Job Discussion Forums

[Lildeski]

I'm aware that anything which sounds too good to be true is probably just that. However, I'm having a difficult time finding an acceptable offer/contract in Shanghai. I have been looking for the past month and although I've been offered a few jobs, I haven't accepted an offer yet. I am a newbie and I expect that I will work long hours and often get frustrated but is it too much to ask for PTO or sick days as well as airfare reimbursement? Or must I as a newbie just accept a contract with one of these big companies such as EF, NDI, BSK if i want well rounded benefits? I have a recruiter through my TESOL Certification who has told me that Shanghai does not offer as good of contracts as other areas because everyone wants to teach here.

Is the only way to do this by just picking a job and going!?
I'm eager to leave but I'm trying to do this in the most educated way possible.

[North China Laowei]

Shanghai offers some of the hottest, most well remunerated jobs in China; the competition is fierce but it is manageable and your recruiter is handing you a line of crock. Where are you looking? What's your background? Do you have any teaching experience? Just a TESOL certificate? Are you a university graduate? etc,. et.c.

Obviously the recruiter wants to throw you to the wolves (meaning EF, Aston, Shane) and the like. But we need more info first to help you.

[eslstudies]

There are three Shanghai market places.
The first is for the starry eyed TEFLer besotted with the Exotic Orient, for which SH is seen as the epitome. Some time there teaches otherwise. Work the language schools, learn quickly, or get chewed up and spat out.

The other is for the appropriately educated and experienced professional. Universities and the more upmarket high schools look for these teachers. Salaries are adequate; conditions comfortable.

The third is usually a step up from the above. With credos and contacts you can get very well paid corporate work.

Don't expect to arrive in SH and start pulling in big money. Without a degree and some experience you could well end up scraping a living with very dubious visa status!

[CWanders]

FYI:

My employer just discovered that (at least) Shanghai is now requiring a TEFL certificate as a requirement for issuing an employment License.

Something to bear in mind if Shanghai's your target city.

[Lildeski]

My recruiter is setting me up with an interview for Only English (which she says will soon merge with NDI -who i've read some bad posts about). The contract just doesnt seem that good. I've been looking everywhere. I've been all over: daves esl, seriousteachers, craigslist, etc and even facebook (which has been pretty helpful).

I have my BA in political science, i've worked for an immigration law firm, i did a year of tutoring English to a spanish girl and I have my TESOL certificate.

[North China Laowei]

Check your PM please.

[eslstudies]

Lildeski: Whilst you can get good general advice on this forum, detailed recommendations coming from people who have never worked in Shanghai, and whose knowledge of the school[s] you are enquiring about is second hand rumour and scuttlebutt, should be treated with scant regard!

[North China Laowei]

I fully agree with the previous poster. He or she is exactly on the mark.

Additionally, you should disregard or qualify advice from ex-teachers who once worked in Shanghai, say 4-10 years ago, or even less, as the market changes continuously and there is nothing worse than old, stale, news. It's good to have advice from those on the ground.

As I mentioned before, check your PM please. All the best.

NCL1

[mgafunnell]

i work for BSK and they're generally reliable. they offer medical benefits and flight reimbursement. it's a canadian-Chinese cooperation. i was satisified enough to extend my contract

[eslstudies]

[ShanghaiSurprise]

[quote="eslstudies"]There are three Shanghai market places.
The first is for the starry eyed TEFLer besotted with the Exotic Orient, for which SH is seen as the epitome. Some time there teaches otherwise. Work the language schools, learn quickly, or get chewed up and spat out.

The other is for the appropriately educated and experienced professional. Universities and the more upmarket high schools look for these teachers. Salaries are adequate; conditions comfortable.

The third is usually a step up from the above. With credos and contacts you can get very well paid corporate work.

Don't expect to arrive in SH and start pulling in big money. Without a degree and some experience you could well end up scraping a living with very dubious visa status![/quote]


[b]_____________________________________________[/b]

What would the pay be for the third level you mention?

In Shanghai, what about a teaching contract that offers free housing and say 15,000 RMB per month? How does that fare up to the corporate jobs you are speaking of? I'm in South Korea now but wondering about what to look for that will pay the bills in China.

Nowadays, what is being considered a good job in Shanghai?

[ShanghaiSurprise]

duplicate - can't get the quote function to work properly