Job Discussion Forums

[ecubyrd]

[Voyeur]

Ah. So it is somewhat of an international school job requiring qualified teacher status.

Still, your post is a bit confusing to me:

You say:

"I'm working the same type of hours as I would be back home in the public school system"

but you also say:

"I teach 22 classes (14.5 hours per week). I have office hours for the remainder of the time up to 40 hours."

Typically, a qualified teacher 'back home' teaches more hours than that. And their 'office hours' are a busy time with prepping, making reports, grading, etc. Furthermore, total hours are usually significantly more than 40 a week when you include everything. Of course, the world is full of unique jobs--so maybe you have a nice, unique position with some of the pay of an international school job, but less of the duties.

[ecubyrd]

[Voyeur]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

It looks like I will be coming to China in the next 2-3 months. My questions are now becoming more specific. I'm planning to make ESL my career, and stay overseas for good--maybe even in China for good. But for the next year I have some immediate debt obligations that need servicing each month, and I can't afford to take 2-3 months to get my income stream going.

Given that situation, do you think it is wiser to take a more 'full-time' job with a full-income (13,000 RMB + and paid-apartment) with an established company as my first gig for a year, as opposed to trying to start off with a uni job and get additional work? It seems to me like a lot could go wrong with the second option, especially coming from overseas: you could pick a location without much of a market for income supplementing work, your university hours could end up longer than you though (making less time for privates), or it could simply take longer than you envisioned to get enough extra work that you are able to save $800 to $1000 a month.

So advice on that would be appreciated--I'd like to be "saving" (or paying off debts) at a rate of $800+ a month right away. Additionally, in Beijing or Shanghai, assuming one has a fully-paid decent apartment, how much do you need to make to save $800+ a month while living decently (i.e. you aren't sweating small stuff or aggressively budgeting)? Are these cities THAT much more expensive outside or rent and nightlife (which can be avoided, somewhat?

[Harbin]

[Voyeur]

I meant an apartment that is provided and close to the school --- not a housing allowance. If I can't get that in a big city I'd go somewhere I could.

I don't think it is a great idea for China newbies--even if ESL veterans--to be screwing around with getting their own place if they are tight for cash. Seems like a bad recipe.

[mw182006]

Do you guys typically push for off-campus housing with these university positions? I've been sent 2 contracts and while both have some pretty nice looking accommodations, they also come with restrictions (i.e. curfew). It's not quite a deal breaker for me, but I'd like to be able to come and go as I please. Is it safe to assume it just depends on one's relationship with the security/front desk, or is it more of a formality?

[DirtGuy]

The provided housing is one of the main reasons for taking a uni job. Curfew? Are you joking? This is China.

DG

[mw182006]

Nope, but I am new to the game. I was hoping it was more of a formality...thanks.

[Non Sequitur]

Go for least 'downside' in anything as your first gig.
Make sure the accom is apartment-type, (not hotel) and single occupancy.
No curfew or locked doors after 11pm cr*p - especially if the campus is away from the downtown.

[Voyeur]

How much do you think an experienced teacher (but new to China) could save in China if he went for a typical uni. job + privates? I mean if he was willing to go all-out and work as much as he could?

[DirtGuy]

Do the math. Here is an extremely conservative approach:

Y5K from a uni
2K spent on living expenses
10 hours per week at a language mill for Y100/hour

4 X 10 X 100 = 4,000
plus
Y3,000 from the uni
=
Y7,000 savings / 6.2
=
$1,129

If you cannot save this much each month, then you are doing something way wrong. To get more money, you can increase your hours, find a school that pays more, do your own private lessons, work for the British Council, translate, proof-read, teach online, etc., etc., etc. The possibilities here are endless.

With all the work I have in the pipeline at the moment, I expect to send at least $5K back to the States within the next 60 days.

Check the archives as this topic has come up many times.

DirtGuy

[DirtGuy]

mw182006,

I fell for this when I was looking for a job last year and it is BS. Perhaps people just post this nonsense to scare newbies, I don't know. What I do know is that I have 2 choices if I come back late to my uni:

1. Go to the main gate and wake up the "guards" to have them open the gate. Smile, apologize, thank them, walk in.

2. Come in the back way via a commercial street that never closes. Wave to the "guards" that patrol the campus at night.

This country is full of really stupid rules and there is always a way around them.

DG

[Voyeur]

Most of the posts on this subject talk about how you can take a uni job and do a few privates to end up making as much as a full-time language center teacher, while working less hours.

Having taught a schedule of private lessons in Korea before, I'm aware of how diminishing returns set in quickly after you have got your first lessons in a week booked: the peak times get filled, travel time and coordination with existing lessons becomes harder, and you only have so many solid offers. So I was curious if anyone had experience pushing the savings envelope at a university, i.e. trying to save 20k +

[DirtGuy]

What currency are you talking about? Y20K is a piece of cake anywhere. $20K is a lot harder but certainly not impossible. Perhaps in a small place where I am $20K may be impossible but in a large city or doing IELTS such an amount is attainable.

DirtGuy