Job Discussion Forums

[Son of Bud Powell]

The OP raises a good question about moving out of his abode.

At one school where I taught, the #@!$!! FAO required everyone to leave campus and check into a hotel for the summer (at the FT's expense). That was sprung on us two weeks before the end of the spring term, and a lot of us came in during the spring term, so we were quite surprised. It wasn't in our contracts.Those who didn't leave right then were given the boot as soon as their grades were turned in.

Ask if you are even allowed to remain in your school-provided apartment during the summer. Energy and water consumption is a major consideration for public schools.

1. Does the employer usually pay for your visa?

No. You are sent a letter of invitation which you send to your jurisdictional Chinese consulate along with your other required documents (health examination, degree, etc.). You pay for the visa. The school should pay for your Chinese health check and your residence permit.

2. What are newly hired teachers usually required to pay for? (flights, health checks, visas, work permits etc)

Check your contract. If it pays only for your return flight (to your home country and usually nowhere else) make sure that your compensation is either by ticket or enough money to pay for the ticket. (And make it clear that that the school MUST help you buy the ticket). I work only for public universities. I avoid any school that does not offer round trip airfare. You pay for your in-country health check and your visa. Even if you are compensated for your flight in, you must pay for it up-front, then wait for reimbursement.



3. Are the jobs with a provided apartment more desirable than those without?

Not necessarily. Avoid jobs that offer "efficiency" apartments. My experience is that they are one-room hovels converted from student dorms. Ask about TV, who pays for utilities, internet.

My experience with real apartments supplied by the school has run the gamut. I've stayed in apartments that were very nice with upholstered sofas. Some have been just so-so. The "efficiency" was more like a jail cell. (There was even a jail-like barred door that could be closed and locked with a slight push to lock the teachers in. That was supposedly for our "protection". Had there been a fire and if someone just pushed the barred door closed, we'd have fried, There were bars on every window and no exit. I jammed the lock on the jail cell door so it could not latch).

My bed in the "efficiency" was a step above a lawn chair.

Others can tell you about schools that require you to find your own apartment. (You may need to pay a security deposit and several months' rent up-front).

Good luck and keep asking questions. If you don't ask, you can't know.

[Non Sequitur]

'I expect' and 'I am entitled'.
Isn't the huge amount of traffic on this site, testament to the fact that these a meaningless concepts in China?

[fchris171]

Well I said I would come back and let you know if I got the holiday pay or not.

Summer holiday pay felt like a total brick wall when I mentioned it in a meeting with the head. However, they do really like me so I managed to negotiate a nice pay rise to cover a big chunk of it.

[zacharybilton]

This falls under the poor business skills of "teachers." People come here with this "oh, I'm white and important as a foreigner" so they'll give me everything I think I should get, rather than having good business and contract negotiation/documentation ability/skill. The statement on "expect" versus "entitled" are hugely different things, and correct. There is very little that law entitles anyone to.

[zacharybilton]

[zacharybilton]

[bestteacher2012]