Job Discussion Forums

[jagb6f]

Hello all!

My name is Jon, and I'm coming up on my first year as a teacher here in Nanjing, China. I've been working at a language mill for this time and, as you might imagine, I'm looking for something new. To their credit, the center I'm at has avoided a lot of the horror stories I've heard...I've always gotten paid on time, Z-Visa was quickly gotten and I got reimbursed for it. My biggest issues is time. I'm on the standard 1-9 shift and, sadly, it's pretty bad. I have little to no personal time to myself, and I didn't come to China to sit in an office all day. I don't mind working hard, but I do want to see a little more of Nanjing than the 4 walls of the office.

To that end, I'm interested in looking for a new position and I'd love any and all advice. Before I go into that, my qualifications.

Bachelors Degree in English(I'm hoping this can gain me a little extra)
Oxford Seminars-100/hour degree TESOL/TEFL
4 years as a substitute teacher in America(Not certified sadly.)
1 year of teaching experience in a language center.

My contract is up December 31st, so I'm hoping to start in February 2015 for the Spring semester. I'm thinking the earlier the better, so I'd like to ask you guys some questions first.

1.)High School or University?
I'm pretty set on a University, but I've heard that High Schools can also be really fun and interesting. I've just heard that the students might be a little stressed/uncaring about my classes as they're focused on the Gaokao.

For University types, any thoughts on things I need to be careful about such as not being paid for the holidays, or anything like that?

2) How should I find a job?
I've heard a lot of different opinions on these boards. I've learned of theAbroadChina website. Should I focus on that? I also have some local friends, should I try cold-calling Universities and see if they have positions available?

3) Money
I'm pretty good at saving money as I love the local food here, but I'd like a decent paying job if possible. A lot of the positions I've seen here in Nanjing are around 5000-6500. That seems a little low, but that might be normal for a 2nd-tier city like Nanjing. Any suggestions for negotiating for a better salary then that?


This is only my first year in China, so I'm a little nervous about trying to find a new job. Any ideas or tips you could offer me would be really helpful.

Thanks in advance!
(If you need clarification/have questions feel free to ask. I check this board every day.)

[Non Sequitur]

I'd go the uni path.
If there are unis in your area - cold call. I found the hardest part was finding the FAO, so take a Chinese speaker with you.
Avoid 12 to 2pm.
I called at 3 unis and got offers from 2.
Being able to assess you in person is a huge plus for the school.
They are also your best ally when doing the paperwork. Not unknown for current employers to get cute when you tell them you are leaving.
Might is right - especially if the new school has a bit of status.
Overall I think you have a plan.
Best
NS

[thechangling]

Public and some Private High schools and Middle schools pay much better then uni's but without the high hours and missing vacation time that Training Centres seem to specialise in, so if you want money and more time try that route.
Most uni's pay low wages but that can be supplemented with a second job if you're not out in the sticks like I am.

[jagb6f]

Ah, thanks for the info you two!

@Non-Sequiter-I do have some Chinese friends who are really nice. I'm hoping I can borrow them to cold call and find the FAO. Yeah, I'm also worried about my current language mill turning nasty when they find out I'm not renewing. I want to make sure I have everything in place before I let them know.

@Thechangling-I have been hearing good things about High Schools(I want to avoid Middle schools "shudder".) I'm just worried that they'll be hard to engage, do you have issues keeping them interested in English?

I'm also interested to private tutoring, but I'm not sure if a University would have issues with that. Do I need to get in writing that they'll allow me to offer private tutoring on the side? I've heard of one person who got fired for that, so I'm a little nervous.

[Jmbf]

[Non Sequitur]

My collaborator was a student at one of the unis I targeted. Yeah so it makes good sense to keep to keep the whole plan invisible to your current employer.
As far as outside work is concerned I kept mine on a very low profile. The school may have known but there was never any blowback.
I recall that one private client was introduced to me by one of the FAO people who on other matters was very strict.
Mom n Pop language schools on Saturday mornings was my best time. You could build it into your timetable and planning. No late cancellations or other cr*p and you got paid even if only 2 or 3 of the class showed up..
Actually language school work showed me that I liked the large classes of my day job. Hard to get a buzz going with 5-8 students.
Best