Job Discussion Forums

[jamesmollo]

You find a lot of negativity on these forums, many of which are a useful resource as to what to do if....

However, lets here from you 'happy folk' I say. I'm finishing up my contract at the end of june and In 2 1\2 years in China I can honestly say I have been treated well. No complaints. They got me out of a potentially dicey visa scenario, always paid on time, great students. No hassles.

So how 'bout y'all? please share GOOD not BAD experiences teaching in China (they do exist!)

Anyone looking for a job starting september for the new semester feel free to contact me. I'm moving on...but had a good time

[tw]

I think those "completely and absolutely satisfied and happy" experiences would be hard to come by, considering the fact that this IS China and every school has its good and its bad somewhere. People should not be under the false illusion that a school is "wonderful" just because some other FT had a positive experience. It'd be hard to find a school that provides excellent pay and accomodation, located in a bustling part of the city/town, attentive FAO (if applicable) and administration that are attentive to all the FTs' needs, and on top of everything like sudden schedule changes. Furthermore, not everyone would share the same sentiment about an employer. One such factor to take into consideration is the fact that personnel changes, and another lies with the type of person the FT is. For example, I had a pretty good time at Dalian Institute of Light Industry, but there were a couple posters who had nothing positive to say about the school.

A better question to ask would be, as you say, overall positive experience(s).

[kev7161]

I try to balance my postings about my job/school (when complaining about something) with the good: excellent pay, fairly nice off-campus 2-bedroom joint, nice schedule, mostly good working conditions, etc. I could certainly nitpick on some things that irk me but, geez, there were things back in my "real" life that irked me just as much! There will be days when the job just ticks me off and I have to come here and rant, but I am well beyond the days of my PREVIOUS job where the rantings had a bit of merit. Now when I complain, it just sounds like I'm a spoiled, whiner (and I guess I am to a degree!). No, my job is just fine, thanks. It's the life outside the job that gets to me more often than not.

[Anda]

Well I've been in the English teaching game since 1990 but only in China for about 9 months. I like it here. After working in the EPIK programe in South Korea for five years where you will find about 10% to 20% of the Korean English teachers are anti Westener (the rest are great)
I have found my co-teachers here in China to be all friendly.

I've had late pays, last minute changes, and the "you must drink stuff" oh and you should smoke stuff here, but that's part of the English teaching game here in Asia. I also had to do a lot of hard work to clean up the apartment they gave me also. But I get treated very well I think.

The city where I live at first looks terrible as it is flat and industrial but it is very Chinese. Sure it has KFC and Mac and a supermarket or two but other than that it is an eye opener to how the ordinary Chinese work and live.

At the moment it looks like my college will more to a bigger city nearby and I'm not looking foward to that as I like where I'm at.

If you try to get on and don't expect that the locals should treat you so different to what they treat each other like, then I think China can be a good place to work.

[Girl Scout]

The job turned out to be exactly what was advertised. The liason between the school and me did not lie. I was able to come here more preparded then most people I've spoken to or who post on forums. After two years at this school, that still ranks as one of best things that has happened.

[smitten13]

Yes, I must also admit that I have nothing to complain about re the job.

If anything, in most aspects, they have EXCEEDED contractual obligations. Still haven't worked that out yet.

As someone else also said, it's the stuff that happens outside the school environment such as the negative interaction with this 'society' that tends to get me down - at times.

[jamesmollo]

Thanks for your replies, all. It's nice to here from those who have had good experiences teaching in China.

It can be all to easy, it seems, to focus on the negative (the glass is half empty) It would be hard to find a 'perfect' job, anywhere.

I'm feeling a little nervous about changing jobs, pretty comfortable were I am. You never know what a new school will really be like until your there and have new managment to deal with.The visa also worries me(been burnt before) Hopefully all goes well, got some good leads.

[sheeba]

I've had and am still having a very positive experience all round . I sometimes complain about little things but I know I won't get any better anywhere else. Sometimes we get paid too much !!! Although my contract says I only get paid the days worked in June and Feb they always pay me fully for those months.I'm looking at signing for my fourth consecutive year at the same Uni . I've never in my life stayed in a job so long .

[james s]

...

[Tomato_Can]

Life is good in Suzhou. I'll be re-signing for next year.

[brsmith15]

I have an enviable job at China's top financial uni: great boss (Chinese, but he's been to the US as a visiting scholar), helpful staff, support such as new Lenovo computers with flat screens and broadband connections, copiers you can access from your computer, TV, frig, microwave. Pay is extremely high although there are no benefits and we're paid by the hour: no teach, no yuan. We're paid at the end of the month and sometimes even early. Last December I had to take my monthly pay home in an attache case. Felt like I was doing a drug deal.

Every classroom is air conditioned and equipped with a computer/projector system. We never lack for supplies. Classes are large (45-55), but the students are, for the most part, superb.

One reason this is such a dream to me is that I came from a place where you were constantly lied to, cheated in every way possible, had to share one broken down computer with 8 others and the internet connection was inoperable 90% of the time. The apartments were places you wouldn't house your pet rat. And, yes, there were an abundance of those furry creatures streaking about as well as dog-size cockroaches. The school's two copiers -- wen they were working -- produced unreadable copies and you had to beg for copy paper.

Because it was a McSchool, the kids were ones who couldn't get into ANY university. Classrooms were filthy and often littered with garbage and cigarette butts. The "white boards" were gray from overuse and a failure on the part of the school to replace them. Books were ones that the school had copied from actuals texts with the title and copyright pages removed.

From the ridiculous to the sublime.

[Greayson]

I spent almost two years in Guiyang and apart from the usual irritations I had a great time and was sad to leave. The expat community was mostly sane, we had friends who owned a bar, we ate out whenever we wanted and travelled all over SW China. More importantly, I worked for an honest and reliable school who paid on time, delivered on their promisesand actually listened (or appeared to) to suggestions from the teachers. The English way of life is a lot more stressful, but more 'real'. I always knew that we were all living in a temporary bubble.

[shenyanggerry]

I'm now at my 2nd University position here. In both places I've found the working conditions pleasant. To say that there weren't problems would be a lie.

I've worked over a third of a century for a Canadian company. No job was perfect. If anything, working conditions here are better than at home. It also helps that I've gotten over sweating the small stuff.

[inwanzhou]

When I had my job in Wanzhou I was working at a great school. The students were great and my teachers aid--the one who looked after me but not in the classroom--remains a good friend of mine. I know that some teachers at that school did not enjoy themselves--or so I've been told--one did a midnight run--but overall I say I was treated well.

I found that the my flexibility and ability to just be adventurous allowed for a positive experience. If you go in to the job with an ability to adapt then I find the experience much more positive.

I find the teachers who have the worst experiences do have a tendancy to have rigid lives. That is not to say that there are not bad schools out there. I always take negative comments with a grain of salt. Despite what people say about the inability to really 'read' an online personality--I beg to differ. You can tell a lot about a person by word choices.....and context without the added smiley faces. I guess that comes from all the 'behavioural analysis' training I've got though.

Back to the post--I would highly recommend the school I worked at when I was here. Had I not had to return for family reasons I would have signed on and probably stayed in Wanzhou. The pollution will get to you and the restructuring of the city--having to be moved up the hill so as not to be flooded--it is a reasonable place for China. The pay was well beyond what was expected of me. I recieved 5000rmb for about 13 hours of work a week. I was the teacher that was 'loaned' out to a few primary schools. I also knew it was a business for them so I didn't mind. I was suppose to work 20hrs. I know the other teacher I worked with would often be upset because she was paid 4000rmb for 16 hours of work and she worked them. However, I would do the 6am wake up call to you have 30 minutes to get together as we're going to this town to 'talk' to a school. I knew it was so that they could get parents to send their kids to the school. I didn't mind that....which made for an easy 13 hour a work week.

So over all not a bad experience! Can't wait to get back over soon. Family and all! Will I find a similar experience--probably not but I'm okay with that.....it's all about the flexibility.