Job Discussion Forums

YujiKaido · Joined: 10 Oct 2010 Posts: 49 Location: ? Hong Kong ?

Hi I looked alot through the search function but a lot of it is out of date and looking for more up to date info. I am considering EF position in Shenzhen only because I couldn't find work in Hong Kong. Is it possible to travel freely back and forth to Hong kong if I get a resident visa/ Work Visa? I mean like every weekend?

Any other people that worked in Shenzhen and have info on the city I would appreciate some info. Some of stories I hear kind of China itself make me think twice, but looking for some first hand knowledge.

Thank you

time to teach · Joined: 03 Feb 2011 Posts: 73 Location: Bangkok

MOD EDIT

If you have a one-year Z or F visa you can go to Hong Kong anytime you want, just remember that the HK stamps are big and you can use up your passport visa pages very quickly.
There's plenty of work in SZ, but a lot of the jobs are for kindy and kids 3-12 years old, which might not be your cup of tea. Many other teaching jobs are available but they come in cycles and there's growing competition for jobs here as many new foreigners are arriving all the time. The average salary here for a full time gig is 8-12K per month, and most come with accomodation or a housing allowance.
In the recent hirng cycle, there were high school jobs teaching test preparation classes starting at 12K plus 2K housing.
EF is a decent place to start, they have both kids and adult classes, I think you can request one or the other. I'd go for adults!

landt · Joined: 13 Aug 2009 Posts: 13 Location: China

I worked for EF Shenzhen; it's a cheap city to live in and you can live well on the salary there. If you're going to work in Shenzhen, I'd definitely work for one of the big China-wide or international companies like EF or New Oriental. There are a lot of unpleasant characters running very suspect schools in that city. Any job that sounds too good to be true probably is.

MOD EDIT has a lot of teaching jobs too (Make sure Shenzhen is chosen from the drop-down). There are 2 relevant sections: Education and other teaching and Language teaching.

thefuzz · Joined: 10 Aug 2009 Posts: 271

Shenzhen is actually not THAT cheap...the big cities in China are getting to be more and more expensive these days. Friend of mine lives and works there, earns 15K RMB after tax, spends about 2700 RMB / month on an apartment in Nanshan and is quite satisfied with the job.

Going back and forth to HK? Sure, doable, but make sure you get one of the fat passports with loads of pages since it will fill up quickly (as per suggestion in this thread).

landt · Joined: 13 Aug 2009 Posts: 13 Location: China

YujiKaido · Joined: 10 Oct 2010 Posts: 49 Location: ? Hong Kong ?

Thanks for the responses. I'll look into the websites. Someone from EF called me about an interview but was looking at Taiwan and Japan at the time also so I didn't take it up. I really wish I could find work in HK but shenzhen might be the next best thing if I can't find anything in HK or Taiwan.

How was the teaching in Shenzhen, and what were the class sizes like?

I taught in Korea for almost a year and I kind of prefer to teach younger kids than older kids or adults.

sirius black · Joined: 21 Nov 2011 Posts: 41

Rather than start another thread I hope the OP will forgive me for asking a Shenzhen related question on his.

I am seriously considering moving to Shenzhen at some point. I am not a big fan of cold winters so Beijing and Shanghai are ruled out.

I heard the winters are mild in Shenzhen. However, I also read that although the winters are mild it gets cold (subjective as to what 'cold' is). I heard that most apartments don't have any heating. Air con for the humid summers but no heat for the winter months.

So my question is a) is this true? b) is cold an issue for someone who is 'cold senstive'? and c) can one find apartments with heating as well as a/c? or would you have to buy some sort of heater?

time to teach · Joined: 03 Feb 2011 Posts: 73 Location: Bangkok

It gets downright chilly in SZ in Jan.-Feb., so you'll need to buy and use a space heater, or endure the chill with layers of indoor clothing and blankets, etc. No snow, but sometimes cold enough to see your breath. No heat in apartments, space heaters are the norm, run from rmb100 up, and can add a bit to your electric bill in the winter.

sirius black · Joined: 21 Nov 2011 Posts: 41

ruindasia1 · Joined: 03 Oct 2011 Posts: 32 Location: shenzhen, china

i grew up in chicago and if u grew up anywhere remotely close to a coldweather city u will i repeat NOT be cold nor will you EVER think this place is COLD...The place has palm trees for christ's sake! hahah last time i checked palm trees are not located in places where it is freezing cold.
The best way to describe the one to two months of winter we have here is..chilly.

totally fine.
what is humorous though, is to watch the local people dress like it's artic weather, ya know scarfs, down jackets, etc. that to me is just too funny!

Gtomas · Joined: 03 Jun 2010 Posts: 100

Is it true in Shenzhen they speak mostly Mandarin? (wiki says so http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenzhen)

If that's true, it's looking like a much more appealing place to work.

Cyberkada · Joined: 04 Dec 2011 Posts: 306 Location: Xi'an, China

classrooms are likewise unheated, unlike what you might be used in the US/ Europe.

Last week, the temperature hovered around 0C with rain in Xi'an. Inside the concrete bunker of the school, it was colder. All the windows were opened at the school, and students complained it was too hot when I closed them.

I freeze on a daily basis and I'm from Chicago originally.

sistercream · Joined: 18 Dec 2010 Posts: 497 Location: Pearl River Delta

PandaPandemonium · Joined: 01 Oct 2011 Posts: 54

Gtomas · Joined: 03 Jun 2010 Posts: 100

I've been offered a rather vague teaching job in Shenzhen for 10,000 RMB a month. Apparently (up to, they say, but also say maybe not) 26-teaching hours per week. As far as I can tell I would need to plan my own lessons.

The students are elementary level. A cavaet is that the school does not have a Chinese teacher helping class room behaviour. My Chiinese is up to par that I think I could handle things. "Be quiet, sit down, who hasn't read?" etc. etc.

But I'm wondering what kind of work load that would be.

Is 10,000 RMB per month high for Shenzhen? They are also requiring I finish a TEFL before being employed with them. If my 26 teaching hours take ten hours to prepare for I wouldn't take he job.

Don't get me wrong, I'm willing to work and I currently plan all my lessons, but I've found anything above 23 teaching hours (plus lesson planning) ends up feeling like a 40 hour work week.

(Once again, my goal is to study Chinese.)

Anyone know?