Job Discussion Forums

l_ho_ · Joined: 10 Feb 2012 Posts: 10

Hi everyone, I'm looking for a little insight into a recent job offer I just received at Xianning Vocational Technical College. It's 5000RMB per month for 16 class hours a week, paid round-trip airfare, free Mandarin lessons and a two bedroom apartment. I've reviewed the contract and can't see any snags or tricks, it all seems pretty legit. I know the money isn't great, but I'd be going more for the experience than anything else, plus I figure with 16h a week I could probably manage to do some private tutoring on the side. It also should be noted that I have no teaching experience, and I turned down a job at a private school near Beijing for 7000 because the extra factors (nice city, at a university/college, good accommodation etc.,) didn't line up with what I wanted, so money is a lesser priority for me.

I'm just looking for some feedback from anyone who has any info on Xianning or the school itself, or maybe some other things that I should watch out for/make sure I do before signing the contract.

Thanks!

dean_a_jones · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 1151 Location: Wuhan, China

It is the kind of place you would want to go if you are happy in a small Chinese town/city. I say town/city as it is definately a city, but a rural one. It is not far from Wuhan, the capital of Hubei, so you can "easily" hop in or out (i.e. the journey is an hour or so, which may sound quick and easy while on the internet).

If you are looking for the rural Chinese experience then this might work (again, by rural I mean lacking the more "cosmopolitan" experience you might get in a larger second tier city like Wuhan, not the Chinese equivalent of Walden).

If you are not sure about this, it might be worth doing some research into what actually is in the town. That may mean thinking about what you really need to make your experience both interesting and comfortable and trying to figure out if it is available there. Yes you will have taobao in terms of goods, but think hard about what else you need to be content. You may not get much of a response on here due to its size, and you may have to dig around using Google translate/chrome to work your way through information in Chinese (always eye opening).

Feel free to PM me if you want any further ideas.

l_ho_ · Joined: 10 Feb 2012 Posts: 10

Thanks for the feedback! I have gotten the feeling just from the Wikipedia page on Xianning that it isn't exactly a bustling metropolis, and I think I'm okay with that, I've been living in large cities most of my life but have really enjoyed the few times I've lived in smaller towns.

It seems like Xianning is actually a great place in terms of scenery, something which may be deteriorating quickly in China as the industry spreads inwards. I figured I'd rather be in a scenic spot making less money than in an industrial town making more. Obviously there are a few amenities that I'd be sacrificing by being there, but nothing I don't think that I could adapt to living without.

I have been wondering though, since this a "technical vocational college," if this would be looked at by future employers as a legit university, or if that would even make a difference. My long-term goal would be to stay in China for a few years and hopefully climb the ladder a bit, end up teaching at a larger university in a major city or get a corporate gig after I pick up a sufficient amount of Mandarin (this would be aided by living in Xianning I assume). So I'd like to make sure that this first choice is a step in the right direction.

dean_a_jones · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 1151 Location: Wuhan, China

No problem.

Will pull out some of what you said and give you further feedback.

l_ho_ · Joined: 10 Feb 2012 Posts: 10

Thanks! Again, really helpful. I looked at larger cities because of the opportunities to network and the closer proximity to potential jobs, etc., but it seemed like the jobs available for someone without experience weren't great, and that the more ideal jobs required a couple years of experience first. My other worry too was that, and this is based off of the experiences of a number of friends who had taught in Korea and Japan, that it may be far too easy to slip into an ex-pat community there and largely avoid learning the local language. Of course, this is all a matter of discipline, but I tend to lack that and would rather set myself up in a situation where cheating would be tougher. I figure I could always move to the big cities once I get a decent enough grip of the language.
I noticed that Xianning was 2.7 million, which is obviously quite large by my standards (Canadian), but I figured relative to the other cities of China a city of 2.7 million might have more of a small-towny feel to it, like you were saying, "rural." Of course I have heard the warning that it's easy to get bored in these types of cities, but I think my small-town (pop. under 50,000) experiences have taught me how to stay entertained with what I've got around me. Xianning seems to be surrounded by parks and natural attractions, but again this is according to Wikipedia, so I realize that I can't assume 100% accuracy.
Would you have a link to, or know the title of, those posts you referred to?

Miles Smiles · Joined: 07 Jun 2010 Posts: 1294 Location: Heebee Jeebee

l_ho_ · Joined: 10 Feb 2012 Posts: 10

Hey thanks I appreciate that, your response didn't seem too bleak, just realistic. A university was my primary goal, but I've been applying to them, a lot of them, with little success. Generally I get the response back that I need at least two years of experience before I can work there. So when I was told about this opening by a recruiter, I figured I'd rather take what's given to me than to wait even longer and end up without any options at all. Beggars can't be choosers.

I think I was told in the interview that many of the students that I'll be teaching will be using as a prerequisite for university, but I'll ask again to get a better idea of the kind of students I'll be teaching.

Is it possible to land a real university job without any experience? Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places. I've applied to dozens of universities in Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai, and then went to a recruitment agency for help. It seems that most universities outside of the major cities have poor, if any, English sections to their websites which makes finding a good contact email extremely difficult.

I'm finishing an MSc in Political Science right now, obviously not a degree that's in super high demand but I thought that the simple fact that it's a masters might give me a slight edge. I think it worked in this case when I used it to ask for more money per month and got it, but I don't expect it to be a key factor in accelerating a career in China.

Thanks again for all of the advice and help so far!

dean_a_jones · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 1151 Location: Wuhan, China

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=96478

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=96436

There are a couple of very recent posts discussing teaching/development. Hopefully more people will add their insight. As you can imagine this is a common topic, so I would track back and read any posts whose subject catches your eye (on this topic and anything else you think might be helpful).

There is a lot of good information, ideas and opinion on here that is really useful, but it does take time to find, sit and read it. Worth the effort though.