Job Discussion Forums

RiverMystic · Joined: 13 Jan 2009 Posts: 1986

Salary isn't everything. Consider where you are in your career, and if you have any career goals. If you have any of the latter, you should consider the skills you wish to learn. I used to earn pretty close to 70 000 RMB in Hong Kong, but was learning nothing. So I resigned. I took an easy job in the mainland a couple of years later for a bit over 20K with housing. It gave me opportunities to write and research and travel, with all the spare time I had. But after six months I got bored. Then a management position in another school came up, and I realised it was a great opportunity to keep learning and growing. It was 30 000 plus housing and benefits, special low tax. I took it. The school is going through a bit of a rough period with teachers leaving and the Chinese management not quite sure what to do. I reckoned that represented a great opportunity. Most importantly, it just felt right.

Learn to trust your gut instincts and look at the big picture. That's my advice.

teenoso · Joined: 18 Sep 2013 Posts: 365 Location: south china

The huge difference in the benefits packages you have been offered possibly reflects the public/private divide here.
The standard range for public institutions, (high schools , unis) seems to be 6K to 8K, plus free accommodation (and maybe utilities). More in Shanghai and the big cities, quite possibly less in poorer inland provinces (Guizhou, Guangxi, Jiangxi etc).
Zhejiang is a rich province, and Ningbo quite a developed city, so that second offer sounds unusually low.

You should consider the side-benefits of Uni contracts to you: low hours, and possibly an onsite elementary school , or attached high-school for your children.

Salaries in the private sector maybe start at 8/9K and, if there is no accommodation , a mid-teens salary might be necessary to live. But the hours will usually be higher and private schools may be demanding on your spare time.

There are also many 'mixed' public-private ventures, and tie-ups , where your contract is with a private educational company or foreign-invested company but you actually work in a regular school or uni. These jobs should have higher salaries, and maybe lower hours.

On the point about trying to find two separate jobs in the same city to do 'split shifts' with your wife, I think that is an extra hurdle (or hoop) that is hard to jump. Maybe it's possible in Shanghai, or Beijing, but would you want the lifestyle in these kinds of cities for your family?

I would look for a place to live on the coast (Xiamen, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Qingdao ) where you can be reasonably confident pollution levels will be lower than inland.

bograt · Joined: 12 Nov 2014 Posts: 331

hdeth · Joined: 20 Jan 2015 Posts: 583

My dad did marriage counseling for a few years. He said by far the most common cause for a couple breaking up/divorcing was trying to do different shifts to cover daycare expenses. They didn't see much of each other, and when they did see each other they were usually exhausted, so they grew apart. I don't know if you've thought about that much but be careful. I would try for two uni gigs at the same school where the school was willing to work with you on your schedule and you could do grading/lesson planning at home. Saving a few extra sheckles doesn't mean squat if you lose it all in the expense of a breakup.

Jmbf · Joined: 29 Jun 2014 Posts: 663

bograt · Joined: 12 Nov 2014 Posts: 331

Jmbf · Joined: 29 Jun 2014 Posts: 663

buravirgil · Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2015 10:01 am Post subject:

Yay! references
FAQ from ESF
Before Applying

Am I eligible for a teaching position?
Applicants applying for a teaching role should meet the general minimum requirement of
- Bachelor Degree in Education, or
- Bachelor Degree in any subjects with PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate of Education), or equivalent
- 1-3 years teaching experience within a recognised educational organisation.

I want to apply for a position but I don't see an opening for it, can I just send my CV through?
All available vacancies are listed on our "Job Listing" page, and unfortunately we do not take in personal CV for future reference at this moment.

Do I have to submit an online application form or can I just send my CV?
All applicants MUST submit an online application form in order to be considered.

I have just missed the deadline for an opening; can I still submit an application?
Unfortunately no, we do not take in late applications.

Can I apply for more than 1 position at a time?
Yes. You can apply for multiple positions within one application, and you can submit multiple applications as well.

Do you have joint application for teaching couples?
No. Each applicant must submit their own application form. You can however mention in your cover letter that you are applying as a teaching couple.

When and how will interviews be conducted?
The shortlisting will be done shortly after the application closing date, and most of the interviews for the Annual Recruitment round will take place between end of Jan and mid-February.

For applicants located in Hong Kong or the UK, interviews will be conducted through face-to-face interview. For applicants located outside of Hong Kong and UK, interviews will be conducted via Skype.

When do you contact my referees?
If you are applying for a teaching position, the school may request a reference from your referees prior to the shortlisting and interview stage.

Does ESF have programs for continuous professional development for teachers?
ESF have a very well established CPD program for our teachers. Please see the below link for more details.
http://esfeducation.com/

What's the CPD program like, other than 5 required days?

bograt · Joined: 12 Nov 2014 Posts: 331

OhBudPowellWhereArtThou · Joined: 02 Jun 2015 Posts: 1168 Location: Since 2003

Jmbf · Joined: 29 Jun 2014 Posts: 663

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

Can we not have this thread diverted onto what pay and conditions are like in international schools for experienced and certificated teachers with home country experience.
The OP came into the forum with a unique set of conditions and quals - none of which fit the last few posts.
The qualified teacher group have their own networks and employing schools advertise in the professional journals.

RiverMystic · Joined: 13 Jan 2009 Posts: 1986

For the record I was getting close to the top of the pay scale for secondary nets, got a housing allowance, a retention incentive and a whack of well over 100 000 every two years of service. And the differential between the HK Buck and the RMB wasn't so bad back then. So it was close to RMB 70 000, effectively.

Of course the cost of living in HK is greater, especially housing. I paid over 2000 a month just on transport costs. I commuted 90 mins a day by ferry and MTR. The job was easy, though. Maybe averaged three or four hours of work a day. But I didn't want to end up 60 years old and having no skills beyond classroom teaching. I'm doing much better now where I am with my new job, although on about two-thirds the pay if you factor everything in such as the free housing, medical and so on. Besides being academic director of an international programme at a prestigious school, all my teaching is with critical thinking, problem solving and learning skills. Absolutely perfect! I don't have to teach any English courses at all! They have me doing about five hours of classroom teaching a week, which I absolutely insist upon. I need to be working with people, not stuck in an office all day or running meetings.

RiverMystic · Joined: 13 Jan 2009 Posts: 1986

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

Hey here's a flash:
There's a button called 'new topic'.