Job Discussion Forums

[Catwoman]

Hi all - this is my first time so please be gentle.

Issue 1: I'm considering a position at a private training centre in Qingdao. Contact hours will be 24 per week with a minimum of 20. I'm aware that as a relative beginner (I did my CELTA, then taught in Vietnam for 3 months a few years back) this would essentially end up being a full time job until I become more familiar with it all. The salary is around 5800/month including accommodation allowance. How does this compare with others' hours and salaries?

Issue 2: I'll initially be supporting my partner and toddler: could we survive on 850 per week between us? We're aware we'll need to live frugally - eating street food, cooking our own using food from markets, occasional restaurant meals etc, and being parents of a toddler we will not be out partying in expensive bars (ah, they were the days!)

Thanks for any advice you can give.

Cheers,

Catwoman

[Roger]

Living on 850 kuai per week the 3 of you?

Maybe, maybe. But why such a reduced amount? what is going to happen to the balance? ( see that you are going to make almost double that...

The job offer is basically fine, but as ususal, as a newbie you have forgotten to tell what kind of school it is; I assume it is a training centre, not a public school. This means your holidays will mostly go down the drain (except in spring!).
Qingdao is pretty cold in winter - not cold as Siberia but cold anyway; take good care of your toddler!

[YearOfTheDog]

Why isn't your partener working....

I guess in theory three people could live on 850 a month...but man that's hurting.

[frigginhippie]

Qingdao's a (relatively) wealthy place. If they need so many hours, I'd ask for that salary AND decent housing. That should cover your family at little cost to the school.

as for the others:
Roger, I think she did say what kind of school in the 2nd line
Dog, I think "initially" means she'll get the job and her partner might find another later. But good point, raising a toddler can put a dent in the wallet.

Good luck,
-fh

[Catwoman]

Thanks Roger and YearOftheDog for replying.

Roger: the rest of the money will probably be going on rent (aparently a "decent, not fabulous" 2 bdrm apartment in Qingdao will cost us 2500/month or more). And I know all about the weather in Qingdao - winter is not going to be fun but we're pretty resilient! Thanks for the comments about the holidays - I hadn't thought of that, so will seek clarification.

YOTD: My partner will be looking after our daughter, and while he may pick up work at night later on, we don't want to rely on him earning a wage in case it doesn't happen.

We imagined that like in Vietnam, we could survive on 1 wage as long as we live very simply. Is anyone able to be specific about the cost of street food / meat, fruit and vege from local markets, basic restaurant meal etc? We will obviously use our savings to buy everything we need to be comfortable, eg pots & pans, heaters, DVD player etc, it's just the day-to-day stuff I'm concerned about.

Thanks for your help.

[Babala]

I think that's way too low for a training center salary, especially since they aren't providing housing. I would keep looking.

[Volodiya]

I would tend to second Babala's thoughts. One thing I'm not sure you mentioned was whether you had a university degree. This could affect your options- and our calculations.

[latefordinner]

5800 a month sounds about right for Qingdao, if accomodation utilities etc are included in the package. But living on 800 a month? With a child? It's humanly possible, but I wouldn't want to do it. I spend about 2,000 a month on my wife and myself, sometimes more. Sometimes we eat noodles on the cheap, other times we have streetside BBQ and beer, sometimes we go to a nicish restaurant for hot pot. Quite often I cook. Once in a long while I'll get a bottle of red wine at the Carrefour. You put yourself on a shoestring budget, you're gonna hurt after a half year of self-imposed poverty. My humble opinion.

[Roger]

I thought catwoman would ask me: "The balance? What balance? What's that to do with this job?"
It was, it seems now, a pertinent question!

Catwoman: I advise you not to accept this position!

Why should YOU have to pay rent? This is YOUR EMPLOYER'S job, and living in a decent place should come entirely at his expense. Only SHANGHAI handles this issue idfferently (and not even in SHanghai do all FTs have to rent their own abode).

If your employer paid 5800 on top of housing and other perks, you could consider the offer as reasonable.

But not under these circumstances.

Consider: 850 a week works out to around RMB 120 a day; enough, maybe, but not in case you are in an emergency. Or if you want to enjoy yourself with your family on an outing. 3 set meals at a McDonald's would eat up more than half of your daily allowance.

That's way too tight! Is airfare offered? Is your visa status legal?

[Catwoman]

Thanks to all for taking the time to reply - it has been helpful, except I've noticed that a few of you misread my post and think I'm looking to live on 850/MONTH, rather than 850 / week ! Sorry if it's all a bit confusing.

To clear things up : the salary being offered is 1180 / week (for 24 contact hours), plus an apartment allowance of 1200/month - the problem in my case is that 1200/month will only get a 1 bedroom apartment, when we'll need 2, so we'll have to fork out around 2500/month. I'd be surprised if the centre agreed to foot the bill for a bigger place for my family when there's probably plenty of single people available for the position....or are these places usually desperate??

Anyhow, sounds like the salary is a bit low, which was my thinking too. Thanks for giving me something to think about guys and gals!

Cheers,

Catwoman

[shenyanggerry]

I spent three semesters here on 3500 a month. I took taxis, ate in restaurants, drank beer in bars and travelled locally. I didn't spend it all - I did have an apartment with my job.

If prices are anything like Shenyang, you should live well on 5800. I just bought a fryingpan and a hot plate. If I want hamburgers, I'll make my own. In most ordinary restaurants you can feed two adults and a toddler for thirty Kwai or less - beer included.

[KarenB]

I teach 10 hours a week for 3500 a month, and the school also provides free housing, utilities, and internet service. That's in a small town in Hainan -- a poor province.

Our family of 4 does live fairly comfortably on around 850 a week as we live on my husband's salary, and put mine into savings for traveling. But really, our only expenses are food and diapers,etc.

MOst teachers in Hainan make between 3500 to 4000 for teaching around 14 hours a week.

For teaching 24 hours a week, you should receive at least 7000 a month PLUS housing. Maybe more, if it's in an expensive city.

[KarenB]

I teach 10 hours a week for 3500 a month, and the school also provides free housing, utilities, and internet service. That's in a small town in Hainan -- a poor province.

Our family of 4 does live fairly comfortably on around 850 a week as we live on my husband's salary, and put mine into savings for traveling. But really, our only expenses are food and diapers,etc.

MOst teachers in Hainan make between 3500 to 4000 for teaching around 14 hours a week.

For teaching 24 hours a week, you should receive at least 7000 a month PLUS housing. Maybe more, if it's in an expensive city.

[KarenB]

I teach 10 hours a week for 3500 a month, and the school also provides free housing, utilities, and internet service. That's in a small town in Hainan -- a poor province.

Our family of 4 does live fairly comfortably on around 850 a week as we live on my husband's salary, and put mine into savings for traveling. But really, our only expenses are food and diapers,etc.

MOst teachers in Hainan make between 3500 to 4000 for teaching around 14 hours a week.

For teaching 24 hours a week, you should receive at least 7000 a month PLUS housing. Maybe more, if it's in an expensive city.

[Volodiya]