Job Discussion Forums

[Shroob]

Hello everyone,

At the moment I am trying to weigh up job options and I would be thankful for your thoughts/suggestions on the following.

English First (Xian)
24 lessons (40 mins).
6000 RMB av.
Shared accommodation - teachers pay utilities.
12 national holidays + 10 paid.

State school (Zhejiang Jiaxng high school)
20 lessons (40 minutes)
6000 to 7000 RMB
Single accommodation - utilities paid by school.
National holidays + 2 weeks paid.

English First (Hangzhou)
20 lessons (40 minutes)
6000-7000 RMB.
Shared housing - teachers pay utilities.
12 national holidays + 10 paid.

There is also a possiblity of working for EF at Chongqing.
20 lessons (40 minutes)
6000-7000 RMB.
Shared housing - teacher pays utilities.
12 national holidays + 10 paid.

Finally would you prefer to teach in a state school or in a language institution? What are the main differences?
Another quick question - does being SAFEA approved mean anything? Or is it a token certification?

Thank you for your advice and suggestions.

Thanks for any advice/input you may have.

[7969]

[Shroob]

Thank you for the links.

I would prefer a university position, however I haven't seen many advertised, those that I have applied to haven't got back. One person said I was too young (22) and I haven't any previous paid experience.

[7969]

A lot of the info in those links still applies whether its a state high school or a state university. The two are not totally dis-similar.

[Sinko]

This is a no brainer. The Jiaxing High School hands down!. Own accom, no "office" time, many other days off for sports day, exams and extra periods to study for exams. It probably eats into your final month (i.e. if your classes finish on the 12th June, you will be paid the full month, as I can tell you from my experience). You will also have a better Foreign Affairs office in a high school (although not great in many places) and the private enterprises like EF tend to rip you off more to get the extra Yuan for themselves.

[Shroob]

I am leaning towards that one also, however it may not be possible due to inoculations. I'm due to finish them on the 17th September, they may need someone for the start of September.

I'm having:
Rabies, Japanese encephalitis and cholera. The cholera is one sachet, Jap. Encap. is 2 doses and rabies is 3 doses (0 days, 7 days and 28 days).

I have the 'common' ones due to travel earlier this year. At least it gives me time for the visa/other issues to be sorted.

On a related note, how easy is it to find a reputable hospital/clinic in China, I will need a Hep. A+B booster sometime in the new year.

Thanks again.

[rogerwilco]

I would never agree to shared housing.
Your problems with other FT's can be much worse than problems with
any Chinese person.

[Sinko]

I thought you could do all your innoculations in China, including the 3 you mentioned. I did my Heps in a "bush town" in my first year here. Man, it was cheap!! I'm sure you could do the same in any major hospital in Jiaxing.
Also, you could negotiate with your school about a late arrival. They may get you to do extra classes to suit their timetable. It shouldn't be a big problem for you - maybe do an extra 2 classes a week for a couple of months. No big deal. You could try and avoid this as they might be desperate to get someone and will eventually waive that. In fact, push for that!
Do your best to get the High School. Forget EF!!!

[askiptochina]

You only seem to have posted English First positions and a high school one. This is like asking, "Should I eat breakfast or dessert?"

If you want an EF job, then it boils down to location. Read up on the locations in China and decide where you want to live.

Personally, I don't like the idea of an EF job. So, the only choice is the high school one, regardless of housing arrangements.

[Miajiayou]

I knew a lot of EF folks in Xi'an. Most seemed happy. I would never agree to shared accommodation, however. I've known more than a few people who had thei