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El Chupacabra
Joined: 22 Jul 2009
Posts: 378
Location: Kwangchow
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 Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2011 5:43 am Post subject: |
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| If you are physically in Guangzhou, just go to the campus and find the FAO. Then you can establish a relationship quicker than on the phone. |
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DosEquisX
Joined: 09 Dec 2010
Posts: 361
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| Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2011 5:46 am Post subject: |
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| El Chupacabra wrote: |
| If you are physically in Guangzhou, just go to the campus and find the FAO. Then you can establish a relationship quicker than on the phone. |
Sadly, I am teaching in Wuhan. |
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El Chupacabra
Joined: 22 Jul 2009
Posts: 378
Location: Kwangchow
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| Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2011 7:32 am Post subject: |
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| DosEquisX wrote: |
| Sadly, I am teaching in Wuhan. |
That's just a few hours on the high-speed train. And if you choose to fly, Guangzhou's airport is now connected to the Metro system. |
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DosEquisX
Joined: 09 Dec 2010
Posts: 361
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| Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2011 9:51 am Post subject: |
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Reason I haven't received a response is because the FAO is on vacation until December 2nd.
Not a good sign. Lets me know that the jobs have probably already been filled. |
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bluetortilla
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
Posts: 815
Location: Henan
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| Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2011 9:55 am Post subject: |
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| DosEquisX wrote: |
I got an offer from this university (same one as OP). But since then, I haven't heard a peep from them. Nobody answers the phone at the FAO and none of my e-mails have been answered.
I figure that the jobs available are already taken, but you'd think that there would be somebody answering the phone or somebody answering e-mails.
Shame because I really wanted it. |
Agencies do have their role. If they don't get people jobs, people won't go to them.
Having said that, though everything seems to be going fine, I'll be nervous till I have that visa in hand. |
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DosEquisX
Joined: 09 Dec 2010
Posts: 361
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| Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2011 10:07 am Post subject: |
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| bluetortilla wrote: |
Having said that, though everything seems to be going fine, I'll be nervous till I have that visa in hand. |
Pretty much the way I feel about it.
I'm still continuing to push for better offers and jobs. Worst case is that I take one of these dinky jobs for a semester then move on to something better. Seems that most unis do their hiring for the fall semester. So, there should be more jobs available then. |
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DosEquisX
Joined: 09 Dec 2010
Posts: 361
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| Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 4:34 am Post subject: |
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Well, I accepted the offer based on the agreed contract. However, the revised contract I negotiated included a "2 month probation", something that was not in the sample contract.
I called the FAO and a brief conversation clarified the situation (I will get paid, but I will have classes supervised during that time). But during the conversation, he said that I should pursue employment elsewhere because I have too many doubts about the position. While I had many questions about the contract and did haggle it a bit, I certainly don't think I deserved a response like that. I don't know if he was saying it to threaten me or if he interpreted my questions as me having legitimate doubts.
It is also said that I will have to apply for my work visa in America because there is not enough time to get it done in early January. I suppose he cannot do it in December. Can I trust this guy? Yeah, I'll give him the signed contract but the contract doesn't mean anything if he doesn't apply for the work permit. Leaving the country with no paperwork could lead to me getting screwed? Should I really pursue employment elsewhere? Decent jobs are drying up and I really wanted this one.
Seems like a stressful roller-coaster ride all the way. |
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bluetortilla
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
Posts: 815
Location: Henan
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| Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 3:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Seems to me that 'probation' is very common and probably nothing to fret over. |
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rogerwilco
Joined: 10 Jun 2010
Posts: 1549
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| Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 10:34 pm Post subject: |
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| bluetortilla wrote: |
| Seems to me that 'probation' is very common and probably nothing to fret over. |
Except the fact that "probation" includes a reduced salary during the first one to three months...... |
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Opiate
Joined: 10 Aug 2011
Posts: 630
Location: Qingdao
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| Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 11:05 pm Post subject: |
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| DosEquisX wrote: |
| he said that I should pursue employment elsewhere because I have too many doubts about the position. |
Find another job. I can almost promise you he will replace you if he has an opportunity to do so. |
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DosEquisX
Joined: 09 Dec 2010
Posts: 361
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| Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 11:23 pm Post subject: |
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| rogerwilco wrote: |
| bluetortilla wrote: |
| Seems to me that 'probation' is very common and probably nothing to fret over. |
Except the fact that "probation" includes a reduced salary during the first one to three months...... |
I asked him about that and he said that it didn't include a reduced salary. Then again, the specifics of what the probation actually meant was not directly written into the contract. It was just "2-month probation" under Party B's duties.
However, the fact that he only included it in the revised contract that I was supposed to sign rather than the original contract that I haggled over makes me think that he tried to slip that line past me. He probably figured that I wouldn't see it or if I did see it that I wouldn't care. After all, I was pretty heavily committed to the job and handed in practically all of the paperwork necessary to get the work permit.
To get so defensive over be asked to clarify a sudden, unexplained addition to the contract does not make the FAO look very professional.
| Opiate wrote: |
| DosEquisX wrote: |
| he said that I should pursue employment elsewhere because I have too many doubts about the position. |
Find another job. I can almost promise you he will replace you if he has an opportunity to do so. |
Probably true. I already have another interview lined up for next week for a uni which I am fairly interested in. It's not better than the Guangzhou position on paper, but maybe I'll get a better vibe from the FAO there.
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In short, the word from my personal experience is that this FAO isn't the most honest and responsible guy out there. If he was willing to deceive me about my contract, then what else would he be willing to cheat me out of it if I did sign the contract?
Thanks for the advice guys. It's greatly appreciated  |
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bluetortilla
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
Posts: 815
Location: Henan
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| Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 1:19 am Post subject: |
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| DosEquisX wrote: |
In short, the word from my personal experience is that this FAO isn't the most honest and responsible guy out there. If he was willing to deceive me about my contract, then what else would he be willing to cheat me out of it if I did sign the contract?
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I was offered a job with the same conditions, but when I pointed it out, they said the pay during probation would be the same in the final contract, just as your FAO did, so again I think it might be a common clause. That being said, my FAO was truly nice and although I didn't take the job, that wasn't the reason,
But if your instincts are telling you that the person in charge is as you say he is, I sure wouldn't take the job. Even if he's on the up and up, you'll have to deal with a sourpuss for at least a year.
There are still lots of opportunities for a uni job in China! So far, I've been quite lucky in that the people I've dealt with have all been pleasant. Hope that doesn't change when work starts! D : |
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DosEquisX
Joined: 09 Dec 2010
Posts: 361
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| Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 6:48 am Post subject: |
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The guy was on a 2-week vacation in Japan between the time he informally offered me the position via e-mail and when we were haggling a bit over the contract. One of the foreign teachers there confirmed it. I didn't know this at the time and was disappointed at the lack of communication. I have to wonder if they found somebody else during those 2 weeks.
Now, I am told that my visa will not be processed until I arrive in Guangzhou in March. That doesn't make sense. I thought visas were processed at a Chinese Embassy in your native country for a processing fee if you are not legally in China. This leads me to assume that he will try and hold onto the necessary paperwork until March. Of course, this makes coming back into China completely impossible. Is this ignorance of the visa process or is he misusing the word 'processed' in this context?
I also need a letter written by my uni stating that I did finish the contract to obtain my residence permit. Is this SOP or is he using this as a way to stall the paperwork process? My contract ends on January 30th which is long after the winter vacation starts.
Seems like a bit too drama for getting a job. I didn't have these problems when getting my paperwork from overseas for my first job. I thought obtaining the paperwork from within was supposed to be easier than from overseas. |
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bluetortilla
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
Posts: 815
Location: Henan
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| Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 8:32 am Post subject: |
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| DosEquisX wrote: |
Now, I am told that my visa will not be processed until I arrive in Guangzhou in March. That doesn't make sense. I thought visas were processed at a Chinese Embassy in your native country for a processing fee if you are not legally in China. |
I wouldn't hop on a plane without either the proper paperwork or lots of cash to live on in case something went wrong. I'm definitely getting my visa here at the Chinese Consulate in Fukuoka, Japan. The paperwork (Working Permit and Invitation) is in the mail.
This is how it is supposed to go as far as I've learned. |
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DosEquisX
Joined: 09 Dec 2010
Posts: 361
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| Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 6:20 am Post subject: |
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Yeah, I'm definitely not doing that. He already tried to pull a fast one on me by slipping in that 2-week probation thing. He lambasts me for asking about it and shortly afterwards says I have to go back to America without any paperwork in hand.
Don't think so. Might keep him hanging around, but otherwise I'm moving on. I'm pretty disappointed, but life goes on. |
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