Site Search:
 
Get TEFL Certified & Start Your Adventure Today!
Teach English Abroad and Get Paid to see the World!
Job Discussion Forums Forum Index Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

What would you prefer? Stay or go? Money V Lifestyle?

 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> China (Job-related Posts Only)
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
theoriginalprankster



Joined: 19 Mar 2012
Posts: 895
PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 2:59 am    Post subject: What would you prefer? Stay or go? Money V Lifestyle? Reply with quote
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?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Jmbf



Joined: 29 Jun 2014
Posts: 663
PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 3:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
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.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
theoriginalprankster



Joined: 19 Mar 2012
Posts: 895
PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 3:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Jmbf wrote:
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.


No retirements savings. 10-20 years from full retirement (active as a F/T worker), although I'll always be involved in something, until they put a catheter in my willy and stick me in a room with the other demented fogeys.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
OhBudPowellWhereArtThou



Joined: 02 Jun 2015
Posts: 1168
Location: Since 2003
PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 3:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
You make 290,000rmb per year and you have no savings?

Whom do you teach and where? Please let me know when you leave.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
theoriginalprankster



Joined: 19 Mar 2012
Posts: 895
PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 4:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
OhBudPowellWhereArtThou wrote:
You make 290,000rmb per year and you have no savings?

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


I have moderate savings and I wasn't always on this package. And I live in SH - rent eats up a quarter of that figure.

I also took a year off from work, and traveled extensively, and in style.

You want a gig in SH? You can have mine if I leave in the summer.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
getbehindthemule



Joined: 15 Oct 2015
Posts: 712
Location: Shanghai
PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 5:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
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.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
jimpellow



Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Posts: 913
PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 9:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
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.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
theoriginalprankster



Joined: 19 Mar 2012
Posts: 895
PostPosted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 1:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
jimpellow wrote:
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.


Totally. I thoroughly want out of China. That is why I took a year off, and traveled SEA, and went home for a bit.

My country is a mess, and I won't be returning there. Only to visit family every other year or so. SEA - pickings are slim, bureaucracy is as bad as China, and salaries are low.

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

China is where the money is at. And perhaps I'm just a malcontent.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
jimpellow



Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Posts: 913
PostPosted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 2:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
theoriginalprankster wrote:
jimpellow wrote:
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.


Totally. I thoroughly want out of China. That is why I took a year off, and traveled SEA, and went home for a bit.

My country is a mess, and I won't be returning there. Only to visit family every other year or so. SEA - pickings are slim, bureaucracy is as bad as China, and salaries are low.

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

China is where the money is at. And perhaps I'm just a malcontent.


I have lived in the Philippines too and you may have seen my posts in that forum. I am leaving Mexico next month, and really torn between going back to Colombia or the Philippines. I much prefer Colombia, but want to visit a girl I have been keeping in touch with since I left and the daughter of my ex-girlfriend who I grew close to and still support.

Yes, the Philippines lacks opportunities, but the Internet is now full of them. You can easily devote your time to building some income streams online. The Internet is certainly not the best there. However, it has improved in the big cities and you can find opportunities like one income stream I have now - correcting and commenting IELTS writing papers. The only one stopping you from living there is you. Wink Beyond ESL sites, tutoring sites and sites like Indeed and Monster will reward the persistent.

I don't really do the work necessary to optimize some of my income streams. Further, most days I am not terrible busy and have no commute time and such. But to give you an idea of what is possible for what I did over the last month:

My IELTS writing gig netted me 1750.
A three day class with the same Saudi school netted me 130.
My work with Learnissimo brought in 450.
My work with CafeTalk brought in 170.
A non ELS income stream brought in 700.

You can live ok on that in the Philippines. Especially with the dollar over 50. I will stick with what I have, though the European and Japanese schools are not paying well with the dollar bubble.

As an example, I just saw a legitimate ad for tutoring Chinese high school students who will study abroad 1 on 1 for 25 and hour. No teaching license required.

You can do it easily by cutting back on the school time watching JAV and getting focused on your goal.

*Please do not PM me lurkers asking for jobs and websites. I have grown tired over the years of pointing people to places on the Internet to unearth the gold. If you can't google, you can't succeed in this day and age."
Back to top