Job Discussion Forums

[gtrain83]

Best Learning in Beijing. approx 15K before tax

Web in Shanghai. about 14K before tax.

Are these good or avg offers? Should I just show up and try to find a better job in person?

Are these two companies reputable?

Thanks.

[mnguy29]

Everyone is different. Depends on what you are looking for. I did the private training school such as Web for a year. After that I grew very tired of it. You will work long hours including evenings and weekends. Very little time off, even for holidays. Yes, good salary but you work hard for it. Now, I teach at a University and I love it. Free time, adequate salary and you can make extra if you desire. I would arrive first, then check out some possibilities once here.

[The_Kong]

[gtrain83]

Sorry, more info:

Salaries include housing allowance.

Flight will be paid. Med Insurance as well I believe.

Distance is up to me cause I pay for the apartment.

35 hrs a week at Best with 15-25 teaching. Forgot the other one but I beleive it was around 20-25 teaching per week.

Best is 15 days vacation i winter and 14 in summer plus 10-11 holidays. Also, only 10% tax rate with them.

For web i have their info in a different notebook, at my work. So I am not 100% on their details. But it is similar.

Best is 6000 RMB bonus at end.

[Voyeur]

You might want to consider where the schools are located so that you can investigate apartment rents within walking distance. If you can get the rent estimate down, you have a better idea of your budget.

Also, usually they will let you talk to a teacher at the schools. Find out how many total hours they spend on work, including prep and meetings and forced time in the office etc. Also, when is the work?

Beijing and Shanghai are great cities to do side-work in, but you have to have free time during times that are popular for students like weekend days (ideally, at least).

[NoBillyNO]

[jimpellow]

You didn't say where you were located at present which may make a difference in terms of the work visa. Beijing is probably at the top for visa requirements now. Shanghai less stringent.

I don't know about Best. I worked for two years in a Web near Shanghai when I first came to China. I enjoyed it until the greedy owners (it was a franchise) started to let the kids come for extra money, with the natural result that all the business people and mei nu left. Web is a standard 40 hour week with 25 fifty minute classes. Four classes with no prep or homework and one English corner a day. I did not have to stay for office hours, but the teachers they didn't like did. Usually they want you there to market your pale face to potential students. Personally I liked the English Corners and the business and advanced classes which I taught mostly, so the days went smoothly. But as stated above, the grind gets to you. My second year I had the funds to do it, and they had the desire to keep me, so I negotiated to only work three or four days a week. Point is the language mills can be alright, but hard for most teachers who actually put in effort in the classroom to keep it going long term. I have heard mixed about the Shanghai Webs where they are based. There used to be an English teacher trainer there named Lewen(sp) who is such a weenie you should should avoid Web at all costs if he is still there.

What is odd is that I remember the Webs offering higher a few years back in ads - around 16. Shanghai and Beijing are both very expensive now so the offered salaries are not so great in either case if you wish to live like a Westerner often.

Best sounds better from what you write on the surface.

[gtrain83]

Currently I am in South Korea.


I checked my notes at work and the Web job is as follows: 1-9pm 5 days per week. 25 teaching hours and 15 office hours.

15-17,000 RMB (guess the exact amount will be on the contract)

only 5 vacation days so that kind of sucks.


I think Best is looking like a better bet. Though, I am not sure if I want to live in Beijing.


Is it really that easy to just go to China and hit the pavement with resumes and land a good job?

[jimpellow]