Job Discussion Forums

[bmaw01]

Hello All,

I just signed a contract with a public school in China. The position is for middle school. The pay is 8500RMB per month and I'm going to be living on campus for free. They are expecting me to be there for the beginning of the school semester March 1st.

The problem is I was offered a position with a company in New Jersey. It's not great money at the moment, but the opportunity is there to move up within the company. I actually started today. The initial plan was to work at this business for a month and make a few dollars so I could have spending money for when I'm initially in China.

Now, I'm having second doubts. I might want to stay put at this business, and cancel my contract with the public school in China. What are the repercussions if I do this? My guess is they couldn't do anything because I'm still in America. If I decide to go this route I'm going to let my recruiter know by early next week so they have enough time to look for another candidate.

Advice on this matter would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Alien abductee]

Nothing will happen to you, but why not let the recruiter know right now that you had a change in plan? Chinese New Year is fast approaching and there isn't much time for them to find someone else between now and March 1st. May already be too late unless they can find someone already in the country.

[Bud Powell]

I agree with AA. When i first planned to come to China, I had to cancel a contract because I had an automobile accident about a month before school was to begin. I managed to find a replacement right here in this forum. Someone wanted to go to China, and I had already done the groundwork and was satisfied that the university was Okay. The replacement worked out. The guy stayed there a few years, and I believe he married one of the women in the FAO's office.

Generally, I'm not too keen on people who break contracts on short notice, but if I were younger and had a better opportunity at home, I'd take it. An opportunity to work a job at home that has a future is much better bet than working in the uncertainties of China. Just don't make a habit of accepting jobs in China only to renege on your agreement with one school at the last minute because something better came up at another Chinese school. THEN you could have headaches with schools when you apply for jobs in the same city or province. Leaving a school in a lurch isn't appreciated.

Tell your employer that you can't come due to unforeseen circumstances and do it NOW.

Again, you'll be much better off taking a job at home. It's the lack of opportunity at home that compels many people to come to China. Often, they find themselves in worse financial shape when they return home after having spent several years in China.

[water rat]

Thanks for a very enjoyable post Unchained. You're pretty hilarious yourself!

Your comment about emptying the gas tank is like an old George Carlin gag.

He suggested going to a McD's, ordering a Big Mac, Fries and a Coke to go. Then driving to another McD's drive-thru window. Order the same on the radio, and then when you get to the window to pay, say, "a Big Mac, Fries and a Coke!" Hand them the bag, and speed away... just to f*ck with their minds!

[Non Sequitur]

Do I understand that your original plan was to join the local company then flip them the bird in late Feb when it was time to travel to China?

[bmaw01]

[bmaw01]

[Non Sequitur]

Good to hear
Best
NS

[bestteacher2012]

If you just signed a contract, do they actually want you to come on a tourist visa? Most schools are on holidays now, so there wouldn't be any one to process the documents.

The offer doesn't look too bad, where is the job?