Job Discussion Forums

MESL · Joined: 23 Aug 2003 Posts: 291

The 2nd best job I ever had was at Shendga College in Zhengzhou in Henan province. Two dozen foreign teachers, all in the same dorm. Gym, computer room, recreation room, coffee shop, lounge, and 2 large movie rooms. English Corner room with a coffee shop atmosphere, including movie room, TV rooms, stereo, computers, drinks. Free utilities. 24/7 management. Even an elevator. The foreign affairs office was in the foreign teachers dorm. Lots of dining halls. We would pack the students into the dorm movie rooms every night, but foreign teachers are no longer allowed to bring students into their dorm. A lot of English majors, a lot of accounting majors, a lot of international trade majors. The biggest disadvantage is the distance from Zhengzhou. About an hour. Another disadvantage is teaching 2 writing courses per semester. At least 4 homework assignments, a midterm exam and a final exam. So much correcting and grading.

3rd best job I ever had was Golden Apple Kindergarten in Chengdu. Summer job. Run by Nigel Jones. Best boss in China. British. Fluent. Hired the best Chinese team teachers in town, best language skills and best attitude. I got the pick of the litter. Good thing for me, because kindergarten turned out to be a whole new realm. Beware of the heat though. The school was across the street from my apartment. At the peak of the heat, I took a bottle of soda out of the freezer on my way to work. By the time I got to the office, the cola had melted. This was at 8 o'clock in the morning. I ended up in the hospital because of the heat. Nigel started his own chain, Olive Tree, although he sometimes does recruiting for Golden Apple. But the requirements have gone up. Chengdu has changed too. It was a sleepy little town with a nice mix of western and Chinese culture famous for its tea houses and its beautiful women. Now it's a bustling metropolis with a subway system.

theoriginalprankster · Joined: 19 Mar 2012 Posts: 895

Second best job - at Xiamen Airlines. Top pay, enthusiastic, disciplined students (cadet pilots and cabin crew). Driven to and from the training centre in a flash black Audi A6. Paid in US$ tax free.

Third best job - IELTS examiner. Great, tax free pay. Stayed in Sheratons and Shangri-las. Still pick up high paying tutoring work if I want, because I was an examiner (RMB500/hour).

Best job - Journalism lecturer at Xiamen University. Eight hours/week (two days). Afforded me the right to live in China, thus picking up Job 2 and 3.

buravirgil · Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2015 3:45 pm Post subject:

theoriginalprankster · Joined: 19 Mar 2012 Posts: 895

buravirgil · Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2015 2:49 am Post subject:

omg, that's a sweet deal all around. Highly paid to work with the highly motivated with preexisting proficiency. Show some humility with that pass rate, or I'll task you about normative groups and standards of deviation out of sheer jealousy.

Thanks for responding, you magnificent *beep*.

theoriginalprankster · Joined: 19 Mar 2012 Posts: 895