Job Discussion Forums

[Outsida]

HGLT, here's a few things.

1. I got 2 x 1100 RMB travel bonuses from my last school. Each was a nice little boost. The bonus is NOT supposed to fund your entire holiday - that's what saving is for. The bonus is just a little extra. And it will go far in Guangdong. It could pay your hotel bill for 5 or 6 nights, even in Guangzhou (it did for me). You can find reasonable hotels - quality and price - in downtown Guangzhou.

This is not something you need to negotiate. It is a perfectly reasonable bonus, and you should be reasonable about accepting it.


2. Religion: Do not convert your students, read the Bible to them or lecture them about how "Jesus Saves" in class. You can discuss religion in a historical context, however. No-one is likely to dob you in for proselytising.

3. Many schools have 2 hour english corners. You're hardly being exploited. I had them at 2 of the 3 schools i've worked at. The time flies if they're talkative.

4. I do agree - negotiate the salary upwards. 22 hours is a LOT of work. I do 20 now, and that's quite a bit. If that doesn't work, negotiate your hours down, which will be more likely to succeed.

5. The p/t work clause is standard. It is also universally ignored and not enforced unless they really want to get rid of you. Work p/t anyway, although I doubt you'll have the time or energy.

6. Do not bother about negotiating the airfare. 8200 is a hell of a lot, far better than what most schools offer. If you can't find an airfare under 8200, then that's your problem, not theirs. Many, many good flight deals around.

7. A few days sick leave is plenty. The sickest I was in China was food poisoning, which took 4 days to get over. 2 of them were working days, and my school had no sick leave at all. However, instead of docking my pay, the school allowed me to make up the classes later. I worked with a 60+ year-old woman who got sick a couple of times, but she was always on her feet the next day. I think that anything that keeps you sick for a long time is most likely going to be a major crisis. Otherwise you're covered.

[Tezcatlipoca]

And here I am thinking of taking a job at 30 hours per week.

What kind of salary would you demand for that?

[Mydnight]

BTW,

I have asked around and the only person to have ever heard of Chini was a driver for my company. He said it's a small village in the town of Houjie; which is a town of Dongguan.

Welcome to hell.

[tofuman]

OP, I apologize for starting a derailment of your thread I have started another to discuss the matter that interests me.

I commend you for your diligence in attempting to ascertain the benefits of employment with the school in question.

What you are trying to do-- find an ideal situation-- is quite difficult, if not impossible here.

You could work for a school that has a lot of experience with FTs and can provide several references. These should include both current and former FTs.

And regardless of past performance, personnel changes can drastically impact your experience. Your FAO will significantly contribute to a positive experience or make your life hell. And if that individual is replaced or given an assistant, your pleasant experience could also be replaced.

When I go to look for a job, I do the interview. I know that I am qualified, experienced, and can speak enough Chinese to smooth my transition into a new situation. My concern is the quality of the institution that hopes to employ me.

One approach is to sign a 6 month contract with an option to continue for a year. If you do that, then you will get your airfare but if you don't , no airfare for you. While potentially costly, if you lack the financial resources for such an arrangement, you shouldn't be here anyway. If you don't like the school, you can leave after a few months, which you can amost certainly endure.

Good luck.

[HGLTsuperstar]

Thank you all for your input, well at least the relevant discussions, now its decision time for me!
And for the benefit of tofuman who, on my replicated posting questioned why I would moonlight out of hours:
"If I get a weekend job in Guangzhou teaching privates, how would they know."

They might not. But you are signing a contract which effectively states that you will not teach privately without their permission, which they will probably not give.

I know it may seem novel, but how about living up to your end of the deal?

My reason is, unlike saints like you who naively believe the USA to be the shining beacon of truth in the world!, I am not going to China to save them, or convert them to Christianity or even, as you described empower them; I am one of those money-obsessed Westerners who has yet to see your light, and please dont offer to save me, I'm happy drowning!

[tofuman]

HGL, If you are a money obsessed foreigner, why are you coming to China? You will be lucky to make $700 monthly including benefits, an amount that a qualified person can make in a day or two in the States. You can make that flipping burgers at In N Out or Taco Bell.

As for your lack of integrity and dishonesty, China is already full of unprincipled people that will say anything if it means an extra few cents.

That is a primary cause of the unusual contracts that we are seeing nowadays as the Chinese try to plug loopholes and cope with the effects of unscrupulous foreigners that have irritated them in the past.

You'll never beat them at their own game.