Job Discussion Forums

rickinbeijing · Joined: 22 Jan 2005 Posts: 252 Location: Beijing, China

Or in Kunming? I have a former colleague who has been accepted to teach at schools in both cities and would appreciate knowing more about what he might expect there.

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

You are not likely to elicit much response; Zhaotong is a place totally unknown to most, including myself who has been to Yunnan many times. It is somewhat weird for a off-the-beaten path locale to be able to hire a FT. It must be a pretty rural part of Yunnan. The only places I definitely know have FTs are Kunming and Jinghong.
Kunming compares favourably with most cities in China although it's a growing concrete jungle of singular ugliness. It does have nice recreational niches and is surrounded by an abundant greenery of fir tree forests.
The downside is that Kunmingers are relatively less well off, and the schools are often cowboys in disguise. My only experience in being asked to hand in a bribe when applying for a job happened in Kunming.

no_exit · Joined: 12 Oct 2004 Posts: 565 Location: Kunming

Myself and at least one other poster teach in Kunming. It is a pretty sought after location for foreign teachers because of the nice weather, the proximity to good travel destinations, and laid back atmosphere. Also, many many travellers come through Kunming. Many think, hey, nice place, why don't I stick around awhile and start teaching? So there are lots of shifty employers who will take advantage of the transient nature of Kunming, and don't offer much security for their foreign teachers. The main thing is to make sure your friend's employer is offering a contract and proper documentation. The pay here is definitly lower too, but that seems to be a trade a lot of us are willing to make.

rickinbeijing · Joined: 22 Jan 2005 Posts: 252 Location: Beijing, China

Roger and No Exit:

Thanks for the input. That's pretty much what I've been able to ascertain by way of word-of-mouth over the years. Although lower, the salary stretches farther in Yunnan than Beijing, I imagine.

If you learn anything more specifically about Zhaotong other than that they were the unfortunate epicenter for a 5.1 earthquake last year, please convey.