Job Discussion Forums

[Person]

Do you think asking for:
- more $/less hours than the offered 20 hrs for 4000RMB/ month
-more holidays than 15 days / yr, working 6 days/ wk
amongst a few other little things is too demanding?
The position is in Shandong.
(There is already return airfare, accom etc)
Let me know what you think.

[Guest]

I am getting 3,500 rmb per month for only 10 teaching hours and no office hours per week, so I think you could get more than 4,000 for 20 hours. I also get about 4 months holidays each year, two months of which are not paid - the other two are.

[mike w]

As an ESL teacher, the school I am at pays 4,000RMB per month + private accomodation and return air fare for 20 hours a week plus 5 office hours. No weekend work, and no classes before 10am or after 8.30pm. They pay 8,000RMB per month with the same package for business teachers. I am in Beijing. I also average seven weeks holiday a year (four of which are unpaid).

[Louis]

I believe you can do better than that. Negotiate: it's how Chinese do business. Insist on 2-day weekends. If they don't budge, reconsider. There are tons of jobs here.

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

Holy!

Not to rub sand in peoples' eyes, but I do much better than that and I only work Saturdays and Sundays.

[Lela]

GWW,
care to elaborate?

[Giantbudwiser]

Sounds like a s h i t t y job 2 me

[Roger]

There are POSITIONS, aka "jobs", and there are "gigs". The latter may pay better, but are less dependable.
Also, they seldom come with a parachute.
High income means someone has to pay. Paying hurts. Who wants to pay a foreigner too much? They jettison you more readily than they do at ,pre regular schools.
4000 for less than 20 hours a week is normal.

[Rhino]

if all else fails shop around. There are lots of jobs and "gigs" to choose from here. I personaly think you can do better. I have freinds out here who came with no experience and are making 5000 working three days a week. My institute will pay you 7000 but they will also give you 24 classes or so. Good luck!

[Diletante]

Doesn't sound like a good job.

Shandong, that's in the northeast, right? Cold as hell six months out of the year? Six days a week? Just 4000 RMB? Only 15 days of vacation??

It's hard to find an ideal job, but this one sounds bad, I can't see any positives. If I was to accept a job that payed only 4K, I'd ask for two out of thre of: a great location, great paid vacation, and great schedule.

[struelle]

Perhaps this is reflective of the huge wealth gap in this country, but there is a lot of disparity among salaries here.

Generally I make around 10K a month (which is my target) with my current job plus a weekend gig. I'm satisfied with this, but as I talk to people, there is always more to be made.

The bottom line is that you can be satisfied with the salary you're making and the buying power you're comfortable with, without comparing it too much. There's a lot of disparity out there, so there will always be someone making more than you. This isn't worth worrying too much over, though.

Steve

[Ludwig]

'Struelle', as they would say in German, 'das klingt ja alles sch�en und gut'! However, let's give this comment of yours some context.

If you go into a HSBC bank in Shenzhen, (and I have no reason to presume it is any different anywhere else), the minimum monthly income you need to show evidence of before they will even consider your account application is some 10,000 Yuan a month. That is the lowest income bracket to which you can belong as a customer of HSBC on the Mainland.

That is the figure that should be quoted in relation to the salary of a FT in China, for this is an index of sorts of local salaries (for trained professionals).

[mike w]

Good reason not to go to Shenzhen!!

I opened one here in Beijing - didn't have to show any details about my salary.