Job Discussion Forums

[DosEquisX]

I'm sure similar threads are posted, but I'm a total newbie with teaching in China. So, any help I get from all of you is appreciated

What is a teacher with a TEFL certificate and 1 year of teaching experience in South Korea (I have letters of recommendation to verify my experience) worth in terms of salary in China?. It's not a whole lot of experience and little to brag about, but I know that many teacher come to China with no experience at all and seem to do all right. Heck, they'd probably get paid as much as I would if I took a position from a recruiter.

The thing is that the cost-of-living in South Korea is pretty uniform aside from Busan and Seoul. As a result, the packages and incentives you receive there are nearly identical. So, it's a bit easier to pick out the better job from a financial point of view.

I keep being told that there are jobs available that will pay more than 10,000 RMB/month and that a similar salary is mandatory to live well in a city such as Beijing and Shanghai. That I should be able to get these jobs with no problem. Yet, I see that most jobs do not even come close to that level. The job board on Dave's has almost no 10,000+ RMB positions. I'm not a big spender or anything, but I would certainly like to have enough money to go out and enjoy myself once a week at a bar or restaurant.

Where can I find that diamond in the rough that people keep talking about? Seems that recruiters are pretty weak with and one or two exceptions, completely useless and academies often don't pay out 10K.

I'm not necessarily looking to gouge my employers. I just want what my skills and experience are worth.

[7969]

[DosEquisX]

[7969]

[Sinobear]

First: As Mr. K continually reminds posters on this forum, this is NOT Korea. Forget about Korea, forget about, "In Korea this in Korea that."
Second: The jobs paying the higher salaries are in three categories:
A) International schools who hire internationally certified teachers
B) Language centers that offer higher salaries in return for indentured servant status
C) Coveted positions that one acquires through advanced skills and experience. Most of these positions are never advertised as they go to seasoned staff already employed by the school or through recommendations from others.

I have never, nor would I recommend someone I wouldn't vouch for personally (meaning someone whom I haven't known personally for at least two years).

Forget experience and qualifications. A person w/out so much as a high school diploma could land an Oral English gig at a third-tier college and pull in 10K RMB/mo. A PhD in linguistics could land you a 6K RMB/mo position in Beijing. You could teach kindergarten and make 12K RMB/mo based on the fact that you like working with children.

Cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou should, in theory, be offering premium wages as the cost of living is phenomenal...but they don't. There's a large pool of available foreigners that just want to be in a major city. Smaller, out of the way locations don't like to budge from the line about how much cheaper the cost of living is in Sticksville.
If you have alternate sources of income (pension, investments, etc.) and money is not your priority, Sticksville is your chance to "soak up the culture." If you depend on your income (student loans, family commitments, etc) you'd better choose wisely.

So, yes, this topic keeps popping up and various posters chime in with their opinions and advice. Some are very liberal and optimistic (C'mon over! No problem! Lots for everyone! Nirvanna! Only 5RMB/day to live like a king!) and some are more conservative if not cynical (I personally believe that anyone who has the guts to try should come. For one year only. China is neither the paradise nor land of opportunity for those with a family or long-term commitments).

And so it goes.

[Zero]

China is kind of a country where you need a few years to get the full experience. You need that much time both to find the better opportunities and to absorb what China is all about.

I'd say the standard setup for a person like you, who plans to be in China for one year only, is a 5,000 yuan/month university job in a second- or third-tier city. (That's the standard setup for a lot of people who have been in China many years, too.) Language mills are also a possibility -- perhaps you would get 8,000 or even 10,000 a month, but no housing, and work more hours.

If you read the China forums here regularly, you'll note that relatively few people are posting from Beijing or Shanghai. Those cities are hard to make it in because of the competition and cost of living, and a lot of people decide that the potential payoff is not worth the effort. Just too much of a grind.

[DosEquisX]

Thank you for your input zero and sinobear.

Apologies for referring to ROK. I only do because it is the only country I have teaching experience in.

I'm also sorry for bringing up this topic. I guess it's a popular question for newbies like myself to ask. I do so because this seems to be the best forum on the web for this sort of information.

My two concerns with unis are the potential privacy invasions with on-campus housing and the fact that I'd only be a few years older than the uni students. Maintaining a classroom of 35 uni students who are only a few years younger than myself could be a difficult task.

[7969]

[MisterButtkins]

In my opinion, if you end up living in a third tier city practically any salary you get offered will be sufficient, assuming you aren't heavily in debt or something like that. I'm not saying you should go work in hicksville for 3k a month or something low like that, but I have a hard time seeing how anyone, even the most eager spenders, would spend more than a few thousand per month living in a smaller town. There are no foreigner bars or restaurants to suck up all your money and there just isn't a lot to do in general. Restaurants tend to be much cheaper than in the big cities and you won't spend much money on taxis either. Obviously though if you want to go into a bigger city to party every weekend you will end up spending more.

[Sinobear]

Mr. B:

Your opinion is valid IF one is staying in China. Simply take that 3K RMB/mo and convert it into your native currency. How long will that last you upon repatriating? Your standard of living might be A#1 whilst in China, but it does not 'translate' well when you return home.

DEX:

You can add/delete clauses (usually in the addendum) of your contract before you agree to it/sign. Don't wish to live on-campus? Find out how much local apartments (at local standards) cost and ask for a reasonable housing allowance. There's no law that says you must live on-campus (although there are certain areas where you're not allowed by law to live and you must register with the local police where you are living and whenever staying more than 24 hours away from your residence).
As 7969 wrote, your age is not too much of a concern as long as your students perceive that they are getting something of value from you.

[Non Sequitur]

Think 'package'.
Return airfare yes/no?
That's 2m salary right there.
Paid in full for the winter holiday?
Or is it half pay, which I am seeing more and more.
Teaching hours?
Up to 20 pw for the public colleges and unis - untold for the mills.
Travel allowance?
1 or 2 thou for internal travel.
Commute time?
Are you on campus - max 10 mins from class or do you travel - even if on a school bus - to/from school?
Are there good and subsidised cafetarias on campus?
A big meal of reasonable quality for under 5RMB is what I'm thinking of.
Fully paid utilities?
Or an allowance which may or may not cover you. On this subject find out if the school supplied heat is on during the winter break.

And the biggie...
Is your accomodation supplied with reasonable furnishings and appliances?

All that said Qingdao is mentioned on this forum as a place where employers collude to keep at least public college rates down.

[Gamecock]

Zero wrote:

[7969]

[seamallowance]

[7969]