Job Discussion Forums

mcloo7 · Joined: 18 Aug 2009 Posts: 434 Location: Hangzhou

Ive been offered about four jobs so far, and when I ask them how long I have to decide they usually say just a couple days. I'm not sure if they are strict about this or if they are just saying what would be ideal for them. How long do most of you take to decide? Can you get an offer from a language school and just keep it on the back burner for a while as you look at other offers and than decide to take the job if nothing better comes along? Does an offer usually stay open for awhile, or if you turn it down will they fill it with someone else pretty quick? I'm generally asking about training schools, and I know situations can vary, but what are your experiences?

haleynicole14 · Joined: 20 Feb 2012 Posts: 178 Location: US

Would you have the option of accepting the job and then turning it down if you found something better in the next few weeks, or would you be starting right away?

mcloo7 · Joined: 18 Aug 2009 Posts: 434 Location: Hangzhou

I would have to sign a contract right when I make a decision, so I dont think I could break it because I found another job. The job would probably start about a month after I accept it.

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

The longer you sit on it, the more likely they will assume you lost interest and might just go with someone else. If you have a really great offer, or something that ticks most of your boxes including the big ones, you might want to just go for it otherwise it might disappear. Obviously you can keep things on the back burner for as long as you like, but they may not be there when you go back to them so keep this in mind.

If you do accept a job, sign a contract etc. they will want to get things sorted like paperwork. This costs them money and is for you specifically, so if you then decide to pull out they will not be happy as they will not only have to find another person, but will have lost the money they spent getting your documents together. They cannot really do much about it, though it may cause you a problem if you then accept another job in the same city/province as the same government office might be trying to issue two sets of paperwork to the same person/passport number (not sure about this).

lemak · Joined: 19 Nov 2011 Posts: 368

Employers in China often seem to mistake due diligence for disinterest.

They assume that because you apply new fangled ideas like asking details about apartments or requesting email addresses of current teachers to mean that you don't want the job (which sometimes is the case) without putting too much thought into the idea that it's better for everyone concerned if you have a clear picture of what you're getting before you arrive. "What? I have to teach adults? I *hate* teaching adults! I quit!"

I've had a few seemingly good offers vanish because I asked too many questions or didn't jump fast enough.

Even right now a pretty cool gig in Guangdong I was one step shy of signing onto seems to have disappeared as a result of the hour long plethora of questions I hit the FAO with. No big deal. Plenty of fish in the sea - alas plenty of sharks too, hence the need to not jump right at the first offer no matter how much they hassle you.

Don't delay *too* long in getting the ball rolling. Just as we have a few schools on the backburner often the better jobs may have a few teachers on the line also. It's kind of the game we play, lol.

At the same time don't be too rushed into making a decision. Packing up your life, moving to a strange country on the other side of the world with only a few emails as reassurance is a big step. If you do find a job that you think you like the sound of, but need a week or two to check it out make sure you stay in regular contact with the FAO, recruiter, school etc. so they know you haven't dropped of the face of the Earth or taken another job.

Side note - amazing how many of these schools disappear from contact for a month or so leaving you assuming they're going with another teacher only to have them reply a month (or even year) later asking if you're still interested in the position. Presumably their fall back FT fell through also.

piglet44 · Joined: 26 Aug 2010 Posts: 157

The whole modus operandi in China is just so different from in the West. All of the above comments are correct.They are all keen,then if you ask too many questions they go off you.Sometimes they just forget to contact you for ages and then after you assume they are not interested they pop up again.It really is strange in the Middle Kingdom sometimes.