Job Discussion Forums

Dougb · Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 6:44 pm Post subject: Sceptical

I am considering teaching English in China, but I only want to teach in Shanghai or Beijing. Is there a possibility that once, after having agreed to teach in Shanghai, I will be posted in a small village? In other words I have been around long enough to be wary of being lied to and ripped off. So what are the things I should and should not be concerned about?

Lobster · Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 7:06 pm Post subject:

Well, you could stipulate in your contract that you'd only work in those two cities, but there's a catch. Those cities are huge and are more like municipalities than just cities. So, even though you'd still technically be in the city, you could be so far out in the sticks that you'd feel like you were in the country. Insist on knowing exactly where the school you'd be working at on a daily basis is.
RED

Super Mario · Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 8:00 pm Post subject:

If you go via a recruiter there's a chance you could be farmed out, if you'll excuse the pun.
Negotiate direct with schools in the desired cities.

cj750 · Joined: 27 Apr 2004 Posts: 3081 Location: Beijing

Ads featuring Beijing Unis are often located in ChangPing..which is around 45 min from the city center and is located far away from subway or convenient bus line..leaving you to deal with "dirty taxis" and their pawing badger like ways...I rather work for a chain school located in the city..and the ones making the pitch for a school will often talk about clean air...with most of the factories moving to the outskirts..this just don't wash.

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

Probably won't end up in a small village (a true village in the real sense of the word probably couldn't afford and FT unless it was a volunteer!), but you could very likely end up in a suburb outside of the city. This is common, especially with university jobs as more and more unis are packing up and moving to the burbs, where there is more space.

Ask clearly before you sign the contract. How far away is the campus from downtown? Will you ever be required to work off-campus? If they are evasive about these questions, chances are you'll be stuck in an unappealing suburb or sent to work in a town on the outskirts. Schools generally are fairly forthcoming about this info, but you have to ask to get it, don't rely on them to volunteer the fact that Shanghai Polytechnic Whatever University is actually 40 minutes from Shanghai.

Super Mario · Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2006 7:49 am Post subject:

Shanghai's a damn big place. 40 minutes from where you actually believe "downtown" to be isn't too bad. The suburbs have a lot to recommend themselves. I'm not aware of too many schools around Nanjing Lu. OK, there are some privates in Xujiahui and Pudong office towers.

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

I don't know jack about Shanghai itself really, just making an example. Maybe 40 minutes was too conservative, how far away are the burbs of Shanghai anyhow? The point being, however, that it is fairly typical to see jobs saying "Beijing" "Shanghai" or whatever but then they end up being in a suburb. This even happens in Kunming (where a half an hour drive without traffic takes you well outside the city) so if you're really looking for a job in the city itself, you gotta make sure that's what you're getting before you sign.

Malsol · Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 1976 Location: Lanzhou

Shanghai? You could end up 1.5 hrs from the Bund either to the North or South.

Super Mario · Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2006 9:46 am Post subject:

I was 1.5 hours from The Bund, but still in Shanghai.
Didn't worry me. In fact, I liked it.