Job Discussion Forums

[bluetortilla]

Which is better in your opinion, government or private work?

[Shroob]

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

I agree with Shroob. Depends on your own personal background and lifestyle and needs.

I'm approaching middle-age (yikes!), married and have two daughters to look after. I'm actually getting ready for LAC (Life After China)...

[igorG]

My observation is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to make a difference in between a "government" and "private" employer. To add to the confusion, you may work for a "private school" with ownership links to the government or public school with the ownership links to some business people. Most of the time, however, your employer will have connections to the government one way or another.

The best "private work" to me is the one that you don't have an employer.

[bluetortilla]

It sounds like things are changing, but I was under the impression that government work offered distinct advantages, none of which I consider 'lounging around playing guitar,' as I read in another thread.
It seemed to me that 1, you have a lot more (or total) control over your syllabus and curriculum and 2, shorter working hours give you a lot of time to pursue private lessons. Am I under the wrong impression here?
Also it seems that government jobs offer good perks like fully furnished housing and longer vacations.
I'm a complete newbie to China, but if there's any truth at all to the above, I'd go for the government job for more job satisfaction and to make more money in the long run, although I could see someone doing it as well to have a lot of free time to enjoy China.

[Shroob]

With uni jobs (or schools sometimes), you generally have more free time. Although it's in a lot of contracts I've seen that you can't do outside work, it's often a token piece. For example the uni where I'm heading it's in the contract I won't do any work unless I get permission from the employer, however all the other foreign teachers there have all told me they do outside classes and it's not a problem. It all depends on the relationship you have with your employer.

I also know of a friend who uses the uni purely for the visa. He turns up, does the job required and goes and teaches in the nearby town for the majority of the time.

Private jobs aren't all bad. It's often where the money is and the conditions vary from employer to employer, lots do offer accommodation. However, from my experience as a newbie looking for a job, most offered shared accommodation. Which may or may not be a plus depending on how you view it.

[Baozi man]

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