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hewlett77
Joined: 17 Dec 2009
Posts: 95
Location: all over China
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 Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 5:12 am Post subject: no work in shenzhen, maybe time to pack it in |
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| No work in Shenzhen. Seems I'm not wanted here anymore. All I have now is one private student paying me 200rmb for one class a week. Maybe I need to head to North korea. Got nothing back in my home country. Not much to look forward to. But hey I gave it my best shot. 6 years in all. |
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The Ever-changing Cleric
Joined: 19 Feb 2009
Posts: 1523
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| Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 5:19 am Post subject: |
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| lots of other work available in other places. good luck. |
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bradley
Joined: 28 Mar 2005
Posts: 235
Location: China
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| Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 5:50 am Post subject: |
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| Have you checked the ads at shenzhenparty? |
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Teatime of Soul
Joined: 12 Apr 2007
Posts: 905
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| Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 12:17 pm Post subject: |
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| What is your visa status? |
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hot_water_hillbilly
Joined: 10 Oct 2008
Posts: 97
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| Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 1:48 pm Post subject: |
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| China is not exactly a small country nor is there a lack of jobs available to us. |
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evolving81
Joined: 04 May 2009
Posts: 135
Location: Tampa
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| Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 1:55 pm Post subject: |
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| I was under the impression that there are a lot of jobs to be had in China... |
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hewlett77
Joined: 17 Dec 2009
Posts: 95
Location: all over China
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| Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 4:28 pm Post subject: |
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| Currently on an L visa, not a good idea working on one here in Shenzhen but I have no choice as from what I have heard from many employers around town a degree is a must here. Just starting out with Hampson English School tomorrow. The deal is that you teach students one on one, and paid 200rmb per lesson. They say they can give me 25 hours a week but I have yet to see any results of that as I signed up with them 4 days ago. I have a lot of trouble getting along with Chinese management so it's not getting any easier for me to work in China. I've seriously thought about maybe setting up a small tutoring service but need a Chinese partner who could help me bring in the students and work with me. This is one of my current ideas. I'm planning to advertise over the weekend through Shenzhen party looking for help and ideas. English Schools in my view should be set up by forigners, and teaching programs and course done by Teaching professionals from English speaking countries. |
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Zero
Joined: 08 Sep 2004
Posts: 1402
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| Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 5:35 pm Post subject: |
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| If the job market really is that tight, another option for making a living is an idea my cousin had. On trash day, drive around town picking up discarded furniture from the curb. Take it home, repair it and refinish it, then sell it from your garage. |
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drjtrekker
Joined: 16 Feb 2008
Posts: 251
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| Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 12:10 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Seems I'm not wanted here anymore |
I think ur right. Good luck.
One Last hope, link up with Cubster...he might be able to help.
trek |
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LanGuTou
Joined: 23 Mar 2009
Posts: 621
Location: Shandong
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| Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 12:52 am Post subject: |
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| hewlett77 wrote: |
| I have a lot of trouble getting along with Chinese management so it's not getting any easier for me to work in China. |
Why is that?
Is it because they are mean people who prefer teachers with degree certificates?
Is it because they invite you to demo classes but, in your words, show you the door?
You are right about thing. It is not a good idea to teach in China with a L visa and no job. I don't know anything about Hampson English School but it seems as though they have you on a flexible contract teaching private classes when available. Hampson are paying you 200 rmb per hour after they have taken their cut. These students (or their parents) must be paying serious money for lessons provided by qualified and experienced foreign teaching professionals.
You have no degree, cannot get a legitimate job with Chinese employers and, from what you said in another thread, it would be difficult for you in your own country if you have to return. Do you think that is the type of person that these people who could be paying circa 400 rmb per hour for tutoring want?
Your final proposal of opening a freelance school or in partnership with a Chinese national frankly sickens me. I say that because you are not in a position to register and run a legitimate school in China. Your only option is to carry on using a L visa and doing illegal private tutoring. I guess by living in Shenzhen there are plenty of wealthy people that cannot distinguish the level of your teaching prowess and will pay you simply because you are a "native speaker". You are also close enough to HK to renew your visa each time it expires.
Why does it sicken me?
You are not qualified to provide the service that you are offering and not in a position to do so legally. It would be a kind of scam like cowboys who have rudimentary knowledge of electrical matters and go around offering to do rewiring jobs on the cheap. At least you cannot kill somebody with your substandard service but the underlying principle is the same.
Furthermore, I have experienced the hassle and cost of registering a business legally in China. The costs of running the business have to be factored into the professional fees that you charge.
It is no fun as a legitimate business person in China when people can undercut your price because they have not paid business registration costs, do not have to pay for professional support such as accountants and do not pay tax. I chose to do everything correctly and legitimately but I am faced with competitors who come here with a L visa, pay no taxes, work from a hotel room and can, thus, undercut my fees.
If you partner with a Chinese national in your scheme, you are likely to be deceived and cheated on several occasions but please do not complain to others on forums such as this. If you do that, you will have brought it on yourself.
I am sorry to be so frank on the matter but there are just too many people trying to make a legitimate living in China to be bothered with those that are unable to do so. |
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Zero
Joined: 08 Sep 2004
Posts: 1402
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| Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 1:57 am Post subject: |
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| Another option could be to offer to do odd jobs that they are too busy or too aged to do themselves. There are always people who need work down around the house such as painting, minor repairs, raking leaves, mowing grass or shoveling snow. You can even offer to do light cleaning. You can usually do these under the table for cash. |
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Silent Shadow
Joined: 18 Oct 2007
Posts: 380
Location: A stones throw past the back of beyond
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| Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 2:12 am Post subject: |
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| LanGuTou wrote: |
| hewlett77 wrote: |
| I have a lot of trouble getting along with Chinese management so it's not getting any easier for me to work in China. |
Why is that?
Is it because they are mean people who prefer teachers with degree certificates?
Is it because they invite you to demo classes but, in your words, show you the door?
You are right about thing. It is not a good idea to teach in China with a L visa and no job. I don't know anything about Hampson English School but it seems as though they have you on a flexible contract teaching private classes when available. Hampson are paying you 200 rmb per hour after they have taken their cut. These students (or their parents) must be paying serious money for lessons provided by qualified and experienced foreign teaching professionals.
You have no degree, cannot get a legitimate job with Chinese employers and, from what you said in another thread, it would be difficult for you in your own country if you have to return. Do you think that is the type of person that these people who could be paying circa 400 rmb per hour for tutoring want?
Your final proposal of opening a freelance school or in partnership with a Chinese national frankly sickens me. I say that because you are not in a position to register and run a legitimate school in China. Your only option is to carry on using a L visa and doing illegal private tutoring. I guess by living in Shenzhen there are plenty of wealthy people that cannot distinguish the level of your teaching prowess and will pay you simply because you are a "native speaker". You are also close enough to HK to renew your visa each time it expires.
Why does it sicken me?
You are not qualified to provide the service that you are offering and not in a position to do so legally. It would be a kind of scam like cowboys who have rudimentary knowledge of electrical matters and go around offering to do rewiring jobs on the cheap. At least you cannot kill somebody with your substandard service but the underlying principle is the same.
Furthermore, I have experienced the hassle and cost of registering a business legally in China. The costs of running the business have to be factored into the professional fees that you charge.
It is no fun as a legitimate business person in China when people can undercut your price because they have not paid business registration costs, do not have to pay for professional support such as accountants and pay tax legimately and fairly. I chose to do everything correctly and legitimately but I am faced with competitors who come here with a L visa, pay no taxes, work from a hotel room and can, thus, undercut my fees.
If you partner with a Chinese national in your scheme, you are likely to be deceived and cheated on several occasions but please do not complain to others on forums such as this. If you do that, you will have brought it on yourself.
I am sorry to be so frank on the matter but there are just too many people trying to make a legitimate living in China to be bothered with those that are unable to do so. |
Be fair Langutou.
Since when has not being qualified, stopped endless Chinese citizens opening English schools, and employing foreigners with no qualifications? A lot, if not most private English language training in China is a scam. Two wrongs don't make a right, agreed, but just because Hewlett doesn't have a degree, it doesn't make him less qualified than your average Joe who comes over here and is able to get a job in a university with a degree in basket weaving.
The only reason most Chinese school leaders require a degree is because it's a government requirement. "Are you alive?" "Do you have a degree?". "Ok, come on over". Chinese customers generally don't have any inhibitions in handing over hordes of their hard earned cash to shoddy, illegal Chinese owned English schools, so why would they suddenly bristle about doing likewise at such an enterprise owned by Hewlett? The type of person that your average Chinese 400 RMB customer is looking for, is young, beautiful and entertaining. Nothing more! Those are the qualifications! We are talking about EFL here.
If Hewlett wants to start a school, and is able to circumvent the "high" level qualification requirements needed to do so, then all power to him. Remember, it's the Chinese who make the law here, and it's also the Chinese who bend the requirements to suit their purposes (which in the EFL world is to make loads of money). Just because the guy doesn't have a degree, it doesn't automatically mean that he will do any worse a job than most of the small private language schools in China. He may in fact, do a better job!
The true crimes being perpetrated by those in the EFL business in China is not by those who are illegal or don't have the qualifications, it's by those who don't care about providing a decent service, and just want to cheat their customers and employees. Some claim that those things come hand in hand, but they don't. There are many legally qualified FTs in China who couldn't give a rat's about quality teaching or their students! Likewise, many FTs who are teaching illegally, are very responsible in the classroom.
I do respect you, in doing things legally, and I believe that you're correct to do so. Your business is not EFL, so Hewlett can't undercut you anyway. Besides, the EFL market is much more fluid. I just think that you're being unnecessarily harsh with him
Last edited by Silent Shadow on Sat Jun 26, 2010 9:28 am; edited 2 times in total |
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Zero
Joined: 08 Sep 2004
Posts: 1402
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| Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 5:07 am Post subject: |
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| The question is whether someone who can't get it together to the point of maintaining regular employment in China is going to have any chance of making it in China as, essentially, an entrepreneur. I'm inclined to think not. This takes an extraordinarily high level of savvy, aptitude, adaptability and interpersonal communication skills. The inability to get along with Chinese bosses is a bad sign already. Business in China weeds out the cans from the cannots in very short order. |
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corij
Joined: 03 Dec 2009
Posts: 26
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| Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 7:52 am Post subject: |
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what would stop HEWLETT just putting out ads for his new school ? and starting straight away , no registration or any formalities. surely once up and running with client base he could spend a little registering,if its necessary
long as he has a chinese friend to word his ads correctly he surely can start now
go for it fellah ,i say |
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hewlett77
Joined: 17 Dec 2009
Posts: 95
Location: all over China
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| Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 10:21 am Post subject: |
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| Put it this way. Once I�m working full time again or getting enough privates I will undertake online study with the Hmong Kong open university, if not this year at least next year. So meanwhile I will brush up on my grammar and teaching skills. I�m not a perfect human being by any means. There are times like now I just want to give it all up but I keep getting up and try try again. At least I have the courage to speak about my issues with complete strangers and to face my own responsibilities. China needs people people like myself to motivate them to not give up learning English. It�s the only way Chinese people can really hopefully one day fully open up and appreciate other countries peoples and cultures and learn to work along side us, not to try and be better than other people. If I have that chance to run a school in China with help from other people, I do it to benefit other people. Not just for myself. If you don�t know me so well you should look me up on face book and get to know me a little better. |
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