Job Discussion Forums

[traxxe]

Since I've seen many posts about job chances/salaries miss the crucial bits about explaing their qualifications and situation I'll be sure to do as best I can with this:

I am 28, male, and fat. I am from the United States and am caucasian. I have a B.A. in history and a minor in Asian studies. I am working on my M.A. online through an accredited university in the states. (American Military University) I will have my M.A. in world history around December of 2008.

My first year of teaching in Korea ends in late Fenurary and so I am looking into my options for broadening my Asian experience. Japan is pretty much out due to the job shortages with the flooded market of desperate English teachers.

Here is the catch:

I need to send about 5000 rmb/or 675 U.S. home every month. I can teach privates and would be more than happy to do so but not sure if my beard/size would deter me there. It does a little bit here. I'm also married and will probably bring my fiance (wife once we get married) over once she finishes her degree. (She is in the states studying where we met but is a native Filipina)

I can always get ahead on my bills since I'm in Korea and can have a four or five month cushion when I arrive. I have a little money saved too.

What do you guys think?

Is it realistic to go to China given my lack of experience and teaching certificate to find one of these 10k jobs I hear about? Then suppliment my income with privates?

Location isn't as important to me as I'm more into the culture and not the night life. I drink but maybe once or twice a month and I usually pre-party to keep costs down. Most of the time when I'm not doing cheaper cultural immersion sorts of things I'm at home on the internet doing my M.A. work.

Should I wait until December when I have my M.A.? I can always do a 100 hour TEFL course too following that. I live fairly inexpensively and don't see a need to live in anything other than a one bedroom place. I'm fine with local cuisine as I (as much as my size dictates otherwise I hate McDonalds, etc.) survived Korean food for a year straight and still enjoy it. My one hang-up is that my biggest hobby is lifting free weights and I like to fight train when available. I quit fighting about five years ago and blew up since but I would like to someday maybe give it another shot when I'm not focussed on work and studies.

Thank you for time and thoughts....

David

[Anda]

If your wife is a native Filipina with a Uni degree and speaks good English then I can't see why you can't both get a job even perhaps at the same place of employment and live on one income and use the other one to pay your debts. This is the best way because you could both get work visas before you arrive. If your wife got a job after arriving then she would probably have to do a visa run to Hong Kong.

There are plenty of Filipinos teaching English here in China.

[SocratesSon2]

I think it depends on where you go. With a degree you have a lot more options, and as a couple you have more options still. Schools who need more then one teacher would rather hire a couple, cut's down on the chances of someone doing a runner.

Anyhow, as far as sending 5,000 RMB home a month. If you both work, not a problem, if just one of you, maybe a problem if you don't find work that pays at least 10,000 plus a free apartment. My advice, do a lot of searching and send out 200 to 300 resumes. That way you will likely find what you are looking for.

Oh, and avoid Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Even Beijing if possible, these cities cost a fortune to live in.

[MGreen]

Why do you say that? Half the people on this thread/ board claim to be making over 10K(RMB) a month and saving most of it.

Someone just mentioned on one of the threads about friends earning over 20,000RMB working under 40 hours. Another poster mentioned a job ad paying 10K for 20 hours.

So, it appears to be not impossible given the claims people are making here.

[jammish]

The one thing I would say is that it isn't getting the money together to send that's a problem. If you do a few privates on the side you can make enough to live off out of those and send back your salary.

The problem is actually sending the money. It's very difficult/tiresome. If you have to do it each month you may get sick of it.

[therock]

Not sure about Korea but don't be offended if students here burst out and say "you are fat" Its normal here. Funny when a student is describing a friend she will say something like this "This is my friend Wang Li and she is fat" If you can handle that, you should have no problems with finding students.

If both you and your wife work then you can save 5000RMB a month. You might not get an initial offer that allows you to save that. But after being here for a while, you can bulid your contacts and supplement your income with privates.

[Anda]

Yes, it's a pain in the butt sending money from here. I have to go to the next city and to the main branch of the bank of China and pay 200 RMB each time for the TT. You also need to get a lot of paperwork from your school to be able to do it but if you go back to the same bank then they keep your info on file.

[lostinasia]

China is hardly the place to come under your circumstances. Anyone in a "desperate need of money" should not be coming here. Korea, Japan, and Taiwan are exponentially more generous in salaries.

[malu]

At age 28 you have lots of time left to broaden your experience of teaching in Asia. I go with the pay-your-bills-first contingent. And do factor in the hassle and expense of transferring money - I wouldn't want that aggravation every month.