pm    Post subject: 30 teaching hours a week Reply with quote

I've seen adverts for Wall Street English offering 35hr/week contracts for 16k RMB. That includes 30 hours of teaching. Now, that's a lot, I've taught 27hr a week at a summer camp before now and that was really tiring. But.. 16k rmb/month also sounds a lot. I was curious what people think, is it worthwhile?
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chinatimes



Joined: 27 May 2012
Posts: 478

PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 12:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The facts are pretty much laid out. Your choice.

Is it worth it to buy a fancier meal? Your choice
Is it worth it to get spaghetti at a restaurant where the price is tripled? Your choice
Is it worth it to drink regular beer at a bar and pay 100RMB on your way out? Your choice
Is it worth it to get the next iphone so you can have the latest, even though the previous one does more than you need? Your choice
Is it worth it to go to the gym and get healthy that way instead of leading a healthy life away from sitting at a desk all day? Your choice
Is it worth it to work 30 hours at 16,000 or 25 at 10,000? Your choice

If you have already decided you want to work at a major chain school then look at your schedule and other obligations. Will you have the time? If you are single without any obligations, then it's more likely you will save a lot of money. If you are married with a child and need to be home, then you might run into problems.

In the end, it's your choice.
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hilena_westb



Joined: 13 Nov 2012
Posts: 130

PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 12:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

chinatimes wrote:
The facts are pretty much laid out. Your choice.

Is it worth it to buy a fancier meal? Your choice
Is it worth it to get spaghetti at a restaurant where the price is tripled? Your choice
Is it worth it to drink regular beer at a bar and pay 100RMB on your way out? Your choice
Is it worth it to get the next iphone so you can have the latest, even though the previous one does more than you need? Your choice
Is it worth it to go to the gym and get healthy that way instead of leading a healthy life away from sitting at a desk all day? Your choice
Is it worth it to work 30 hours at 16,000 or 25 at 10,000? Your choice


Why come to China if these are the priorities?
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chinatimes



Joined: 27 May 2012
Posts: 478

PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 2:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

hilena_westb wrote:
chinatimes wrote:
The facts are pretty much laid out. Your choice.

Is it worth it to buy a fancier meal? Your choice
Is it worth it to get spaghetti at a restaurant where the price is tripled? Your choice
Is it worth it to drink regular beer at a bar and pay 100RMB on your way out? Your choice
Is it worth it to get the next iphone so you can have the latest, even though the previous one does more than you need? Your choice
Is it worth it to go to the gym and get healthy that way instead of leading a healthy life away from sitting at a desk all day? Your choice
Is it worth it to work 30 hours at 16,000 or 25 at 10,000? Your choice


Why come to China if these are the priorities?


Huh??? Shocked

I was replying to the original post about the job offer to work more for more pay. I wasn't mentioning what I listed were priorities, and what I listed were options, not chosen things.

I don't know how you read what I typed to be construed as priorities. It is quite possible you were replying to a completely different thread and accidentally posted here. Sometimes I have multiple threads open and do the same thing. If you delete your post I'll delete this one and we can get this conversation back to the main question in the original post.
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Denim-Maniac



Joined: 31 Jan 2012
Posts: 1238

PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 9:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ive been drawn to Wall Street time and time again. Adult students and quite a serious and professional sounding set up appeal to me. I have Chinese friends working on the student services side and I think the type of classes and teaching would be a good fit for me.

But ... Ive never worked for them. Because Im not sure its worth it.

30 hours teaching is a lot. Even if every lesson is prepared for you (which I think is the case) I still like time to look over each lesson before I actually teach it. In an ideal world Id like at least 30 minutes to brainstorm every lesson before I teach it. Im not sure thats possible with 30 teaching hours. So when I have thought about Wall Street ... I thought about the slightly shorter working hours.

But then .. Ive never taken that job either.

I think the smaller contract offers 11,200 a month. Still sounds good compared to my current jobs 3800 a month. Tempting right? So why havent I applied to Wall Street?

My tiny salary now is for just 15 teaching hours a week with no office hours. Add in the office hours and WS is basically doubling my workload. Then consider the working hours too. I never have to work weekends or evenings at the moment .... and at WS Id be almost always working those hours. Unsociable hours should really add a premium to my salary.

And housing? WS dont include housing or give an allowance. And Im guessing all their schools are downtown and it would be impossible to rent something within 150 metres of the school. At my current job I live in a free aparment with utilities paid just 2 mins walk from my employer. If I went to SZ I might have a 30 min bus ride to look forward to, which costs time and money.

At the moment I dont have any commute, and my weekly travel costs are ZERO. I dont catch buses or use taxis because we dont need to in our town. Everthing is walking distance, or people cycle. Plus everything is cheap ... a 600ml beer in an ex-pat bar is 8 RMB. A beer and a burger is from 25 RMB. IM not 100%, but I think you can double that cost in SZ.

And finally ... I just got a Facebook message from a friend who has gone to the bright lights and big cities for work. And he hates it. Hates the noise, queues of people for buses, the stares, the 'Hellooooo' in the streets.

My tiny salary looks infinitely better value than the fat Wall Street salary. And I havent even factored in the countryside on my doorstep and pretty much zero pollution. Definitely not worth it IMHO.
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twilothunder



Joined: 09 Dec 2011
Posts: 442

PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 10:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

30 contact hours is too much, regardless of whether you have your prep already done for you.

The most I have worked is 26, I consider myself naturally diligent, hard working, enthusiastic and energetic, and that was too much.

I strongly recommend you do not put yourself through that.

EDIT: just reread that you've done 27pw at a summer camp. If so, I can't believe you are actually considering 30pw.
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dackinator



Joined: 17 Sep 2010
Posts: 105

PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 6:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the ideas. I'm mainly looking at it as a temporary thing to do for half a year so I can save money and then jump across to Taiwan. That's why im even considering it, otherwise theres no way i'd accept that many hours.

My only hesitation is about the company - the more I read about WSE the worse they sound. I've yet to find any positive feedback on the company.
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Denim-Maniac



Joined: 31 Jan 2012
Posts: 1238

PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 7:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would actually like to work for them. Id like to try their method TBH. I just couldnt justify it on the basis of their wages. The smaller contract in terms of hours for the large contracts salary would be more tempting .. but even then ... still not the financial compensation would make up for living in the big city!
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Non Sequitur



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China

PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 7:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

OP I think if you approach this in the casual way you are doing, you are going to come up short across a number of factors - not just hours.
Can't see WSE being that interested and ditto the public schools.
Why not go to Taiwan right away?
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dackinator



Joined: 17 Sep 2010
Posts: 105

PostPosted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 12:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Non Sequitur wrote:
OP I think if you approach this in the casual way you are doing, you are going to come up short across a number of factors - not just hours.
Can't see WSE being that interested and ditto the public schools.
Why not go to Taiwan right away?

Money. I researched Taiwan a lot, and it looks to me like all the good jobs are only available locally. Compare the jobs advertised on eslcafe to the ones advertised on local job pages and there's a big difference in the quality of offers. But I'd like to save at least $3k maybe $4k before going over there without a job.

That's my thinking behind looking at high paying Chinese jobs like this one. I can save and get a head start on my Mandarin.
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lemak



Joined: 19 Nov 2011
Posts: 368

PostPosted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 2:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I worked comparable (slightly more actually) for slightly more pay in unmentionable neighboring country. The extra cash was quickly negated by the excess I was paying in booze to drown my sorrows every night - and likely long term medical treatment for liver damage - blood pressure medication, nice dinners I was having to take the wife out for to apologize as a result of fights caused by rarely seeing each other and me being tired and crabby when we did. A huge chunk of that which was left over was blown on 4 and 5 star hotels down on beaches in Malaysia after quitting in an effort to clear my head of the B.S and burn out.
Don't do it. Sure the first couple of months will be sweet, but after 6 months in all likeliness your health will be suffering and you'll wish you were dead.
25 contact hours max in my book. On my current uni hours even that sounds grim though, lol.

(*bear in mind I'm an old *beep* who is ready to take a nap 5 minutes after waking, so possibly for a young dude whose teeth don't perpetually ache and whose underwear don't need to be checked each time after farting this might be a good deal*)
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Non Sequitur



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China

PostPosted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 3:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

dackinator wrote:
Non Sequitur wrote:
OP I think if you approach this in the casual way you are doing, you are going to come up short across a number of factors - not just hours.
Can't see WSE being that interested and ditto the public schools.
Why not go to Taiwan right away?

Money. I researched Taiwan a lot, and it looks to me like all the good jobs are only available locally. Compare the jobs advertised on eslcafe to the ones advertised on local job pages and there's a big difference in the quality of offers. But I'd like to save at least $3k maybe $4k before going over there without a job.

That's my thinking behind looking at high paying Chinese jobs like this one. I can save and get a head start on my Mandarin.


Thanks for the update but going back to my point about 'casual'.
Are WSL offering 5m gigs?
Are you signing on with the intention of doing a runner?
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kungfuman



Joined: 31 May 2012
Posts: 1749
Location: In My Own Private Idaho

PostPosted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 8:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

30 hours of training school teaching will fry your brain faster then finding a kilo of newly made crack and smoking it.
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Kipling



Joined: 13 Mar 2009
Posts: 371
Location: ...Ah Mrs K peel me a grape!!!....and have one yourself!!!!

PostPosted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 1:27 pm    Post subject: Pass the Bong then do a runner Reply with quote

Very true Mr KF and so much less enjoyable.


On an IELTS gig you can get 3000Yuan (tax free) for a 10 hour weekend and that is worth it. 4000Yuan for 30 hours teaching a week is not worth it in my honest opinion.



Mr K




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dackinator



Joined: 17 Sep 2010
Posts: 105

PostPosted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 6:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Non Sequitur wrote:
dackinator wrote:
Non Sequitur wrote:
OP I think if you approach this in the casual way you are doing, you are going to come up short across a number of factors - not just hours.
Can't see WSE being that interested and ditto the public schools.
Why not go to Taiwan right away?

Money. I researched Taiwan a lot, and it looks to me like all the good jobs are only available locally. Compare the jobs advertised on eslcafe to the ones advertised on local job pages and there's a big difference in the quality of offers. But I'd like to save at least $3k maybe $4k before going over there without a job.

That's my thinking behind looking at high paying Chinese jobs like this one. I can save and get a head start on my Mandarin.


Thanks for the update but going back to my point about 'casual'.
Are WSL offering 5m gigs?
Are you signing on with the intention of doing a runner?


I wouldn't sign on somewhere with the intention of breaking a contract, no. It is something I would discuss with them. They want teachers (it seems they have a high turnover rate), I want to save money, I'm sure we could figure it out.

Although if you have other advice I'd be happy to hear it. Like I say my real aim is to get over to Taiwan and secure a decent job there, I just don't have the cash to fly over immediately.
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