Job Discussion Forums

[Atlas]

Let's all go home this March for a month.

No reason. Just for fun. Watch 'em squirm.

[lagerlout2006]

Good plan Atlas---think I;ll go chill in Vietnam rather than home though..

Because it is easy for us to find jobs does not mean much. It is also easy for schools to find newbies. The market is...fluid? If that's the right word...

OP is correct---these places roll out the red carpet at first but things go slowly but surely downhill after that...With a few rare exceptions. The only time here I was in a position of real strength was at a place starting a Sino-Canada program. They needed a Canadian---any would do--to help them get approval. I was offered 6500 at a branch of a chain that pays 45-55 depending on what they could get away with. I did it. Fast forward 10 months and all teachers---good bad and so-so -were politely shown the door. A "new start" and all the rest of it. 5 new teachers in a not especially nice part of Shandong province? No problem,,,

Word to the wise. If you want leverage start looking for a job the day the new term starts.

[parvati_overdrive]

hi sinobear -

From my experience in Korea it made no difference how good a teacher you were, how educated, how much experience...

Your points are wise and well noted. Some may say sour or negative but I too have found the truth comes out after 30 days and youll know if it's worth staying on.

But in korea, often when you hit about 7 months, out came the daggers and bullshix as a ploy not to pay airfare/bonuses.

Experience, job like home -well, I wish it was that way for you but it seems that they are looking for a warmed corpse with a tape recorder after all. This was a huge frustration for me in Korea. I felt sorry for people paying hard cash to a school that cared little about sucess.

I'm also a responsible person and would not want to break a contract. Unfortunately, the situation is worse for those with some ethical standard/s.

But hey, when the school is really souring your experience -it's time to go and go quick! Screw them, it's not as though they honestly don't know they are screwing you eh?

You are in a foreign country, a communist country with little legal recourse -full of corruption. One needs to take care of oneself first - The chinese are doing no less, that's for certain!

I do feel for employers who get stuck with people that cant hack Asia or have so much personal/emotional turmoil that they leave. That sucks for school and gives all foreigners a bad rep - but always take care of #1.

peace out

[parvati_overdrive]

Sinobear: (PS) Then how do you negotiate the contract if they always must have the upper hand? I want to spell out my contract VERY specifically but fear that the employer will just shun it.

Obviously there is some give and take. I specifically want to be paid on an hourly basis with a minimum amount of hours (wage) guaranteed per hour/week/month. I took a good screwing in Korea on that issue in particular and ran me to exaustion.

[Atlas]

I doubt China could ever function within a rational transparent environment.

The problem is an inconsistent legal system in an inconsistent society.

Otherwise these glaring contract violations would bring more penalities and business risk than profit.

Here is one thing you can do, don't get your hopes up. I decided a long time ago I would not raise a child in China, and now I can aver that regardless of marital status I would not live here longer than say, ten years, and I would advise all other foreigners the same warning, watch your money around here and don't get into a longterm commitment unless you expect disappointment and corruption. China will put on a spectacular face for the coming global celebrations but behind it will be the same inept and corrupt oppression that has hidden itself from the light of day for centuries.

Don't enter into a business relationship, dont work for a chinese manager, because they will not be able to keep up their end of the deal. Nor do they really respect foreigners. The world stops beyond the great wall. This is a society that sanctifies ethnocentrism. Teachers, come here with both eyes open and be glad they give you something similar to what you expected, but expect lies and disappointments--and expect to be blamed for it as well!

Not that these abstractions enter into it, it's usually very simple smash and grab, appearances and double-dealing and living perfectly happily with contradicting thoughts--and the devaluation of self and other. An unfortunate indictment in light of its long philosophical and artful cultural traditions.

But I tell you plainly: rationalism and accountability are not valued here, except as bait for foreign investment and talent. Period.

How's them potatoes?!

[Plan B]

Silence. Dispondance. We sat in Cheers bar � across the way from our now discredited school slowly drinking our Haizhu's, reflecting on the last few months of our time together, in mutual disgust at the way we had been mistreated. We had arrived in a period of optimism, but our collective experience had driven us invariably to drink, drugs, divorce, and women of ill-repute. However, at the end of our fateful journey, we at least had survived with our dignity intact, as well as an undeniable respect for each other � as teachers, as professionals, as rational human beings.

As discussed, I had walked into my principles office with my letter of resignation in one hand and my revised contract in the other. As expected under the circumstances, I left with the letter of resignation on her desk. What was surprising was how little she seemed to care. She nonchalantly accepted my resignation as if it was of no consequence, before suggesting I leave before the spring break to make things that little more convenient for the teaching schedule. This now means that after the spring break, only 2 of the 12 staff employed in September remain, and the remaining 2 are on tenterhooks.

Back at the bar, the shunned neglected teachers start discussing employment opportunities at the adjacent TPR school. We examined the contracts with meticulous attention - the initial wave of optimism and trust we had on arriving in Zhuhai having long dissipated. We enacted visions of downfall for our school � scenarios where no students turn up for the new term and they helplessly scramble around trying to find the addresses and numbers of all those teachers they carelessly discarded. Then we took a reality pill and realised that in this illogical strange land, we are insignificant pawns in the big scheme of things. We realised that our principle despite her irrational, deplorable behaviour will ride this wave, and in a few years, will prosper once more. We stared at each other, and recognised ourselves for the worthless, redundant human beings that we had become. Then we had another drink.........

[Atlas]

Dear Plan B,

I have to say I'm not surprised they didn't respond to your threat; "face" or "mask" can be a cold one when you discover that underneath all the social nicety there really was a compete disregard for you and any responsibility to you. The problem with face is that you can't hide what's underneath forever. Do they realize how incompetent they are; or maybe passive aggression dysfunction is the only weapon they have with which to address the social system. Or maybe things are exactly as they appear.

At any rate, I'm writing to tell you that's a nice piece of writing, and I don't know if you write but if so that's something else you will be taking with you , the quality of a sane voice talking about an irrational place!

I am also writing to tell you I admire your conviction in depressing circumstances. It's really demoralizing being cheated and used, but please always remember you kept up your end of the agreement. Your manager's opinions are utterly suspect, and motivated by profit, miserly greed, and desperation, lack of foresight and respect for the actual truth. I suppose the philosophy in China is, cheat everybody, you won't get fined and there will always be a steady stream of suckers. The Chinese golden rule is, "Do unto others before they do unto you."

It's monkey business!

Best of luck to you.

[Plan B]

Thanks Atlas, kind words.

China is a learning experience for me, a learning experience that many people on these boards went through a long time ago.

The most interesting thread I have read on this forum in recent months is the "Has China changed you?" thread (or something similar. Maybe I'll track it down and find a link). I feel working in China turns the most warm-hearted person into a cynic, as all the old tried and trusted ways of dealing with people go out the window. Maybe, as someone on that thread suggested, it can make you stronger, and improve your negotiation skills in general - allow you to find compromises and mutual solutions with the most cold-hearted business minds - "Face" is not just a Chinese characteristic.

Maybe. Maybe not.

At any rate, if anybody hears of a good job going in Guangdong province.......