Job Discussion Forums

theoriginalprankster · Joined: 19 Mar 2012 Posts: 895

Currently I spend about 80% of my time in the office, and only teach four 40 minute classes to a bunch of relatively intelligent 6th graders.

I prepare one lesson a week, and spend the remainder of the time reading, surfing the net, job hunting and daydreaming about places I'd like to travel to. Occasionally I study a little bit.

Most teaching gigs have you in the classroom the majority of your working hours, with some minimal office time.

I clear 290k/year. But I'm desperately bored. I like being with the students, not the drones in the office.

I'm thinking I'd settle for a lower salary in a more healthy city than SH, for the same or even slightly lower salary - I don't find SH particularly appealing, and would like better access to the mountains and/or ocean (just applied for a job in HZ).

What would you prefer? What would you do? Stay or go?

Jmbf · Joined: 29 Jun 2014 Posts: 663

Depends. How are your retirement savings? How far away is retirement for you? If things are looking relatively sorted financially and you still have many years to go before retirement, I would be open to looking for more interesting yet lower paid work.

theoriginalprankster · Joined: 19 Mar 2012 Posts: 895

OhBudPowellWhereArtThou · Joined: 02 Jun 2015 Posts: 1168 Location: Since 2003

You make 290,000rmb per year and you have no savings?

Whom do you teach and where? Please let me know when you leave.

theoriginalprankster · Joined: 19 Mar 2012 Posts: 895

getbehindthemule · Joined: 15 Oct 2015 Posts: 712 Location: Shanghai

From reading your post, you need to go, don't stay in a job you are unhappy in...life's too short mate!
I'm three years in SH and love the place to be honest. I teach primary and have office hours but there is always something going on and the days fly by. To be fair your 80% office hours and one lesson per week is a bit much to take after a while I'd imagine.
Apart from the pollution, the city has everything I need. I live out the way a little bit (the outskirts of Xujiahui) but can still go to all the expat areas with ease by metro/taxi.
Rent here is much cheaper (can get a decent 1 bedroom apartment for 3-3.5k, a nice 2 bedroom for 5-6k).
I get out the odd weekend and most hols. The likes of Moganshan is not far away for mountains and fresh air.

jimpellow · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 913

Out of curiosity, have you done some soul searching if it is not about the job nor city, but China itself?

I failed to do so in a similar situation, and took a new job in a new city, but was still not content. They talk about becoming institutionalized in the Shawshank Redemption. I think it can apply to China also.

theoriginalprankster · Joined: 19 Mar 2012 Posts: 895

jimpellow · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 913

MuscatGary · Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 6:31 am Post subject:

"I would love to settle in the Philippines (I've been there five times), but again - no jobs in the education sector."

Have you thought about living in the Phillipines and doing online teaching in the Chinese market? You would probably have to live in Manila or Cebu to get a reliable enough internet connection. I'm scouting this possibility right now with a view to doing it from July onwards.

theoriginalprankster · Joined: 19 Mar 2012 Posts: 895

I have Gary.

I've been living 'big city life' for the last 15 years, so ideally I'd like to live in a slightly smaller city, closer to beaches, mountains, nature.

I need to get up to speed on online teaching/work.

jimpellow · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 913

Nothing against Muscat Gary's response, but I would think take a break for a while from the Chinese. Lots of other opportunities out there, though I will be the first to admit the online market for PRC children has exploded and most schools now pay quite well. Good easy income if you can get into a school that will keep your schedule full.

If I did get into the Chinese market, I would look at tutoring older students. I am a Business English teacher by specialization, but it is actually a pretty slow market online for China, as it is for adults in general, and not so well paying. Most schools will give you a lower wage which sounds aok if you don't want to deal with the kids, but then send you kids half of the time anyways.

As I mentioned in the Philippines forum, you could now probably live anywhere in the Philippines provided it has coverage by some of the providers. Each in itself is generally ok to bad, but you want to invest 20 dollars a month into speedify.net. Get yourself three different connections from three different providers and it will bind them. You can get fantastic speeds and reliability provided no typhoon or earthquake destroys the network.