Job Discussion Forums

[Non Sequitur]

Lot of discussion recently about charge rates for privates. Most teachers have instances where they are maneuvered into providing free resources or teaching. I'd like to hear others' experiences.
What has brought this to my attention is this:
I received an email from a student whom I don't know. It was on an old email address, so it may be that I have simply forgotten her.
She asked for ideas for her English Club.
I responded asking (over several exchanges) about age - all around 18 or 19, number attending - about 30, ability - mixed, room resources - whiteboard and OHP.
I directed her to a site where suitable resources are available to download for $1 or $2 per item. These are for up to 60 students, so would cater for her needs.
I mentioned that if each student coughed up 50 cents they could have basically every resource on the site.
Clearly this was not what she wanted to hear and ended the conversation with 'Thank you SO MUCH for your CO OPERATION'.
Any other stories or indeed good items to report.

[Mandrews1985]

I would guess that she expected you to tell her: do this, do this, do this and there's your English Club.

My story is a little different and I suppose it's not related much, although their attitude is quite similar.

I got a random wechat message from a Chinese woman wanting to know if I was interested in doing some part time work at her school. According to this woman she worked at my college previously and I was recommended by someone currently at the college, they wouldn't say who.

I was a bit sceptical at first so I declined, I would have declined anyway because I was doing a load of overtime, and said I could be interested in the new year. I guess in her mind that meant that I'm in. She said come in on Saturday to do a demo class. I explained, again, that I wasn't interested right now. She said 'but we'll pay you for the demo class even if we don't want to offer you a job at the end of it!'

Sorry lady, but I like to have a 2 day weekend. Not interested. But you'll still have Sunday off, she continued. Anyway, I know how many hours teachers at your college do, you're not so busy so you can relax during the week.

I lost my temper with her at that point. As standard I do 22 hours a week and I was doing 30 hours a week to cover no shows. I lectured her about her manners and how she seems really unprofessional especially the fact she was trying to say 'I know what you do and it's not a lot!'

Her response was 'well do you have a friend that'll want the job????' Yeah right!

To this day, I'm not sure if it was a legit (albeit illegal, as it would be a second job) offer.

Personally, I'm not interested in working part time work. I'm happy enough earning what I do and and having my weekend to myself. I read so many threads about people that want to come to China and spend every second of their day teaching privates. If you need money that badly.... just go to Korea.

[LarssonCrew]

Few points kinda related to boave, alot of places want you to do a demo which is kinda fair enough but can also be taken advantage of.

I have done a few things for free, judging an oral English competition at my university, the reason I did it was it made my boss so happy and when I asked for 3 days off early to go traveling he said yes.

A few things related to demos, I have been screwed a couple times, I had a 'friend' and I use the term loosely, who set up an agency to teach English. I went for 3 or 4 demos and was told that the student's parents disliked what I was doing. Fair enough.

Another Chinese let me know that the student's parents signed up, but he ended up using a teacher from Ghana who was prepared to teach for 80 rmb, once he got the money he simply said I was busy and the parent's would simply have t o take the African teacher.

Another one that annoyed me was I got recommended for a class, fair enough. I turned up and it was a huge community, so I called the woman working in the school and said please meet me at the front gate, she just replied time and time ago with the address. It was gated and I couldn't get in, and the guard refused to let me me in. Ended up wasting a solid hour there and back because of her laziness.

[Non Sequitur]

You are both right. It is the similarity of attitude.
They regard us a blotting paper. Totally unmarked (experienced) and totally available for their scheme.
Seems to me in the first message the lady should have taken the refusal and moved on to: 'Do you know anyone who might be interested?'
To launch into 'I know how many hours you do' implies that she has superior powers of logic that will carry the day.
BTW I did 20 for a few weeks (up from 16) to cover for illness. Damned near killed me. Then again, it gave me huge guanxi with the boss.

[LarssonCrew]

Yep, do something for free if you can use it later. You have to be Chinese.

If you do something to help you receive a virtual 'get out of jail free' card that you can cash in when you need a higher bonus, a little bit more airfare, an extra week off, or a break or help with something

[Markness]

First two years here I was totally a "Yes man", I just accepted it for what it was and worked hard and thought it would pay off... boy oh, boy was I ever wrong.

Another year has passed and I am more skeptical/refuse to be helpful than ever. I just sort of have an auto-response of saying "No", even if they ask me how the weather is. Chinese employers do not give a rats arse whether you are a good or bad worker, all that they want is for you to be obedient and to be available for doing as much extra crap as possible. Whether that be a dancing monkey sort of promotional thing that you have to do, or judging a competition that wastes a good chunk of your Saturday. They simply want people who are obedient and are available to be taken advantage of.

I have way too many stories of being taken advantage of, but yeah, if the time comes where I think of a really good one I'll definitely share it. I feel your pain OP, as I have been there and done that before. I even had a recent employer who wanted me to do extra work for her before my job even started. I did not co-operate with her and ignored her and she "fired me", even though I technically quit beforehand. She wanted me to do some photos of myself/do all sorts of prep even though my work is 3 months away. I am not letting people take my pictures and use them as advertising without extra pay. I am not going to do extra work for you just for you to be very vague with directions and then demand something extremely specific from me. I am not going to convert documents to some shady chinese format and install shady chinese software on my new computer in order to do that. Do it yourself, you lazy ass!

Sigh!

Anywho, when more stories come I'll share them! I know this wasn't great but I passionately hate lazy admin. They go through all sorts of hoops to get you to do something and will waste so much time in doing so, when they could have just done it themselves and saved everyone time/energy.

Mark

[CNexpatesl]

I've had to do countless demos. So many in fact that I just took the advice of some poster here and made my own demo video. I uploaded it on a site that used to work in China, but that apparently recently got blocked in the Great Firewall for some reason.

I'd tell potential future employers to just watch my demo video whenever they would say, "Come in and do a demo for us!" I'd send them a link to my video, but they'd claim it didn't work. "OK, do you have a VPN then?" "No, sorry. You will have to come in."

I honestly can't tell if they're actually that dumb and lazy, or if they were just using it as an excuse to get me to come in. In the future I guess I'll have to get a native to help me upload my video on Youku or something.

[nomad soul]

[theoriginalprankster]

I will be working the next two weekends (90 minutes each morning).

In exchange I will get an extra four days tacked onto my Philippines vacation in July.

I'm no fan of weekend work, as I like late night sports, pool and beers with the boys, and I will NOT do it again.

However it does turn my 10 day vacation into a 14 day one. Not that I'm even needed in the office over summer.

[Non Sequitur]

[Mandrews1985]

Just to make it clear, I have no issue doing demos at all. Standard in Korea. I had to do demo classes on a weekly basis as a a part of teacher development and training.

The main issue was that I told her I would only consider it after Chinese New Year (this conversation took place in October) and that prompted her to say let's do a demo for that following saturday...4-5 months before I'd be willing to consider doing the part time job. It made me feel that she needed someone for a class on Saturday and it wasn't really a demo but a cover for someone that let them down.

Moreso, the 'I know FTs at the college have an easy schedule' bullpoop annoyed me immensely.

[Non Sequitur]

I agree.
It's that sense of being manipulated that grates.
'I have this cunning plan to extract value from this laowai without him/her even being aware it's happening'.

[nomad soul]

[Non Sequitur]

As I think i said last time I saw that:
'Are you sure you are ready for China?'

[asiannationmc]