Job Discussion Forums

[OhBudPowellWhereArtThou]

How much should we do for free?

Nothing. Zero. Zip. Nada.

Professionals don't work for free. Will Dr. Wu fill a cavity for free? Will the hospital treat you for free? Will a cab driver give you a free ride (if he stops at all)?

I'll make a token assessment for free if it will advance good will.

I'll spend time with a Chinese teacher's kid if we have a friendly relationship. In such cases, both parties benefit.

Free English Corners?

Nope.

Free tutoring?

Nope.

Extra work passed along to me by the FAO?

Nope. I took on the awful job of trying to straighten out the Chinglish produced by the city FAO for its English version of its fiscal report. That's a whole week of evenings that I'll never get back. I didn't even get the promised dinner afterward.

Accepting assignments that don't pay merely sets the next FT for more of the same.

I WILL judge occasional English contests for free, and I'll coach a drama team for a presentation as long as it doesn't take up too much of my time. This sort of thing is expected of instructors at American colleges and universities. These activities promote good will and helps to bring the teachers a small step closer to the school.

But last-minute requests to give a two-hour lecture about Western society for English week? Nope. Something like that requires research (no matter how narrow the actual subject). Again, accepting that sort of thing merely sets up the next FT who comes along for more of the same.

No pay? No play.

[LarssonCrew]

Good points. One thing that gets me is that most of the Chinese teachers who teach English that I knew in China made a fortune from the things most people here are saying are done for free.

Tutoring a high ranking official how to pronunce something correctly would either get them paid well OR they would get a load of expensive gifts OR they would be in a powerful position to ask for a guanxi bomb later on, maybe a boost up in promotion or getting out of dodge quickly with the help.

Going and judging a contest was one way that my Chinese friends could 'boost' their earnings, some of them would get 500 basic for 2 hours plus a load of extras like a travel fee etc.

Another friend of mine worked at the tax office and 'visiting' businesses to 'help assess' would also come with a '300 rmb transport fee' even if it was only 2 RMB on the subway.

My friend would go along on the subway, basically say he couldn't help so that the person would then be forced to go to my friends superior[note...red envelopes] and then my friend would spend his day in starbucks with 300 in his pocket PLUS any 'bonuses' for his work.

Teaching a rich guys daughter?That'll be 300 rmb an hour for decent Chinese teachers, not free.

Helping with a brochure produced by a construction company? That's money in the bank, not to be done for free.

My friend made 15,000 advising on the name of a new type of product, it took him 20 minutes with a thesaurus.

[Non Sequitur]

I understand that Chinese teachers run summer schools for their own students - for cash natch.
I would need a Chinese business partner to hustle the money as I'm not good at that.

[rogerwilco]

[rogerwilco]

Chinese teachers often complain about the many meetings that they must attend, but, they do get paid for attending those meetings.

Also, Chinese university teachers often complaiin about FT's having a higher salary, but they never mention the fact that many Chinese teachers only have about 10 classes a week, and also receive many benefits that we never receive.

Don''t let the false claims of our having higher salaries allow them to manipulate you into doing things for free.

[donkeydonkey]

To be honest, I shoot from the hip on these types of things. It depends on my relationship with the person asking. A couple of Chinese English teachers have gone to bat for me over the years. They pretty much get what they want from me. Some students have payed it forward and I reciprocate. I kind of see this as me playing the Chinese game. You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. If a student wants help for their English song, speech, whatever competition then they will be my unpaid tour guide of their home town for example. Editing the university marketing materials? 300 rmb an hour and if they ask me last minute I refuse and give them a speech about how I would love to do it, but last minutes things are difficult. I think the trick is to draw the line where you feel it is comfortable.

[robbgrbb]

Over a two year period, I was often manoeuvred into 'guest appearances' of one kind or another, to promote a new school etc, although usually a meal was offered as the sweetener. I bacame accustomed to waiting for the 'catch' as the fairly ghastly banquet' continued. Eventually, I decided that I would just say 'let's forget the banquet - each appearance is RMB 100'. They all understood perfectly!

[twowheel]

[Markness]

[Guerciotti]

[LarssonCrew]

Some things are so cringeworthy for this.

So after my Visa bad news, it turns out that the Visa was granted anyway.

I start on the 1st, I had planned to arrive in the city on the 29th, three days before, to get settled in. I know China, I know the cities. You've got your shit sports clothing brands, some shitty Oppo store then dirty noodle shops and chao cai places with a muslim lan zhou thrown in.

I therefore had planned on leaving on the 22nd and having a week in Xi'an and Beijing to meet my friends and pick up some stuff I left behind.

But the school now say I need to be there on the 20th of August for 'training and lesson planning for the next year.'

Do you think I will be paid for those 10 days? It's essentially 6,000 of salary I'm out.

Might say, because my contract starts on the 1st of Sep I'll see you on the 29th.

I worked at an int school and we worked one day in August [a meeting and trying to sort out schedules] and got the full months pay for it.

[LarssonCrew]

Another thing, which Chinese don't seem to get is, if I'm in a cafe/restaurant and I look shattered and I'm just drinking a coffee or wolfing food down or just sitting staring at the window, it's because:

a)I'm on my lunch break/15 minute morning break and I need coffee
b)I'm finished with work and I need to get away from it and I don't fancy shooting zombies in COD just yet.

Why then, would I GIVE UP THAT PRECIOUS TIME, to do the same thing I was getting paid for, only for free?

[OhBudPowellWhereArtThou]

[Markness]

[Markness]