Job Discussion Forums

[tyroleanhat]

(I am not an English teacher but I teach in a specialized field)

Got a pretty nice offer from a University.
Because of good qualifications they accepted my bargain of 8500 instead of their initial 5500. Teaching is only 10 hours.

Now, when reading the unsigned contract I found out that it is only a 1-term contract. I asked them about it and they answered that of course it can be prolonged if everything is fine. And they said that during vacation time half of the salary will be paid.

Does this happen often that when you start in spring term (2nd term) you get a half year contract first and then in fall you can have a regular 1-year contract?

Actually I just want a simple one year contract with full salary for all 12 months. Should I first go there for for half a year, convince them it is worth keeping me, and then in May or so discuss my desired kind of contract? or should I tell them already now?

Or do you think something smells fishy here? in their defence I can imagine that basically they really want me, but 8500 is a higher then usual investment for them, so they don't want to risk a longer contract before they didn't see my performance on site.

[johntpartee]

First off, where's it at? If you're away from The Big Three, that's pretty good money.

I'm assuming this includes all the usual perks (airfare reimbursement, apartment, visa and health exam paid, etc.). If so, grab it.

The only thing I'm not clear about is the "half-paid vacation"; which vacation? Summer? Winter (Spring Festival)? When do they want you to arrive? Immediately? That would mean half-pay for the time until the spring term begins; still an okay deal.

[tyroleanhat]

[tyroleanhat]

edited (my mistake)

[johntpartee]

All this other stuff is making it "iffy"; not a standard SAFEA contract. Now that I think about it, going from 5500 to 8500 without batting an eye sounds kinda suspicious. Personally, I'd probably give it a pass.

[choudoufu]

[Bud Powell]

The half-term contract was popular for about a year in 2009-2010. (At least, that's when I became aware of it). After then, I quit seeing it. It's not necessarily shady. One can't ascertain whether it's an SAFEA contract until he arrives and sees the original (which is stamped with a red registration number). My opinion is that it doesn't really matter if it's an SAFEA-approved contract because the school is given free-rein to make amendments to it at will. Besides, if one's school doesn't make good on its contract, the SAFEA is of no help whatsoever. It was taken off life support a LONG time ago.

What matters is that you are amenable to the terms contract and that school issues a letter of invitation that will allow you to secure a Z visa, not an F or an L visa.

What bothers me is whether you'll be required to sign a full year's contract at the end of the first term. If the school is okay, and you want to stay at that school, that might be okay. 8500rmb is above the usual pay for public universities even for the bearer of a gumball machine Ph.D degree.

I agree that you should clear up the half-pay clause. If it means half of full pay for the duration of the summer break, I'd pass. If it means full pay for half of the summer, and your teaching makes them happy, that's okay.

If however, you aren't happy with taking a chance of the school re-signing you after the end of the term, don't chance it. Go somewhere else.

Re: costs. Choudoufu forgot about consular fees as well as courier service fees if it's impractical for you apply in person at the nearest consulate.

For further information about visas and services offered, following is the Washington, DC consulate website:

http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/visas/fees/

For a courier service, I recommend Travel Document Systems. TDS' information is usually more up-to-date than the consulate's information. There is also Visa Rite.

http://www.traveldocs.com/index.php?page=china

[johntpartee]

[tyroleanhat]

Thanks all for the help!

I forgot to mention housing is included.

I am from Austria (Europe) and it seems I am lucky, Visa costs only 30$ for Austrians.
Still I wonder, some google-results suggested I should get an F-Visa because the contract is less than 6 months. Or should I better get the Z-Visa in the first place - whats your thoughts about that?
Could you give me a strategy what to write to the Uni now, so that I hopefully get all the things like choudoufu mentioned - visa, residence permit, Chinese health check?

EDIT - I just found this on their official announcement: "Assistance to process work visa, foreign expert certificate, and residence permit" - does that mean also financial assistance? (I am not sure, since English is not my native language)

[johntpartee]

Z visa is the ONLY legal visa for this.

[teenoso]

Full salary for 12 months is not usual in Uni contracts, so the 'half pay' for July/August maybe OK. Normal contracts seem to include 10/11 month pay.

Reducing contract hours from 14 - 10 , and increasing salary to 8500 , both work in your favour! Even if overtime hours' pay is low, you will be still earning potentially 9500 -10000 rmb per month.
Sounds like they really want you .
6 month /one semester contract , I think , is just them wanting to check you are the real deal (music maestro, normal dude etc).

[Non Sequitur]

Another point which I don't think has been mentioned is that the 6m could be just to align you with their normal hiring cycle.
If you re sign for 2014/15 then I feel you should get full pay for July-August 2014.
I agree Z visa is the only way to go and you've still got loads of time for a Feb start.
Home country Z-related costs are for the teacher and in-China costs should be met by Uni.
Am a bit mystified by the hours and monthly pay.
It seems that the less hours, the more pay if we remove overtime from the equation. But then you're a specialist teacher and that may have a bearing.

[Barbrey]

Im not a niche teacher but an English teacher who I think has been sent the same contract. The wording on everything has been exactly the same. What's unsettling is that I wasn't interviewed for this job. I sent in my resume and degree copies and got an email saying we've got a job for you beginning the end of February, here's the contract, sign it and you're hired.

[Barbrey]

Addendum: they didn't offer me $8500! Maybe there was no interview cause they didn't want to be talked into anything higher!

[teenoso]

Receiving an offer with no interview is very normal here , and should not raise your suspicions. Native speaker with the right qualifications is enough. Many Unis here struggle to find their quota of foreign teachers .