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cormac
Joined: 04 Nov 2008
Posts: 768
Location: Xi'an (XTU)
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 Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 10:10 am Post subject: |
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| In the heat of the moment wrote: |
| What online work do you do? I've been doing overtime for the last 15 weeks, now that's over for a month or so and I'll have a lot of spare time to fill. The break in extra hours will be welcome, but I might soon get bored. |
These days I do mostly scripting for game companies who outsource their scripting needs. Some 3D modeling through Blender, again for games, but some advertising work. I also have some web development work from past clients but I'm not very uptodate with the more advanced web development (little interest) so I don't look for new work. Basically, I'm investing my extra time into game development for my own projects. Teaching is fun, but it's not something I want to do forever.
I'd recommend getting into the web development, perhaps with some attention to css animation. You can pick up some nice small jobs fairly easy with it, and many Chinese companies like the idea of having a native English speaker to design for them. Hopefully rules out the spelling and grammar mistakes on their advertisments or websites.  |
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getbehindthemule
Joined: 15 Oct 2015
Posts: 712
Location: Shanghai
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| Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 10:46 am Post subject: |
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I agree with you Kalkstein, it is all circumstantial.
For example my first gig in China was a great gig. It was a Primary school position where I worked 7 teaching hours per week. It was a full time gig but I got to take long lunch breaks and finish early most days. The salary was at least 2.5 times most University gigs and I got 3.5months fully paid holidays. I also got health insurance, airfare and housing allowance which covered my rent.
No work to take home or admin tasks whatsoever.
I would call that a much better gig than a Uni gig but possibly a hard one to find for a newbie.
Four years later I am teaching 19 hours / week with the same paid hols but on a higher salary. This year I haven't done any private work, but it's there if/when I need it.
For me, and probably Markness also, Uni position salaries are just too low for people who don't want the hassle of depending on private work.
Uni gigs are fantastic for those who need/want lots of free time off during the week to work on projects, hobbies etc. or don't mind the grind of taking on private tutoring. Horses for courses and all that! |
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nimadecaomei
Joined: 22 Sep 2016
Posts: 605
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| Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 8:58 pm Post subject: |
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| The point I posted before is still valid. Any outside work is illegal and if the govt decides to crack down you might find it difficult to justify. I hope you are getting this illegal money out of China, otherwise it might be taken from you. Personally, I have the qualifications, so I make enough. I have 21 teaching periods (40-45 minutes) a week and a salary that works. It is not just risking a fine, but it is risking my job. I have been here 10 years almost and have a family. If you are just coming in with no strings, make sure to get the money out. |
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cormac
Joined: 04 Nov 2008
Posts: 768
Location: Xi'an (XTU)
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| Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2018 10:17 am Post subject: |
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| nimadecaomei wrote: |
| The point I posted before is still valid. Any outside work is illegal and if the govt decides to crack down you might find it difficult to justify. |
Totally agree.
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| I hope you are getting this illegal money out of China, otherwise it might be taken from you. Personally, I have the qualifications, so I make enough. I have 21 teaching periods (40-45 minutes) a week and a salary that works. It is not just risking a fine, but it is risking my job. I have been here 10 years almost and have a family. If you are just coming in with no strings, make sure to get the money out. |
The work I do isn't going into a Chinese bank account and isn't being handled by any Chinese agents. So... Not an issue.
Pvt classes are a risk. All you need is a gossipy student or someone who is angry at you, for reports to circulate about you. Still, I don't think that pvt classes are dangerous for your visa. Every example I've heard of relating to being caught, has the teacher being turned into a mine for payoffs. The whole blackmail thingy that Chinese officials love to do. Might be different in the 1st tier cities though. |
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In the heat of the moment
Joined: 22 May 2015
Posts: 393
Location: Italy
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| Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2018 4:25 pm Post subject: |
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| cormac wrote: |
These days I do mostly scripting for game companies who outsource their scripting needs. Some 3D modeling through Blender, again for games, but some advertising work. I also have some web development work from past clients but I'm not very uptodate with the more advanced web development (little interest) so I don't look for new work. Basically, I'm investing my extra time into game development for my own projects. Teaching is fun, but it's not something I want to do forever.
I'd recommend getting into the web development, perhaps with some attention to css animation. You can pick up some nice small jobs fairly easy with it, and many Chinese companies like the idea of having a native English speaker to design for them. Hopefully rules out the spelling and grammar mistakes on their advertisments or websites. |
Many thanks for that. I have a lot of respect for coders and web developers, because I have absolutely zero ability in programming. I tried on a ZX Spectrum with a massive book on BASIC when I was a kid, tried a few times since with websites that help you learn to build websites. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. I'm a qualified Financial Adviser (CeMAP), got a degree in Economics, and a CELTA, but I can juuuuust about manage to keep my laptop clean of viruses and that's about it. I can bore most people to sleep by speaking about macro and micro economics, investing, collateralised debt, synthetic ETFs, pensions, bond yields, QE, blah blah blah but I wouldn't know where to start with css animation! Thanks for your reply, though. |
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cormac
Joined: 04 Nov 2008
Posts: 768
Location: Xi'an (XTU)
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| Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2018 9:30 pm Post subject: |
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| In the heat of the moment wrote: |
| Many thanks for that. I have a lot of respect for coders and web developers, because I have absolutely zero ability in programming. I tried on a ZX Spectrum with a massive book on BASIC when I was a kid, tried a few times since with websites that help you learn to build websites. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. I'm a qualified Financial Adviser (CeMAP), got a degree in Economics, and a CELTA, but I can juuuuust about manage to keep my laptop clean of viruses and that's about it. I can bore most people to sleep by speaking about macro and micro economics, investing, collateralised debt, synthetic ETFs, pensions, bond yields, QE, blah blah blah but I wouldn't know where to start with css animation! Thanks for your reply, though. |
Html & CSS will take you a week or two to learn. Its really easy stuff. The rest is just practice. Then comes Javascript which kills me. You could skip that and go with CSS animation, which isn't very difficult. It just comes down to your imagination and practicing. If you want to get into regular web design, then you'll need another language for Ecom or something similar... but honestly it's not worth it. Stick to the easy jobs, and you'll make more money over time. [you could learn all this easily in 2-3 weeks, and then practice for a while... build up a portfolio, and you're sorted]
My background is finance too. Credit controller. And I learned scripting myself while in China. There's loads of resources online. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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ghost
Joined: 30 Jan 2003
Posts: 1693
Location: Saudi Arabia
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| Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2018 2:02 pm Post subject: best universities in China for earnings |
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In no particular order, these are the universities which are legit and where you can earn a good salary.
Wenzou Kean University - high turnover rate, but very good pay, if you can last one contract. If you do two contracts you are well above average. Intense pressure. Mate worked there, paid into US account, was making around 60,000 US tax free and more with overtime. Some guys get close to one lakh monthly there!
Liverpool Suzhou and University of Nottingham Ningo - very similar in pay and conditions, around 22,000 to 30,000 yuan per month. Good accommodation, and unlike W.K. you can have a long career there, if you keep your nose clean and tolerate the somewhat high expectations and workload.
Shantou University, Guandong - a good university and decent pay in the 12,000 to 20,000 per month or more depending on quals. Caveat - shorter holidays here - usually 4 weeks in winter and 5-6 in summer. The Director there draws mixed reviews.
To my knowledge there are not many high paying university jobs in China.
If you count Taiwan, as a part of China, there are higher pay scales there, around 2500 u.s. per month in many. |
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cormac
Joined: 04 Nov 2008
Posts: 768
Location: Xi'an (XTU)
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| Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2018 3:49 pm Post subject: Re: best universities in China for earnings |
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| ghost wrote: |
In no particular order, these are the universities which are legit and where you can earn a good salary.
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Very nice. Thanks.
Can you expand on why there's a high turnover? The location, the university itself? etc. |
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NiHaoDaJia
Joined: 07 Aug 2014
Posts: 118
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| Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2018 11:53 pm Post subject: |
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| ghost wrote: |
| If you count Taiwan, as a part of China, there are higher pay scales there, around 2500 u.s. per month in many. |
Taiwan Province is always a part of China, of coz! |
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Blistering Zanazilz
Joined: 06 Jan 2018
Posts: 180
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| Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2018 12:26 am Post subject: |
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| NiHaoDaJia wrote: |
| ghost wrote: |
| If you count Taiwan, as a part of China, there are higher pay scales there, around 2500 u.s. per month in many. |
Taiwan Province is always a part of China, of coz! |
+11  |
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getbehindthemule
Joined: 15 Oct 2015
Posts: 712
Location: Shanghai
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| Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2018 1:02 am Post subject: |
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| Blistering Zanazilz wrote: |
| NiHaoDaJia wrote: |
| ghost wrote: |
| If you count Taiwan, as a part of China, there are higher pay scales there, around 2500 u.s. per month in many. |
Taiwan Province is always a part of China, of coz! |
+11 |
Of course Taiwan is a province of China. Some people are no naive to think that it is not!
Now tie the other one |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2018 1:57 am Post subject: |
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Unis partnered with o'seas schools always pay more but then the recruitment is heavily reliant on the o'seas partner and may be reliant on that school's OK.
To quote the name of a uni and the pay rate without mention of qualifications required doesn't help newbes who may be browsing the forum. |
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nimadecaomei
Joined: 22 Sep 2016
Posts: 605
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| Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2018 2:15 am Post subject: |
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| Non Sequitur wrote: |
| To quote the name of a uni and the pay rate without mention of qualifications required doesn't help newbes who may be browsing the forum. |
How is that true? It gives them the names of places to inquire. Many newbies are reluctant to apply for positions with stated quals above what they hold. The truth is many of these places end up needing staff "now" and the quals can be overlooked. Many of them also support staff in obtaining needed or further quals once hired. You never know until you contact them and ask. |
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Modernist
Joined: 03 Jan 2016
Posts: 72
Location: Routing
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| Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2018 2:44 am Post subject: |
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Yeah, those schools are going to want Master's degrees and post MA experience at a minimum. Few of the foreigners in China have the qualifications to work at Nottingham-Ningbo and its ilk. Most people don't go through the time, trouble and expense of graduate school to end up working in China!
When I have my teaching license I certainly won't be coming back here for quite a long time, if I ever do. China is for earning money, not living.
| Quote: |
| The truth is many of these places end up needing staff "now" and the quals can be overlooked. Many of them also support staff in obtaining needed or further quals once hired. You never know until you contact them and ask. |
Well, I think you overstate this a bit. It is true that Chinese schools often ask for the moon. Just like bargaining at the markets, I guess. But still. Most people working in China have BAs and various amounts of experience at various kinds of schools, and that's it. I don't believe joint-venture schools paying over 20K a month are going to hire BA+exp only, regardless of needs. They have minimum standards at the end of the day, unlike many native Chinese unis.
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| Taiwan Province is always a part of China, of coz! |
And here I thought you gave up! Aw, it's like a reunion. But you forgot to start with, 'I am an American who has come to China to teach English. Of course, Taiwan is...' and etc. Don't get out of your groove! |
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