|
Job Discussion Forums "The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
|
View previous topic :: View next topic |
Author |
Message |
Volver
Joined: 27 Sep 2013 Posts: 181
|
Posted: Wed May 07, 2014 5:33 am Post subject: |
|
|
Just some thoughts.
I think many examiners are upset by how good we used to have it vs. what is coming. The job was cushy, easy, and extremely boring. Now we have a real job with dubious benefits and it is still going to be excruciatingly boring.
The thought of working the minimum or close to it could be acceptable as long as there are opportunities to do side work. I would miss teaching and the mind-numbing boring nature of the job would just kill me. Seriously, how can the BC find out if we are doing side work or tutoring? They really cannot no more than our current employers were able to find out that we worked for the BC. I am playing with numbers and this scenario might actually make people more money than strictly working for the BC.
Kind of ironic when you think about it the the BC asked us to break our contracts/Chinese law to work for them on the side but now they won't allow the same thing. This is one of many reasons why it is so hard to trust them.
V |
|
Back to top |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
notnow
Joined: 10 Aug 2011 Posts: 19 Location: Shanghai
|
Posted: Wed May 07, 2014 10:49 am Post subject: |
|
|
vikeologist wrote: |
notnow wrote: |
Why is it that many examiners on here and elsewhere distrust the bc so much? When all is said and done they are a devil that's known and kind of benign really. Remember many of us are quite happy to trot off and sign up with a Chinese school relatively sight unseen. Would you say the bc pulls Chinese management style bs? Sure they grossly misjudged the visa changes and are mildly incompetent from time to time. What I see most of the time is they look out for number one rather than pure evil or full-blown Chinese-style mismanagement. |
|
vikeologist wrote: |
I don't think that potential examiners are the kind of people that would trot off and sign with a Chinese school sight unseen. |
(I had "relatively" in there as well. I was referring to the idea that even though we ask questions of a Chinese school, contact former teachers, etc, we never get the whole picture or know what will happen. Consequently signing on at a new gig is always a gamble. Whereas we already what the BC is like.)
vikeologist wrote: |
Your interpretation of the BC is relatively close to mine, but I think that is putting the best spin on them. Most examiners opinions seem to be somewhere on the spectrum of mildly incompetent to deliberately dishonest, with most somewhere in the middle. While this presents absolutely no problem working for them part-time, it is different when there are things that I, at least, am not clear on as regards the employment option. |
Yes, we may be putting the best spin on things. Which, much to my dislike, leaves me seen as defending the BC. Which is not what I'm trying to do. I hate the BC as much as anyone and have bored family and friends to tears with tales of their never ending incompetence. However, though I do believe they can be deliberately dishonest (e.g. probably leading on the oldest examiners only so that they continue to examine in the meantime) personally I also put faith in the BC's greed. They want more IELTS testing, more IELTS income. Employing the reduced number of 300 examiners is vital to that.
vikeologist wrote: |
I agree with you that it's a take it or leave it situation. The trouble is that the BC have changed their mind about what they're doing so often in the last 9 months that some examiners are patiently waiting for the next instalment. Some do believe that everything will be back to 'normal' in about 6 months. |
I believe there are no further instalments to this saga. The BC has committed itself to this business model and legally cannot return to the former model.
vikeologist wrote: |
Examiners will have no power. They can at any time not give you any top up days and leave you on their base salary in cities where that's only enough to afford a flat. |
I believe that this reduced number of examiners on a fixed contract gives us power. Why? Because in the short-term the BC can only give work to those particular examiners. It can't give work to examiners it's just trained up, not without a 6-8 week visa-processing delay. Likewise it can't give work to examiners visiting from abroad. (And frankly, I don't understand how it plans to have us examine in other provinces. Doesn't the work permit only allow us to work in the province it's been issued?)
vikeologist wrote: |
If we were offered a Uni job that provided just accommodation for 2 teaching hours a month but told we would be offered top up classes (as long as we were good boys and girls and prepared to travel anywhere they wanted us to teach), we'd be crazy to do it. The BC will have examiners totally under the thumb. |
As above.
vikeologist wrote: |
I'm not being paranoid here. I think that the BC will employ the numbers it's stated and there will be enough work for everybody. Whatever opinion one may have of Michael King, the examiners will be line managed by the regional managers. My regional managers are fine. We all want the same things, but it won't be an equal partnership and examiners' power will be non-existent. |
Yes, it's not an equal partnership, but, as stated above, I think it will be better than it has been.
vikeologist wrote: |
I'd imagine the BC would be a bit scared of losing their monopoly on IELTS, but maybe they have it in writing somewhere. If not, the dangers of being undercut by an organisation setting up shop in big cities without a centre, or meeting demand that they can't because they don't have enough examiners, would be a bit frightening. However, I don't think the government would allow anybody to hire examiners on a casual basis. |
I don't know what you are referring to here. |
|
Back to top |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
notnow
Joined: 10 Aug 2011 Posts: 19 Location: Shanghai
|
Posted: Wed May 07, 2014 11:17 am Post subject: |
|
|
Volver wrote: |
Just some thoughts.
I think many examiners are upset by how good we used to have it vs. what is coming. The job was cushy, easy, and extremely boring. Now we have a real job with dubious benefits and it is still going to be excruciatingly boring.
The thought of working the minimum or close to it could be acceptable as long as there are opportunities to do side work. I would miss teaching and the mind-numbing boring nature of the job would just kill me. Seriously, how can the BC find out if we are doing side work or tutoring? They really cannot no more than our current employers were able to find out that we worked for the BC. I am playing with numbers and this scenario might actually make people more money than strictly working for the BC.
Kind of ironic when you think about it the the BC asked us to break our contracts/Chinese law to work for them on the side but now they won't allow the same thing. This is one of many reasons why it is so hard to trust them.
V |
I think you are right about how future limiting vs flexible past models is upsetting many examiners. For example those who need to choose their main job will lose significant income, which would p*ss anyone off.
I also agree that there is little chance the BC could find out about privates or other work done discretely. I doubt they even care if we have other jobs and I can't see them bothering to check up on us as long as we always give priority to IELTS. That said, they need to be seen to go through the motions, hence the strict no 2nd job rule and any examiner whose transgressions can't justifiably be ignored will need to be dealt with. |
|
Back to top |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
theoriginalprankster
Joined: 19 Mar 2012 Posts: 895
|
Posted: Wed May 07, 2014 11:52 am Post subject: |
|
|
They're going to lose plenty of decent examiners soon.
Poor ol' Michael - doesn't seem to know his elbow from his axs.
VERY happy I skipped all those poxy meetings, where examiners were invited to give feedback, and then had Mr King talk his bobbing head off for hours.
Hours much better spent sleeping/beaching/eating/relaxing.
That said they have got me down for three sessions this month, and I'm going to milk the Circus for all it's worth, take my re-cert letter (valid for another 20 months) and happily trot off to less bolloxy pastures.
Made a couple hundred thousand off them over the years, and it will stand me in good stead for my future endeavors. |
|
Back to top |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
buffalobill12323
Joined: 18 Sep 2013 Posts: 115 Location: China
|
Posted: Wed May 07, 2014 2:38 pm Post subject: |
|
|
When a poster comes on here and starts from jump street accusing folk of tollism
Kind of normal these days to have a troll accused someone of being a troll
really was the "troll?" remark deserved....isn't it rather trollish to make this little notation ...
Reads like the gospel....buffalobill12323 and if your insinuating that it is a translations from Chinese, and an oh so cleaver way of indicating that I am Chinese....
so out of curiosity what Chinese word do you think "jump street" was before translation. 街头跳
I don't think you are Chinese, rather I was implying (or if you prefer, indicating) that the sentences posted were barely semi-coherent.
Your = you are, you're.
Honestly, not familiar with 'jump street' myself, tho I can have a fair guess at what you think it might mean.
and if your insinuating that it is a translations
Translations?
Kind of normal these days to have a troll accused someone
Choose a tense, any tense.
.isn't it rather trollish to make this little notation ...
Erm, ok, I guess.
cleaver
The movie or the chopping implement? |
|
Back to top |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
auchtermuchty
Joined: 05 Dec 2009 Posts: 344 Location: Beijing
|
Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 8:44 am Post subject: |
|
|
Volver wrote: |
I am probably not understanding some or much of what they propose. |
I think you have hit the nail on the head there. |
|
Back to top |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
NoBillyNO
![](http://ww2.sinaimg.cn/square/bd3997acgw1e7u7n5p92uj20f00ildho.jpg)
Joined: 11 Jun 2012 Posts: 1762
|
Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 10:53 am Post subject: |
|
|
Quote: |
When a poster comes on here and starts from jump street accusing folk of tollism
Kind of normal these days to have a troll accused someone of being a troll
really was the "troll?" remark deserved....isn't it rather trollish to make this little notation ...
Reads like the gospel....buffalobill12323 and if your insinuating that it is a translations from Chinese, and an oh so cleaver way of indicating that I am Chinese....
so out of curiosity what Chinese word do you think "jump street" was before translation. 街头跳
I don't think you are Chinese, rather I was implying (or if you prefer, indicating) that the sentences posted were barely semi-coherent.
Your = you are, you're.
Honestly, not familiar with 'jump street' myself, tho I can have a fair guess at what you think it might mean.
and if your insinuating that it is a translations
Translations?
Kind of normal these days to have a troll accused someone
Choose a tense, any tense.
.isn't it rather trollish to make this little notation ...
Erm, ok, I guess.
cleaver
The movie or the chopping implement? |
.....isn't it rather trollish to make these little notations ... |
|
Back to top |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
Volver
Joined: 27 Sep 2013 Posts: 181
|
Posted: Mon May 12, 2014 4:54 am Post subject: |
|
|
I did it. I sent in my acceptance letter but no way do I plan to take the job unless absolutely nothing else turns up. No matter how I work the numbers, I cannot make sense of how people are supposed to live in Beijing on what they offer. You would have to work your tail off to make ends meet but there is no guarantee of anything other than the 6 core days. This is not enough to hang my hat on.
I suspect I am not the only one who is taking this approach.
V |
|
Back to top |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
auchtermuchty
Joined: 05 Dec 2009 Posts: 344 Location: Beijing
|
Posted: Tue May 13, 2014 2:16 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Volver wrote: |
I did it. I sent in my acceptance letter but no way do I plan to take the job unless absolutely nothing else turns up. No matter how I work the numbers, I cannot make sense of how people are supposed to live in Beijing on what they offer. You would have to work your tail off to make ends meet but there is no guarantee of anything other than the 6 core days. This is not enough to hang my hat on.
I suspect I am not the only one who is taking this approach.
V |
Won't everyone also be offered writing marking in addition to the core speaking testing? And also second marking? Even if you got no other speaking testing you'd be making more than enough. |
|
Back to top |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
Volver
Joined: 27 Sep 2013 Posts: 181
|
Posted: Thu May 15, 2014 7:38 am Post subject: |
|
|
I just don't see how I can afford to live in Beijing unless I work like a dog for the BC and/or take on tons of side work.
The base pay is Y8000 and then you lose 1600 to income taxes. I understand that I will lose still more to some sort of social security tax but I don't know how much. Let's say for the sake of argument that I lose another 500 to this tax. Now I am left with 5900 for housing, utlities, food, transportation, etc. How the heck is this better than working for a uni and getting the same amount of money and free everything plus flight?
Yes, I can do more BC work, but I can also work on the side at a uni and still be 5-6K ahead.
What am I missing?
V |
|
Back to top |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
Shroob
Joined: 02 Aug 2010 Posts: 1339
|
Posted: Thu May 15, 2014 7:42 am Post subject: |
|
|
Volver wrote: |
I just don't see how I can afford to live in Beijing unless I work like a dog for the BC and/or take on tons of side work.
The base pay is Y8000 and then you lose 1600 to income taxes. I understand that I will lose still more to some sort of social security tax but I don't know how much. Let's say for the sake of argument that I lose another 500 to this tax. Now I am left with 5900 for housing, utlities, food, transportation, etc. How the heck is this better than working for a uni and getting the same amount of money and free everything plus flight?
Yes, I can do more BC work, but I can also work on the side at a uni and still be 5-6K ahead.
What am I missing?
V |
Heck, I was offered a job in Beijing at a uni for 15-16k a month, with all the benefits you mentioned. The BC need to up their game. |
|
Back to top |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
Songbird
Joined: 09 Jan 2005 Posts: 630 Location: State of Chaos, Panic & Disorder...
|
Posted: Thu May 15, 2014 11:51 am Post subject: |
|
|
Volver, don't know where you got your figures from- I worked in a 1st tier city for 16500, took home just over 14,000 after tax AND the social insurance taken out! Housing not provided either.
So glad I didn't end up on the IELTS road a year ago- they screwed me around for a few months just in training stage- who knows what they would have been like from week to week waiting for the call-up? |
|
Back to top |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
chunkocheese
Joined: 10 May 2014 Posts: 8
|
Posted: Thu May 15, 2014 1:02 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Volver wrote: |
I just don't see how I can afford to live in Beijing unless I work like a dog for the BC and/or take on tons of side work.
The base pay is Y8000 and then you lose 1600 to income taxes. I understand that I will lose still more to some sort of social security tax but I don't know how much. Let's say for the sake of argument that I lose another 500 to this tax. Now I am left with 5900 for housing, utlities, food, transportation, etc. How the heck is this better than working for a uni and getting the same amount of money and free everything plus flight?
Yes, I can do more BC work, but I can also work on the side at a uni and still be 5-6K ahead.
What am I missing?
V |
What are you missing? Perhaps looking at the job objectively? Or choosing heads or tails and flipping a coin, since you don't seem to be able to weigh up the pros and cons and make up your mind?
Why are you and others looking at this job differently from any other job? If a Chinese uni offered you 8000 plus visa for only 6 day's work what would you say? And what about if the uni said they'd give you extra classes at a higher rate of pay? Enough extra classes to raise your take-home pay to 15 or 20,000 for a few more day's work? The BC is offering work to those that want it. What's the problem? Take it and work, or leave it and work for someone else. But YOU have to decide; only you know what you want and need.
That said, if you really can't decide why not just work for them? What's the worst that is likely to happen?
-That they don't give you top-up work? Unlikely, someone has to do the work, why shouldn't it be you?
-That they they force you to work more than 6 days? It'll be in the contract that they can't.
-That they find out about your side job/s? Maybe, but so what? Even if they fire you (and they wouldn't, at least not straightaway, they'd warn you first), you could change to a tourist visa, carry on with your side job, and get a teaching job.
-Or maybe the worst is that you hate the job? So? Leave. Get a teaching job. The BC isn't going to kidnap anyone for the duration of the contract. There's bound to be some notice period to give if we want to leave (with maybe a reasonable penalty to pay to cover visa costs). |
|
Back to top |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
auchtermuchty
Joined: 05 Dec 2009 Posts: 344 Location: Beijing
|
Posted: Thu May 15, 2014 2:54 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Volver wrote: |
I just don't see how I can afford to live in Beijing unless I work like a dog for the BC and/or take on tons of side work.
The base pay is Y8000 and then you lose 1600 to income taxes. I understand that I will lose still more to some sort of social security tax but I don't know how much. Let's say for the sake of argument that I lose another 500 to this tax. Now I am left with 5900 for housing, utlities, food, transportation, etc. How the heck is this better than working for a uni and getting the same amount of money and free everything plus flight?
Yes, I can do more BC work, but I can also work on the side at a uni and still be 5-6K ahead.
What am I missing?
V |
I think you are missing writing marking, among other things. And I've no idea where you are getting these figures from.
At the end of the day, this doesn't sound like it's for you. |
|
Back to top |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
shawadywady
Joined: 13 Mar 2013 Posts: 40
|
Posted: Fri May 16, 2014 1:39 am Post subject: |
|
|
chunkocheese wrote:
Quote: |
Why are you and others looking at this job differently from any other job? |
Are you being paid 50mao for this?? Hope it was worth signing up to Dave's for. People with something between their ears are looking at this job in the same way they've always looked at it and are trying to figure out why they'll be paid half the amount of $ for the same amount of work!
Of course people have to decide what's right for them but expecting people not to compare how it was to how it will be is exactly how the BC wants us to think. |
|
Back to top |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. Contact Dave's ESL Cafe
Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group
|