Job Discussion Forums

wulfrun · Joined: 12 May 2008 Posts: 167

hi all. wondering about your experience or thoughts on working at the big places, compared to alternatives. the pay doesnt seem to be particularly high (tsinghua about 5000/month for 16 hours/wk). do you think the quality - of the students, colleagues, facilities, ... - makes them good places to work?

if so - which in particular do you know of as being good places?

xiexie. hope you're all well, and not badly affected by the earthquake

arioch36 · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 3589

The "top schools" when hiring you as a laowai, tend to offer less to prove that they are a top school.

My experience

Also, hard to know if you will be teaching the good students, or the students in their "international college" (those who failed the national exam

Lorean · Joined: 21 Dec 2006 Posts: 476 Location: Beijing

Working at a top school (Beida, Qinghua, ...) would give you an excellent opportunity to network. Speaking Chinese will be a definite plus.

But, as always in China: Negotiate negotiate negotiate or others will think you are stupid.

wulfrun · Joined: 12 May 2008 Posts: 167

thanks for the replies.

negotiate or they'll think im stupid? is that how it works? Surprised

at the big uni i know in beijing, negotiating isnt really on the table - all the new teachers get the same flat rate at the department (barring special circumstances). so it's just 5000 RMB/14 hrs a week, take or leave.

so where's the bigger money to be made?

xiexie

malu · Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 1344 Location: Sunny Java

Last year Tsinghua made me a similarly derisory offer. The person I was dealing with told me that 'all the world's top universities pay lower than average salaries due to the priviledge of working there'. I assured him that Cambridge do no such thing.

Lorean · Joined: 21 Dec 2006 Posts: 476 Location: Beijing

arioch36 · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 3589

Also, these top schools sell their name to countless dozens of other schools, hm ,,, a little like Cambridge?

Leon Purvis · Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 3:41 am Post subject:

Keep in mind too that top tier universities such as Tsinghua employ a huge number of Americans every year. I've corresponded with no less than thirty-five Americans who were either working there or were headed there to work this year.

wulfrun · Joined: 12 May 2008 Posts: 167

Leon Purvis · Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 6:09 am Post subject:

I was talking about the university. I many many former acquaintances who have moved on, claiming to have gotten employment at that university.

wulfrun · Joined: 12 May 2008 Posts: 167

wulfrun · Joined: 12 May 2008 Posts: 167

anyone know of the pay at Beida, Zhongshan, Renmin, Fudan, ... ?

Leon Purvis · Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 10:23 pm Post subject:

They all claim to be in the FL department, but I suspect that twenty-nine of them are actually working in some armpit somewhere.

william wallace · Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 2869 Location: in between

I've worked for a so-called "famous" uni 3 times, and have been cheated twice, and presently it is IFFY. When I finish up,I'll spill the beans...for what it's worth! Rolling Eyes

wulfrun · Joined: 12 May 2008 Posts: 167

guess they pay peanuts for languages and humanities, and big bucks for specialists teaching science and business. although i wonder what the pay's like at beida or beiwai.