Job Discussion Forums

[7969]

[DirtGuy]

Thanks, everyone, for sharing this info. Here are the items I am going to ask for if they are not in the contract:

full medical insurance - not just accident coverage
visa and resident permit paid for by the school
meal ticket at least for lunches
use of school facilities such as the gym/pool
high-speed internet connection as part of housing package
I'll also let them know I'm looking for plenty of extra work
I'll see if I can do a 4 day week instead of 5 - never hurts to try

I think these are reasonable based on everyone's comments and other contracts. If you can think of something else, even if I use it as a "throwaway", I'm all ears.

One other thing: I speak pretty good Spanish. Is this something unis can use or do they even care? I'm not good enough to teach a class but I can certainly assist with lower-level learners.

DirtGuy

[7969]

[Opiate]

[DirtGuy]

Sorry. Wasn't aware of that. What speed do you suggest? Or should I specify something like "the fastest speed currently available to the University"?

It's just about time to start getting e-mails and Skypes from the recruiters so I'll soon know if all this will work.

Thanks.

DirtGuy

[GeminiTiger]

Dirtyguy,

I suppose that you are within your rights to ask about this 5+ points you have mentioned and you could even discuss the internet. But I'll tell you now that in my opinion it's going to mark as a problem before you arrive.
I have done things like arrive at a school and told them the walls are filthy and need to be painted and asked for other things, but I think you should think carefully about what bones to pick and what isn't worth it. I guess what I'm saying is asking for something now probably means a bit of payback later in some form.

The internet point for example is not worth discussing, you will get whatever the school has setup and that is not really going to change just because you want something better.

[Lobster]

Don't forget to ask whether the power is turned off at some point in the evening (e.g. 11 p.m.).

RED

[DirtGuy]

Well, if you don't ask for something, you are 100% guaranteed not to get it. If you do, who knows? It's a negotiating drill and I have the most power now - not after I sign the contract. The first 2 items on my list are non-negotiable whereas the others could be throwaways. I'll just play it by ear and see what happens.

As for looking for extra work, the recruiters with whom I've been speaking along with PMs from people on this site all tell me that it's easy to get more work. Some schools have extra work of their own and others, I guess, just turn a blind eye.

Short-listed for job in Chengdu that gives me pretty much everything I want. The pay is only 4,000 (hence privates) and the airfare reimbursement is a bit low. Perhaps I can accept the lower pay in exchange for a higher flight reimbursement. Kind of fun in a way.

DirtGuy

[GeminiTiger]

[Mister Al]

I doubt you will get full medical insurance but you can try.

[sirenii]

If I accept a contract that includes housing and a meal a day, how much money would you advise I bring with me for the first month? Because I prefer not to be in a big city and my immediate needs would be met, except for food and some apt/studio necessities, and given that the cost of living is somewhat lower, I was hoping maybe $600 would be enough. Is that anywhere near possible? Thanks.

[Denim-Maniac]

Last year I had �500 / 5000 RMB as my start-up money. I dont know the conversion rate to US$, but Im sure you can calculate that.

That was enough for me to live on for 2 months, pretty much without worrying about spending so I was eating out each day.

[Babala]

The stuff you will need for your apartment adds up rather quickly. It's also a good idea to have some emergency cash. You just never know what can happen and you never want to be in a place where you are stuck.

[7969]

[Miles Smiles]