Job Discussion Forums

[Sevarem]

First off, I apologize in advance, as I'm sure this topic has been discussed to death. However, after reading much of the Job Information Journal, I feel it would be best to take this to the boards and hear from current teachers and such.

I've posted my resume here and on a few other China TEFL sites. Within 24 hours, my inbox was filled with job offers, which was not only overwhelming, but seemed a bit... sketchy. I'm slightly apprehensive of places willing to hire me after reading over a cursory resume and without at least offering a telephone interview. Perhaps this is normal practice? I simply don't know.

I'm asking for some advice, little help here.

Would current or former teachers mind recommending some reliable schools and universities? Decent areas to teach in? I'm thinking of Shanghai, mostly because I'm nervous about accepting offers in places I know very little about. What should I ask for in salary, airfare and the like?

I'm serious about a teaching position in China. I don't want to find myself in dodgy situations simply because I'm a n00b.

[august03]

There are soooooo many jobs in China, the demand for teachers is very high, that�s why you have received so many offers by just posting your CV.

If you want to work in Shanghai then be prepared to have competition, often no accommodation on campus is provided (house hunting in a new city?), no holiday pay etc. Smaller cities are the way to go, you'll get all the extras: airfare; paid accommodation and utilities; holiday pay; travel allowance etc.

Don't be worried about taking a position in a city you don't recognise, do you homework first and remember you wont really know what it�s like until you arrive.

If you would like the name of agency that will place you with a government school and be there to after your placement to answer all your questions PM me.

Good Luck

[Roger]

Have you received any offer from one 'Alin Buur"? If yes, this will corroborate my claim:
Most CV's attract offers from go-betweens who get a commission, and that's all they care for.

Meanwhile, don't believe all the hype: there aren't that many jobs in China.

There are some positions where your face will help freshen up the appeal of their time-worn adverts. A mugshot later, you get fired.

[Sevarem]

Why, yes, I have received a few offers from Alin Buur.

Ruh-roh. What's going on with him? Should I just delete his emails?

[naturegirl321]

I would suggest that you look through the emails and narrow them down to the schools that you like. Then email all of those and tell them how intersted you are in the school and the city, etc. But that you would like to be put in contact with two or three foreign teachers that are currently at their school.
You can learn a lot about the school through the teachers who work there. You'll also find that a lot of the schools that you email won't reply back to you, so scratch them off your list.
the best thing to do is to go to the school, if not the second best is to talk to teachers who are there now. Don't go without talking to one of the teachers!

[Asialiner]

I too was overwhelmed by the job offers. Working in a dying industry in a dying country, it sure made me feel good. However, when I started asking questions, the playing field narrowed down pretty quickly. You will see many warnings to stay away from agents, and I listened. State schools pay less, but I thought that would be a good place to start as most of the horror stories seem to come from higher paying schools which must have some private backing.

Someone warned me to speak with the foreign teachers before accepting any offer. Not easy. Schools gave me e-mail addresses, but few people wrote me back. When I came to China, I got a new e-mail address, and my spam filter would keep most people from getting to me. Also, our foreign affairs guy gives out our e-mail addresses without telling us, or even asking if we are using the same address. I found a post from the guy I replaced on another web site, and he told me to come.

Talking with the other teachers let me know if I should accept the job or not. One school sounded great, but a teacher said they don't have heat in the winter and it often snows. Another school claimed to promote friendships between faculty and students, but the two were not allowed to meet outside the classroom. One teacher said he had left the school months ago because they didn't pay him (yes, the school gave him as a reference), another said he was leaving as soon as his contract was up.

I make 3500 RMB a month. In a small Chinese town, it's enough to live on. The school offers money for a round trip airline ticket, but it wasn't enough to even fly from Texas to California, and they don't pay you until your year is up. You also get a small amount of traveling cash at the end of every term that I hope to use to get me home when I want to go.

I was promised a furnished apartment with everything I would need including TV and a soft bed. I found a box springs for my bed, broken wicker furniture, one cup, one plate, one soup bowl, one fork, you get the idea. I asked for the things I needed, but it didn't go anywhere, so I spent what cash I brought and made my place livable (dishes and a few chairs). I said to myself, "start up costs." If I took a job in any other city, I would have to furnish my new apartment. I also bought a motor bike so I could get around. Two pay checks later, and I'm comfortable. Sounds like some teachers would still be fighting for a second spoon, but I want to enjoy my stay, and yes, it will cost me to be here the first year. If I stay two years, I may break even.