Job Discussion Forums

[Hsinchuguy]

I'm thinking about moving over to the Mainland in order to find a job at a university before the next semester starts after Chinese New Year. Is it possible to just show up and find work or must that sort of thing be planned well in advance?

[MyTurnNow]

This is a good direction; unis in general seem better than the private schools.

I suppose it may be possible to simply show up and find something, but it's always better to plan in advance. Unis advertise jobs pretty freely, and they won't be hard to find.

Note that Spring Festival is hitting very, very early this year, and a lot of schools may well still be finishing old semesters after this one ends.

The one big downside of unis seems to be pay...many of them don't pay more than 3-4000 RMB a month. Their salaries are set by government bureaucracies and negotiating pay is not always an option for them. A few areas are beginning to wise up, and salaries as high as around 6000 RMB have been reported. The compensation is that the hours tend to be relatively short, leaving you plenty of time for a part-time gig, private lessons, or some other income supplement.

[ChinaLady]

yes, you could walk in the door and get hired.
certainly if someone who was hired does not show up.
BUT . . .
this is the middle of the school year in China. most universities hire for the academic year. and the really reputable ones like to spend some time screening their applicants. verifying degrees, checking references, etc.
you could get on with a private "institute" to pay for expenses while you look around. make sure you look at their housing - FIRST! I have a friend who is in a non-heated cement walls and floor, and had to buy his own furniture. they showed him a furnished place that he assumed would be his - WRONG! it was the director's girl friends place.
if you have an MA or a PhD you can almost write your own contract. and more so if it is from the USA or the UK.
right now China has a bunch of "recently retired" wealthy white guys from the USA and the UK who are over here being pad 1 USD a month - because they are having such a great time with "all the bright eager" students. and there are the Fullbright scholars - with their regular salary and their Fullbright stipends, the Chinese universities love these guys.
and this is your competition! really!

[Yu]

[Roger]

lady,
I suggest you stay with us for a while as an avid reader of our various comments and of queries from other people in similar circumstances to yours. It would not be wise to accept the first piece of opinion that is offered to you!
I don't know what motivates you to come here - but if you are expecting to TEACH as we understand it in general, you should NOT come here because you won't be allowed to teach; you will be used as a school mascot, and little else.
This should settle your question about universities as well; most of them don't stand a direct comparison with Western universities. Besides, unis don't pay very well. Some middle-schools offer more generous terms! But the challenge, of course, is a different one...

[Wolf]

If you have something to offer, like an MA/PhD, you can probably push to negotiate for more. How much more is beyond my experience. I was offered 1000/month more (for a total of about 4500/month) if I would sign a second contract, and that's just because of an incomplete MA, and that's just the opening offer (ie I should end up with more than that.)

If you're going now, you might find something, but it would be really last minute, and it would be a shot in the dark as to quality etc, as you're not going to have a lot of time to check them out.

There's no harm in trying, but you might not want to limit going to China to teach EFL now as your only option.

In the end, it's up to you.