Job Discussion Forums

[nycguy2011]

i have a bfa from a good university and a TESOL certificate. the school where i got my certificate is connected with placement agencies in china. i need to tell them what i am looking for. any help would be appreciated.

my school director said that 8000rmb/month is normal with accommodation but i am seeing jobs for 16000 on the job board. for those of you who have already been through it, if you could do it over again, what salary/requirements would you ask for on your first 1-year contract?

thank-you very much for your help

[nickpellatt]

Whats a BFA? And what type of TEFL qualification do you have? Im asking this out of curiosity more than anything else TBH. I do think that anything less than a Trinity/CELTA adds zero value in terms of salary...and Trinity/CELTA only really employability rather than salary increases.

I personally think it needs to be a minimum of DELTA or MA TESOL before any increase can be successfully negotiated.

What I did want to say though, is that this question is just too open-ended when it refers to salary only. There is so much diversity in China for EFL teachers that I dont really think there is a 'one size fits all' minimum salary package.

IMO - Apply for a job at a vocational college somewhere in the sticks that will offer you a 12 classes a week contract and ask for 6500 RMB a month is likely to get you laughed at. And rightly so IMO.

Apply for a job teaching Kindy in a major city, working 25 hours a week including weekends for 6500 a month would be selling yourself majorly short.

I dont think many people on the forums and in China earn 16,000 a month. And those that do probably dont do it from a single job, and didnt do it from their first job. I would disregard those adverts from having any real bearing on what you are likely to be earning TBH.

I feel the best thing to do is decide on a region/city that would interest you, decide on the type of work you would like to do...and then see what similar people in similar jobs in that region earn.

[askiptochina]

Your salary depends on location and type of job.

University jobs are about 4,500 and require the least teaching, about 14 classes.

Adult training schools and kindergarten schools pay more, but require more. You're looking at 40 hours with 25 teaching, 15 office hours. The salary is about 10,000 in big cities and 6-8,000 in smaller cities.

If you have training, then you can try to ask for more based on the starting salary. Also take into account some of these may or may not include housing.

Instead of asking us, it is to your advantage to find schools that offer the most for what you want and give housing.

[nycguy2011]

[nickpellatt]

I dont have an MA so not speaking from experience....forum chatter suggests many MA holders end up with something like 500 RMB more per month!

Sorry though, no experience in ShangHai....big cities are my idea of China Hell!

Again, just from reading forums...ShangHai jobs do pay the higher end, or can pay the higher end salaries...living can be expensive though from what Ive seen. Hopefully those with SH experience can pop in sooner or later and advise you!

[Non Sequitur]

I know the search facility on Dave�s isn�t reliable but if you can get it to work search on �package�.

There are so many variables around hours, accommodation, airfare refund etc.

That said, I feel that the 16K you mention is achievable probably only at international schools and to get those you need to be a career teacher with experience and registration.

You do not seem to fit that category.

Uni and vocational schools seem to have done most of their hiring for Sept start but even so as another poster has mentioned, they will be paying 4500 to 5500 pm plus on campus accommodation and airfare deal for no more than 20x45 min teaching hours pw.

Eating at subsidised teacher cafeterias on campus also adds benefit, as is arranging to have either Monday or Friday free.

Having all oral or all writing classes cuts down prep time as you can use the same lesson plan for all classes in a week.

Watch multi-site deals where you do an hour or more unpaid commute at lunchtime to get from one high school to another.

If you want to have either a nice one year China exp or set yourself up for moving on after a year, try a provincial level college in a nice coastal location for 5000RMB pm.

Find out if you can teach and enjoy it, plus get through the �wall� we all hit after 3m and feel as if you�re adding value. Get around the FAOs of more prestigious schools in your area and see what they can offer.

Then after a year you can go home, move school in the same city or other scenario. Any of all of which MAY get you nearer the 16K you mention.

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

I would simply ask for a higher salary and better living conditions.

If they tell me the BS line (lies) about China being so 'cheap', I'd ask them why shouldn't I go to Japan or Taiwan or Korea or Beijing or Shanghai where the salaries are much higher and costs comparable.

[Happy Everyday]

...

[Miles Smiles]

Eight-to-sixteen rmb per month on a Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree?

You ARE kidding, right? Have you done any home work on your own? Do you have any idea of the going rate across China?

No hard feelings, but you're being quite unrealistic. You don't even mention any experience.

If, for some reason, you ARE worth that kind of shekel, you've gotten a very late start in your job search. Our school just eighty-sixed someone with your credentials after a year of floundering.

[Bisis]

It really depends on what your goals are while your in China. If you want to make/save all the money you can take a job a private English language training center. The pay is higher with less vacation time.

The University and public school jobs pay less with more vacation time and often include housing.

You didn't mention any experience, in my experience 1 year+ can easily land you a job paying 14K/month in a capital city. 2 years+ can get you 16,000. But keep in mind, they don't pay you for standing around, the more they pay, the more you work.

Also remember that living expenses in capital cities (Shanghai, Beijing) are 30 - 40% higher than smaller outlying cities.

So, your options are, do you want to work with kids or adults, work daytime weekdays or evening and weekends, vacation time, paid housing, big city or small city. Tell your placement agency what if any of those are really important to you and then make sure they send you a few options so you can compare.