Job Discussion Forums

[Hatcher]

Can anyone comment on working part time at these places?

[rogerwilco]

Working part-time at a franchisee ?
I would ask to be paid after every class.

Your salary comes directly out of the owners pocket.
He or she might be tempted to play games with your salary.

[kungfuman]

I worked for New Oriental in two cities.

In Wuxi I was paid after every class. It was a sweet deal and the funds usually went to dinner or massages. Worked well and I was never ever cheated.

In Suzhou I was paid on the 10th of the following month. EVERY pay period was wrong and filled with lies from the contact there as to why the pay was wrong - she blamed everyone except herself. Not just me but every part timer had the same problem - the salary was always shorted.

Once I did an onsite class and evaluation with one of the salesmen. After the class he informed me that I was going to do a 2 hour class twice a week at that location. I said HUH? When did we ever discuss this? He said that the girl at the sales office told him I agreed. After I informed him that I was only asked to come out to this location just for today he got mad, saying he already told the customer that I was their new teacher. As a result he didn't put in the two hours wages for that day and I didn't get paid.

New Oriental in Suzhou is the pits - no one wants to work there anymore and they can't keep any full timers at all.

Never worked for WallStreet

[AKChina]

Out of interest, and because I'm thinking of trying to top up my hours when I arrive in China myself...what's the going rate per class at these language centre places in decent sized cities?

[Markness]

@ AKChina, the rates are 150 an hour for training schools usually. TBH, I think it's not that great, especially if they can't block your classes together. Tutoring you can ask for 200 for 45 minutes (if it's like a 5-8 year old), and anyone older than that I do hour classes at 250 an hour. Group classes you can get 2-3 kids paying 100-150 each and make 3-450 an hour which would be the same as spending an afternoon at a training school, just for an hours work.

Right now, I work at a training school and do about an hour and a half for 250 yuan. I do this twice a week so it brings me an extra 2000 rmb a month for 2 days a week at a training school. Factor in commuting (25-30 minutes each way) and it's almost not worth it.

At home I teach a 7 year old three times a week and an adult four times a week. 200 x 3 = 600 + 250 x 4 = 1600 a week just from tutoring. This doesn't include my main income from my real job. Bear in mind, the adult student is only going to be doing this for a few months and then head off to Australia. The child will be with me until she heads off to USA. This means that it isn't quite as reliable, however students still cancel at training schools and you don't get paid for that as well.

Long story short, I wouldn't work at a training school part-time again unless I really needed the extra money. They have a hard time blocking classes together so you spend your Saturday morning/afternoon scraping up a meager 3-450 yuan. Not worth it until they beef up the rate.

[jimpellow]

Markness hits it on the head as far as I am concerned. Of course, the ease of attracting clients for tutoring is somewhat dependent on the city you are in and the rates you can charge. Other big factor is if you have the entrepreneurial drive or not.

As it sounds like you are already in a city where Wall Street is, I am assuming that it is a larger more affluent city where finding students to tutor should not be a problem.

To add directly to your question, my one caution would be, if you didn't know already, that you will be on premise teaching at a school for which you are not authorized to work at. You are one raid away from big trouble these days.

But, if you do decide to do so, I really do not foresee an issue with Wall Street paying you.

[kungfuman]

All three of my part time jobs pay 200y an hour. I seldom consider anything for less these days.

I don't respond to offers from New oriental anymore