Job Discussion Forums

[Shroob]

I don't know about Anhui being better for allergies, I've just got an email back from a teacher who worked there for 3 years. They say that they seldom saw a blue sky, due to the coal/mining industries of the city. Another person in Xi'an said they had to give up jogging due to the pollution. Jiangsu seems the least polluted out of the three.

I thought the training course should be free, I'll try and have another word with them about that. Apparently it's some sort of 'certificate' though as I have a CELTA it's not like I don't have any qualifications.

[dean_a_jones]

[Shroob]

[mnguy29]

Hands down the state school in Jiaxing!!(I think this is what you mean?)
I have been in China teaching for three years now and I would never work for a private school again. Honestly, I have not heard much good about EF in any city. I would NEVER accept shared accomodation! And 6000 is NOT enough to teach that many classes.

I have been to Jiaxing a few times and it seemed ok. Close to Hangzhou which is a very nice place. I even ate at the Papa Jons pizza and met a couple foreigners while there.

If you decided already, which did you choose??

[Shroob]

I decided on the state school.....But, the 'interview' was a fiasco, it wasn't the school who I actually talked to. Turns out it was some recruiter who said something along the lines of, 'We can offer you the school job, but you can't talk to them, or you can work for us in our language school, it's very good, you should come here and teach for us.' Needless to say that was a let down and I didn't pursue it.

Since then I have been concentrating on university jobs, I've got offers from a few and I am going to sit down and decide by tonight. The offers are:

Yancheng Institute of Technology
5,000RMB
12-14 "hours" (no more than 16 max)
Private acc. - however I'll need to take a bus (provided) to the campus.

Hunan Xiangtan University of Science
4,000 RMB
16 "hours" (45 min periods)
Private acc. on campus

Jiangsu University
4,000RMB
16 "hours" (45 min periods)
Private acc. -shared kitchen/utility room.

Those are the offers on the table - so like before, any advice will be appreciated.

I have come up against a stumbling block with regards to the medical form. I took it to the hospital yesterday and they had never seen anything like it. I don't know how much they will charge me to have it done. However, one recruiter, who seems a decent bloke (for Hunan Xiangtan) said that the ECG and X-Ray is not necessary. Only the AIDS test and the rest of it is. What are your experience/opinions are to this?

Thanks again, I'll let you know what I decide.

[Non Sequitur]

Salary and hours are as expected for unis in state sector.
Single occupancy, self contained on campus accom is best.
Off campus poses question 'Where do you hang out if you teach say 8 to 10 and then not again until 2 or 4?' Not many favourable reports of shared accom on this site methinks. And what's the commute time to and from?
That's part of your day too.
Paid winter holiday (Chinese NY)?
Travel allowance?
These would sway me one way or t'other.

[mnguy29]

Well, I dont know much about any of them. If I had to choose based simply on what you listed here, I would choose the Uni in Yancheng. The main reason is it sounds like the housing is single and off-campus. I have lived on campus before and did not enjoy it at all. You have no choice in internet so its slow and lousy, you have to go through the damn gates with guards every time you come and go and have to wake them late at night, maybe have no english tv channels, and just a general lack of privacy. I would never live on campus again. I work for a Uni now and have chosen to give up their free on campus room to rent my own apartment in the heart of the city. I will do extra tutoring to pay for it. It is worth it!

[Shroob]

Sorry, I should have said that all pay the Winter Holiday and all provide 1,100RMB travel allowance per semester.

EDIT: What are your opinions on the medical? It will cost a fair bit for the x-ray and ECG, but one says they aren't needed it's just the basic bits I need doing.

[dean_a_jones]

[Shroob]

[Non Sequitur]

Back to travel. The level mentioned by OP is good but not that unusual.
I'm more interested in what's on the table to refund or help with international travel.
The figure should be around 10000RMB.
That's 5/6 week pay equivalent.

[Shroob]

[Non Sequitur]

Sorry to harp on the airfare thing but schools have been known to conjure up a fare they could buy on Borat Air via Kazakhstan or something.
Prefer they refund the face price of your ticket but a set amount is better ie 10000 after one year.

[rogerwilco]

My first job in China was in Anhui, and it was so polluted I could not see the sun for the first 3 months. I have no desire to ever return to Anhui.

I would refuse to sign any contract that does not state the exact amount to be paid for airfare. Too many schools will try to play games with an airfare reimbursement.

[mrwslee003]

I agree, insist that exact amount be stated for return airfare, or any
other benefits for that matter.

Anything NOT exact is subject to their whims and you know and I
know whims change by the second. Doesn`t matter whose whims
it is.

Understand that this has been part of their ``culture``, the authorities`
way of changing the rules when it fits their agenda. That is why
rule of law is so hard to implement or enforce now. Mind you this has
been part of the ``peasantry`` history. Illiteracy was rampant therefore
what was the point of having things in writing when most didn`t know
how to read.

Thus we have had the exploitation of the have over the have not (literacy)! And the old habits continue...... It needs greater efforts
on their part to reverse the trend by changing the mind set.