Job Discussion Forums

StephPoet · Joined: 05 Jul 2005 Posts: 26

I'm brand new at this (I've never even been overseas) and have more job offers than I can handle. I'm a little nervous though, because they all want me to pay for my airfare upfront. I understand why they would want to do that, as I could be some low-character person who never shows up. However, I'm worried about the following:

1) Getting there and they don't like the way I look (I'm overweight, but the picture makes that clear) or whatever, and decide I have no job. Then I'm out of like $1,000 U.S.

2) Not ever getting the money back.

Does this happen? Am I being paranoid? Am I also possibly settling for less pay than I should be getting? I've seen ads offering everywhere from 2500-8000, and read posts on here where people claim to get 10,000 to 20,000.

My profile: B.A., soon to have TESOL, seven years journalism experience, one year ESL assistant in the U.S. Strong recommendations. Single, 26, Irish-Hispanic American female who doesn't smoke or drink.

My standard offer: 4500-6500 RMB, some pay electricity some won't, one includes Internet, the others don't. Most have furnished private apartments (one looks REALLY nice) the other is a campus apartment in Beijing. One offers a driver to and from work, the others don't. One offers lunch, dinner, and tea, one offers a cook, the others don't. All are offering 1-2 free Chinese lessons a week and a travel allowance of 2200 RMB for within China.

Am I in the right ballpark given my experience? I also assume it costs far more to live in Beijing than a smaller area like Daqing or the Guangdong province.

Any PMs or posts welcomed. It's a big decision for me to leave my family, friends, and country behind for 12 months, and while I await those experiences I don't want to wind up shafted, especially over this plane fare.

Stephanie

YankeeDoodleDandy · Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 3:15 pm Post subject: Jobs

I find it best to work at a university. Generally from 12 to 15 hours per week. If you choose to work at a college or university, get them to pay for your summer holidays. Two months free pay.

anthyp · Joined: 16 Apr 2004 Posts: 1320 Location: Chicago, IL USA

Time for Anthy's Newbie Good Deed of the Day:

StephPoet · Joined: 05 Jul 2005 Posts: 26

Thanks for the thoughtful replies so far.

The school offering a driver is 30 minutes from the apartment. I guess that's why. It's a nice touch, though probably not something to decide on a contract over.

Stephanie

wigan4 · Joined: 15 Jun 2005 Posts: 34

It may not be something to decide for, but in a case like that the lack of it would certainly go in the balance against.

I'm a newbie, too, but in my reading around it seems like it's those little details that 'get you' and if you ask around enough hopefully you can ferret them out and negotiate a reasonable solution. If you don't, then you're at the mercy of your kind-hearted FAO when you get there, and I think it's the lack of sussing those out and having reasonable solutions arranged upfront that's the genesis of lots of the unhappy postings here.

Did I read somewhere that a contract isn't final until you get there and make some sort of last official arrangements? IMO, if you're not destitute going over that's not such a bad thing. If you walk into a real hellhole it might give you the chance to say 'Look, this isn't at all what I was led to believe it was going to be, if we can't fix X, Y, and Z I don't think we're going to be able to come to an arrangement.'

I don't know if that's really true, though.[/i]

tw · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 3898

Chris_Crossley · Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2005 2:38 am Post subject: Free school meals for FTs

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

Here are things that most "standard" contracts offer:

1. Monthly salary (varies from school to school, province to province)
2. A furnished apartment - - on or off-campus, sometimes shared (most will give you standard furniture at least, some go so far as to include a DVD player and a computer w/internet). You may be offered a living allowance instead and you find and furnish and pay for your own place/utilities.
3. 2200 rmb travel allowance - often 1/2 paid out at Spring Festival break, the other 1/2 before your summer holiday
4. Refund of airfare with proof of purchase (sometimes "up to" a certain amount)
5. School takes care of getting your residence permit and foreign experts certificate.

Those are the standards. As for free utilities, free meals, transportation here and there, free internet, all utilities paid, bonus pay, free Chinese lessons - - those will definitely vary from school to school. And, besides utilities, most of these things are "window dressing" - - so-called "perks" to get you to come to their school. Nevermind that free meals are usually god-awful school canteen crap or free internet can be slow as molassas or free Chinese lessons can be hit or miss.

Bottom line (for me at least) is the school itself (location, class sizes, general student behavior), salary, and decent living accomodations. If you manage to find a good enough salary, you can feed yourself or pay for your own internet. If you accept a low salary with all those other "freebies", then you're missing out. Rarely do the "freebies" balance out a low salary.

Chris_Crossley

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

There is always a mistaken belief out there that a broad-brush answer fits all the options.

First thing: if you get a chauffeur and limo service then you are NOT GOING to work in a school but a training centre. This is so because they do not own accommodation on site and rent it for you somewhere; even so I doubt they will ferry you to their offices every day.
The limo will be at your service on trips to corporate customers where you teach "in-house" classes. Well, sort of teaching. These corporations pay your employer to lend them a FT, or rather, an emcee to entertain their staff with some English to give them the illusion they improve on it.

A school would most likely house you on their campus. China's better schools are little communities, mostly self-contained, where even students have to board. You will no doubt get a relatively adequate form of housing - most likely better than a CHinese teacher does. Still, many FTs don't like on-campus accommodation due to privacy issues or other considerations.

As for your worry about getting your airfare refunded, my question is: what are you expecting? Your employer owes you only a one-way ticket back home. Some do pay for a round trip if you stay one year. But you will have to fork out the money first, and you must stay until your time is up.

As for pay differences: you forgot to say how many contact hours go with such salaries. Training centres usuallypay higher wages but they work you longer hours and on more days. You are normally forbidden from working for others. You will also have to be available at the beck and call of your employer; expect constant changing to your timetable and no regular days off!

Public schools have a relatively rigid timetable and even holiday seasons. You get paid through some (but not all of them); you can offer your servidces to other employers during your slack periods. Some public schools actually expect professionalism - hardly any TC does!
Where is frustration the higher? I guess with TCs!