Job Discussion Forums

[kev7161]

There's a recent thread about phone interviews with EF, but I thought it might be a good one to start about what questions YOU should have prepared to ask your prospective employer. Be prepared first-timers, your employer can be a slippery snake and will elude your questions or make them as clear as mud!

Here are my top 5 questions - - how many more can we add?

1. Salary -- how much am I paid each month? What date am I paid?

2. Hours - - Am I being paid by the hour or by the period? What does 20 hours mean exactly (how many classes per week)? Do these hours include lesson-prep time or is that extra unpaid time?

3. Class sizes -- What is the largest amount of students I will have in any class? (If a large size - or any size for that matter) Will I have a Chinese aide every day to help with classroom management?

4. Holiday pay - - Am I paid full salary for all holidays? If I am returning for a second year, what about the summer months? (also be sure to cover bonuses, travel allowance, airfare reimbursement, etc.)

5. Teaching materials - - What texts will I have to use? Will the students have their own books? What is the photocopying status there? A/V materials? Chalkboard or whiteboard (you think this is silly? try breathing in chalkdust every day!)? Classroom or lecture hall? Office? Computer w/English software? Internet? Printer?

And that's just the TIP of the iceberg! Our posters will have a host of others to add I'm sure: living arrangements, securing a visa, school discipline rules . . . the list goes on and on.

Be prepared as well: if you are overly "nosey", then the school may not hire you, which is not necessarily a bad thing. But if you're qualified and know you would be an asset to the school, make sure you get all your ducks in a row by being thorough with your questions.