Job Discussion Forums

DRLee_80 · Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 4

I expect this question is asked quite a lot, so I apologise in advance to anybody it annoys.

I'm thinking of teaching in a university starting in September. I've had a couple of offers, one of 3000Y and 4000Y (both with accomodation). While the 3000Y uni is more attractive to me, is this enough money to live in (and enjoy) China. I have a degree but have never taught before, nor do I have any TEFL qualification. Any advice? Should I think about asking for a little bit more?

Thanks

Louis · Joined: 02 Jan 2004 Posts: 275 Location: Beautiful Taiyuan

I'll leave the flaming for others....

3000 is rather low, but then again so are your qualifications. It's enough to live confortably, in my opinion, but it depends WHERE. You'll starve in Shanghai on 3000. If your hours are fairly low (as they should be if you're making 3000, 16 or fewer a week) you can always find time to teach a few privates to make some pocket cash.

And, of course, contract signing time is also negotiation time: you can push for more once on site.

ChinaLady · Posted: Sat Jul 10, 2004 1:10 pm Post subject: when is 3000 enough?

agree with "it is WHERE you will be."
my first univer I made 4,000 and they paid everything. gas, Internet, power. had a great flat. nice garden. second school paid 4,000 and I paid everything. EVERYTHING - which was NOT in the contract (they said they would pay during negotiations). and I was on the top floor of the building - only the 5th - but hauling groceries up became a not fun part of my week. with a teeny tiny deck.
if, you are in town you'll pick up some money re-doing professors papers but if you are in one of those new university towns out of town, you and the students are there alone.
I've been in both. stay in the city if possible, unless you are writing the next great novel and want time alone.

ChrisP · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 29 Location: Shenzhen

Sure, you COULD live on 3,000 a month, but you could be very miserable within a few months. 4,000 is better, but I recommend at least 5,000. That is not at all out of line with the advertised jobs. With a college degree, why would you settle for making less than $100 a week in a full-time job?
The big advantage of university teaching is the amount of time off. You won't make enough to be able to travel. What will you do in your free time? Your university may have some English language books if you like the classics. You won't be able to afford new books on 3,000. They MAY let you use the athletic facilities for free, but I wouldn't count on it. You probably won't have any tv. If you are new to Asia, and you haven't lived in an undeveloped country before, you have no idea how difficult it is going to be. To be broke all the time can make you very resentful very quickly.
There are lots of jobs here. There is no reason to undersell yourself.

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

Of course, I agree, more money is always better. 4000rmb is roughly $480 US. But, let's not forget that many schools will pick up the cost of living expenses: free apartment, most or all utilities paid, often free meals on campus, internet, etc. Also, most schools award you a travel allowance (a pittance, to be sure) and flight reimbursement. If you tried renting your own place back home (fully furnished) and paid for your utilities and bought all of your food and maybe had a car and all the expenses that came with that and . . . ???? 4000 + benefits is not too bad here - depending on the school naturally. But 5000 is better.

Most of my money for the past school term went towards "fixing" up my apartment, buying western foods (I'm cutting WAY back on that next term), buying a mobile phone, buying a satellite system, buying my own computer (better than what the school offered me), buying way too many DVDs (I'm hooked), and going out from time to time. Now that I'm set, as it were, I imagine I can live off a lot less next term (while enjoying a nice raise).

3000 is simply not enough in pretty much all of China, in my opinion.

gmat · Joined: 27 Jan 2003 Posts: 274 Location: S Korea

For 16 hours per week at university, 3000 (plus all accomodation expenses, airfare, etc...) is the standard salary for a BA holder with no experience in Liaoning Province. I am sure this is the standard rate in other provinces as well.

Obviously, a higher salary is standard in Shanghai and more 'expensive' provinces.

When I first taught at uni here two years ago, many colleagues with a BA/no exp. were paid 3000 per month. For them, this was adequate to live on, but don't expect any savings.

If you are big partier/drinker or like the 'painted ladies', 3000 will seem pretty thin Wink

edit: ps - you see a wide range of answers here because you failed to tell us where the potential jobs will be. You need to provide more details if you want a proper answer. Think of it this way, if someone says they will give you a job paying $50,000 in the US. Would you take it? Obviously it depends: will the job be in rural Kansas or Manhattan. $50,000 may be enough in rural America, but it would suck royally in Manhattan!!

Talkdoc · Joined: 03 Mar 2004 Posts: 696

DRLee_80 · Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 4

The offers I hold are (for my fiance and I):
Nanjing: 3000Y with a "30 minute" bus ride each day to the campus, 16 hrs
Qingdao: 3500Y, 16 hrs
Dalian: 5000Y, 24 hrs, "50 minute" bus ride each day to the campus.

Obviously whether it's possible to get by on the money depends on lifestyle, but equally it's very difficult to make any kind of a judgement from outside the country and having never visited before. Anybody have any advice on the offers? Should i just take the most money?

Talkdoc · Joined: 03 Mar 2004 Posts: 696

waxwing · Joined: 29 Jun 2003 Posts: 719 Location: China

Talkdoc · Joined: 03 Mar 2004 Posts: 696

gmat · Joined: 27 Jan 2003 Posts: 274 Location: S Korea

1 to 2 hours on the bus to school each day...... Boooooooo!

It would also be relevant to tell us the quality of the school/university, that is, is it a "Key" university, a "standard" public university, private university....

Having said that, the Qingdao job seems best. BTW, congrats if it is an offer from a good uni in Qingdao. They are hard to come by from my understanding because Qingdao is a highly sought after location.

James_T_Kirk · Joined: 20 Sep 2003 Posts: 357 Location: Ten Forward

NateM · Joined: 19 Apr 2004 Posts: 358

Do people here think 5k in Beijing would last long? I've been offered a job at Beijing Ren Wen University, supposedly in the suburbs. The pay is 5k a month for 16-18 periods a week. If this were in Tianjin, Jinan, or Qingdao I probably would have jumped at the job, but I'm a little worried that the money wouldn't go very far in Beijing.

Any general comments on the University would be helpful too, if anyone has them.

bendan · Joined: 18 Jun 2004 Posts: 739 Location: North China

That doesn't sound too bad for Beijing, though I know nothing about that university.

Apart from housing (which I assume is included) I don't think things are so much more in Beijing, at least compared with Tianjin. The problem is that there are many more things available, and there's also a huge, high-earning expat population, not to mention some pretty wealthy Chinese, which will make you feel relatively poor.