Job Discussion Forums

[Gawain]

Read forum, want to fly to China next month. Got Bachelor's, TEFL, taught Taiwan 3 years, kids, adults, college. I prefer college students at University. Bachelors and TEFL will allow me to teach at almost any University?

Right? Buxibans in big city pay more (Y6000-9000 with free housing) but ask for 20+ hours, office hours 6 days per week 9AM-9PM, teach young kids and business clients, extra promotional work, etc. Easy to get stuck at school 40+ hours per week. Even famous chain can be a nightmare because it is franchised to any gangster with money-- no quality control, so chain name means nothing. Since chains (ie: EF) are where most 22-year-old newbies start, their free housing dorms are loud party frats, boom stereos all night, intolerable for mature experienced teachers in their 40's who like quiet.

Right? University jobs pay less (Y4000-6000 with free housing) but for that you only work 12-16 class hours on weekdays. Off weekends. Live on campus so walk to school. No toddlers, no corportations. Just teach college students on campus. Quieter housing, higher quality of life than anything offered by buxibans. Biggest drawback is low salary.

Right? University jobs are MUCH harder to get because they offer better quality of life than buxibans? Maybe first job in China will have to be at buxiban because Uni jobs take a lot of effort to get?

In Japan, Korea, Singapore, Middle East, etc, university jobs require Master's Degree. China universities say Bachelor's is good enough, because of low salary. Right?

[Sinko]

You've done some good reading here, Gawain. Like many others, I started off in Middle School. They offer the best conditions with pay being slightly better than Uni/College and less than Language Schools. The average classroom hours are 16-18. You also get paid holidays, Health Insurance, Travel Allowance, etc. The kids can be a little rowdy in the less "smarter" classrooms, but overall they are great to teach. Public Schools are generally better than Private Schools. Expect a lot more socialising with the school hierarchy, teachers and friends.

Bachelor's degree is all that is required for all types of schools. Universities are not much harder to get (there are heaps available), but they would normally like to interview you, if you are close by, and require experience, which you have.