Job Discussion Forums

[bearcanada]

Greetings;

Here is the text of part of a message I received today:

"I just returned from China. Before getting there, I used to get many job
offers a day (as response to my ads on the Net).Then the salaries I was
offered were from 3,000 to 5,000 Yuan (RMB) a month.

Taking the advice of a teacher who had just come back from China, I flew to China to look for jobs, there. I arrived in Guangzhou that is the largest city in South, and rented an apartment for USD 80/ month. From there I had plenty of time to look for jobs.

I did not see any jobs with salaries less than 7,000 Yuan a month, and
of course free accommodation, health care, etc are added to that. There, there are great jobs that even pay Y12,000 a month. If you are a school teacher in your country you can even get jobs teaching at international K-8 or K-12 schools with pays from Y15,000 (or more) a month; but those are rare to come by."

This is representative of many emails I receive. Can anyone here comment from personal experience? If this is accurate on a wide scale, the best course for newbies would be to fly to a city in China with a list of schools in hand, and negotiate a job directly. Surely bypassing the recruiters would be beneficial.

http://www.bearcanada.com

Cheers,

[nolefan]

there is no way in hell that someone can find a flat in Guangzhou for $80/month. That's just impossible.

[bearcanada]

Dear Nolefan;

I'm sure you're right, and this is a typo. But that isn't the point of the message. Can you comment on the issue?

Cheers,

[mmm... pancakes]

Is it possible to find higher-paying jobs on the ground? Yes, I think it is.
Would I say that it's "the best course of action" for newbies? A resounding No.

I do think it's a good way to go for experienced TEFLers, particularly those familiar with the country they're intending to drop into.

But I think for newbies the risks are just too great. "Newbies" includes underqualified people - we see them on Dave's all the time - who might take this advice and be left stranded in a foreign country without hopes of getting a job. But even for qualified newbies, negotiating around a foreign city and applying for jobs at schools where perhaps the staff interviewing you knows three words of English, nah. For the first job I'd personally recommend getting a job over the internet before leaving, signing the contract before you go, then arriving and signing the contract again.

[nolefan]

I agree with Pancakes.


For a seasoned veteran, it might be easier to hit the ground then find a job assuming they have the financial resources to support themselves until they get that coveted position...... in theory.

The truth is that a lot of people that come to China have limited experience outside of their own country, not to mention a lack of understanding of this country. Add to that zero-level in the Chinese language and you have one heck of a recipe for disaster. To be fair, they might be able to pull it off in a city like Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and other other megacities but it will come at a cost.

Another factor to consider in this issue is the number of academic periods that the person has to teach. It is more common that not to find a decent offer of 4000RMB/16 periods (or 63RMB/hour) which is a much better deal than 6000RMB for 25 hours.

let's take two examples:

-case a: 4000/16 with non-mandatory overtime paid at 85/period
-case b: 6000/25 with non-mandatory overtime paid at 85/period

person a can do what they please; work less hours, pick up overtime, study, etc.... Should they want to work 25 hours a week, their income would be: 4000 + (9*85*4)=7060 RMB
Clearly, case a represents a lower salary but a much higher value and it does not even take into account the number of paid vacations, perks, etc...


SO, what is my advice? Forget about the salary and look more into the conditions of the job. Secure a contract with low hours and decent pay to begin with. This will give you a lot more options to choose from and a greater revenue potential.

[Babala]

I completely agree with the last two posters. I would further suggest that that newbies also find a school that will secure a Z visa for them before coming. This would at eliminate the question of whether the school was legally allowed to hire FT's.