Job Discussion Forums

[metopia]

Hi folks,

I'm a new user here, so forgive me if I make an etiquette blunder or two or seem nuttily naive.

I'm looking for a uni job and was wondering what I can reasonably expect to find. At the moment, Shanghai is a location that appeals.

I guess my ideal gig would be 10-14 hours a week with 4 weeks vacation,
free unshared apartment and classes focusing on conversation, or even better - public speaking (if that's even an option).

7000-9000 RMB a month including vacation months.


What I've got:
-BA English
-MA (non-TESOL)
-CELTA
-Nearly 10 years experience including 6 at a Uni in Korea.

Am I really ambitious in my hopes or not ambitious enough?

At the moment, I'm not seeing anything like this in Shanghai or any other location (maybe I need to wait until April before applying?)

Any advice on this would be much appreciated!

[XiaoWren]

Your salary range is about right, +/- a 1000. According to your bio you should be at the higher end. Increments are normal and expected for age, experience and qualifications.

Usual hours are 16 teaching hours a week (clarify what is meant by an hour or a lesson). Sometimes they may say 18. They may even say (or you may say) that if you are assigned a writing class (meaning lots of marking) your teaching hours are reduced to 12 or 14.

Clarify what happens re: sickness absence.

You can sign a contract for a full year (which may suit you for visa purposes for example), but usually only one vacation period is paid, either Jan/Feb or July/Aug. You may be able to negotiate both vacations paid.

You know you should get housing with utilities paid, plus a travel allowance, flight money, and some sort of medical cover. The standard of housing can vary. As can the buildings you have to teach in, the equipment you have to teach with, the food in the canteen, size and type of classes etc etc. You have no real way of knowing unless you go and visit. Some people will ask the uni to send photos of the housing or the email of any other foreign teachers.

Actually, everything can be negotiated, it depends what you want and what is a deal breaker for you. But these are public universities so they don't have that much scope for departing from the standard.

At private universities you may have more modern conditions but you will have more hours (a lower hourly rate).

Shanghai is popular, and the cost of living is higher than other cities, which is not as far as I've seen reflected in the wages.

Now is the time to get hired - for the new semester in September, (ditto Jan, though fewer openings).

Last I heard to get the visa paperwork sorted you have to be in your home country, or Hong Kong.

Good luck.

PS The public speaking thing. Usually the English dept run extracurricular competitions in that.

[metopia]

Thanks!

Some very handy info. there. Among other things, I wasn't aware that I could and probably should be negotiating.


I was informed by someone else that all the good jobs have probably gone by now and that a look at posting in April might yield more attractive offers. But good to know that this may well not be the case!

So far I've been recommended Horizoneslchina.com as site for teaching jobs and it seems to have a plethora of positions - although none in Shanghai.

I'll have another look and see if something springs out at me!

[XiaoWren]

I've not applied for anything through this site before, but it may give you some pointers.

http://www.seriousteachers.com/