Job Discussion Forums

[Monday]

I recently applied to several public university jobs that advertised what looked like reasonable salaries.

After going to interviews, getting offers, and finally getting a look at the contracts, I found that the salaries are not for the whole year, but only for part of the year. Most salaries only covered 9 or 10 months of salary. Some excluded all holidays, including the winter holidays, and paid half-pay during months that had more holidays.

Is this very typical for public universities now? How are teachers expected to live during the summer if the salary is only for part of the year? Are Chinese instructors also left without summer salaries?

[Non Sequitur]

10 months is usual in my exp i.e Sept to June, which means you are paid for the Feb NY break.
If the school invites you to re-sign for another year, the first inducement to seek is payment for July-Aug.
There are all sorts of work opportunities available over summer, so even if you are not re-signing, see if you can stay in your campus apartment for all or most of the summer.

[rogerwilco]

My contract pays a full salary for 10 months, health insurance, and up to 10,000RMB airfare reimbursement. That seems to be the most common now.

Some contracts include all utilities, domestic travel allowance, etc.

Paying for only 9 months, or partial payments, are possible reasons for not accepting a contract.

[OhBudPowellWhereArtThou]

I'll have to go with NonSequitur and Rogerwilco on this. Ten months is the norm for public universities with fully paid New Year salary.

I haven't seen the 10,000 rmb airfare reimbursement on many contracts, though I have seen lower figures and just statements that address round trip airfare. This seems to be the most common variable on the contracts that I've reviewed during the past five years. Watch for ROUND TRIP airfare if you don't plan to spend over a year in China or if you think you'd rather go home for the summer and then go to another school.

Also, it isn't out of the realm of possibility to negotiate for 12 month salary to cover the two month summer gap. It may happen, it may not. A good FAO and a good recruiter can find work for you during the summer months (though I usually hole up in my apartment with the A/C blasting and drink iced tea 24/7)

Take nothing for granted. Question everything on the contract that appears to leave you unpaid. If you are promised health insurance. Question the coverage. The two times that I was promised health insurance, it turned out to be little more than accident insurance that covers you on campus. A stay in the school infirmary isn't much insurance, and if you develop pneumonia (as I did) or find your fever to be above 100, you MAY be instructed to go to the local hospital.

Something that doesn't always show up in the contract is that you may be required to move out for the NY vacation and during the summer. I ran into that on two jobs. Schools are watching the utility costs, and one way to avoid finding yourself in the cold is to have it written into the contract that you won't be required to move out during the winter and summer, or if so, the school covers the entire cost of the hotel.

As always, you mileage WILL vary according to city, providence, and how much your boss will try to chisel you. (Most public uni FAO's are fair, though I've seen some doozies).

[Non Sequitur]

If you do stay in your apartment over NY the central (hot water radiators) heating will be turned off.
This means that you will be dependent on plug in electric heaters which usually don't come as standard equipment. Luckily for folk from Sthn Hemisphere a trip home for Feb is the best option.
Good to see a 10K airfare. Recent comment has identified this part as trending down to 8 or even less.

[wawaguagua]

Wow, I didn't realize the ten month contract was so common. My first workplace paid a full twelve months, even going so far as to pay the first month's salary just two weeks into the contract (for August). My second and current workplace pays eleven months and even that made my heart sink a little bit when I signed the contract. Is this ten month contract a new thing or has it always been in place?

[Non Sequitur]

[Mandrews1985]

Similar to the above posters. 10 months is standard. My current contract is a 12 month contract but we only get paid for 10 months. I've done a lot of job searching over the years and I rarely find university jobs that offer 12 months pay from the get go. Although, I've heard from a few that they will pay you over the summer if you sign on for a second year.

[Non Sequitur]

[wawaguagua]

[Non Sequitur]

I later kept in touch with the foreign teachers who signed on after I left, all of whom arrived at the end of August to begin teaching in September. They reported recieving their first month's salary, which was for August, within two weeks of their arrival.

Nice!

[wawaguagua]

[Markness]

When I started at my school they didn't offer me pay for the summer I signed on (why would they?, since I haven't actually worked). Anywho, this summer is paid for now, and so will all the other summers in the future. Once you sign on your summer should be paid for starting the year you actually started working (I hope that is not too confusing).

I am like the others here now where I just hole up and enjoy the summer (6-8 weeksish), doing nothing at all but enjoying the A/C and catching up on my video game collection + messing up my sleep cycle for when I start working again.. . A lot of other people travel during the summer but I really don't see the point. It is hot here, I travel to enjoy food + weather. I can get that here too.

Mark

[Non Sequitur]

I had two whole summers in China (Dalian) i.e didn't go home.
Did one summer in a small language school staying with owner's family and one like Markness holed up in my apartment.
I felt kinda guilty not working as my language school pleaded with me to come back.

[danshengou]

Just look at the total compensation and divide by 12. Budget for the year, and enjoy your time off or find summer work somewhere. There are full 12-month contracts, even 2 and 3-year deals to be had if you have the experience and credentials.