Job Discussion Forums

alexmoves03 · Joined: 14 May 2008 Posts: 9

Can anybody tell me if this contract sounds right?

Job Length: Full academic year (Sept 1 - July 20)
Weekly schedule: 12 teaching periods, 2 office hours
Pay: 3,000 RMB per month
Travel Bonus: 1,100 RMB at the end of each semester.
Round trip airfare is included.
Apartment and utilities are included.
Health insurance is included.

The gig is at Tianjin Foreign Studies University, so I think it's public.
My only experience is my BA in English; I haven't taught yet. The pay seems average, but is there anything anyone can suggest?

Thanks

Moon Over Parma · Joined: 20 May 2007 Posts: 819

3000RMB might have been passable in 2000, but it's 2008. I'd expect such an offer from some small city in western China, but for Tianjin that's a terrible offer. The overinflated hubris of the olympics seems to have translated to poor salaries for public universities in Tianjin and Beijing for new teachers. If you want an interesting location with public universities that offer better packages for similar work try Nanjing, Hangzhou, Suzhou or Changzhou. All are close enough to Shanghai as well, if that matters.

Girl Scout · Joined: 13 Jan 2005 Posts: 525 Location: Inbetween worlds

Don't accept the offer. The pay is just too low. You could try to negotiate. Even with the low hours you should probably try to get 4000.

kungfucowboy83 · Joined: 25 Jan 2006 Posts: 479

also sounds like you don't get paid for the summer wich makes it suck even more.

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

3000 is an absolute disgrace!!! but some fool will accept it.... likely some 19 yo who's easily manipulated.

i'd be sure to reply to that job "offer" by telephone and after introducing myself, say nothing, and just laugh at them until they hang up on you.

alexmoves03 · Joined: 14 May 2008 Posts: 9

Thanks for the input.

Can anyone recommend a way to find different schools? I only picked TFSU because I went there in 2006.

Moon Over Parma · Joined: 20 May 2007 Posts: 819

Jordean · Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Posts: 238

somewhere on this board there is a 2003 list of Chinese unis ranked in some order of prestige, in English no less

about half of them have English websites that actually link to something

the Wikipedia list isn't bad, but it's not complete and many of the uni listings are "stubs"

you could check with NetworkESL or Angelina's ESL Cafe. They may be scrambling around to fill spots left when other folks pulled out/declined offers.

lots of folks don't like agencies, so you might try contacting the unis directly...

http://rank2003.netbig.com/en/rnk_1_0_0.htm