Andrew Aigner-MuehlerChapter 3..Finding work...
December 14th 2008 04:25
When you are wanting to come to China to find a teaching position. I suggest that you come to China for the first year through a agency like A.I.T.A, TESOL, TEFL or I-2-I.
It is good to know when you arrive for your first year, when you know little Chinese or Mandarin, that you have a school, you have accomodation, you get a bank account set up for you, you have life insurance set up for you here, and most importantly you get picked up from the airport, and then taken to your hotel before being picked up by your school or university in my case.
Before leaving your country you will be given your contract, saying how many hours you will be working, for how much pay with working conditions like holiday pay and breaking the contract. You will know a little about the school, as well as the city that you will be calling home to.
Alot of people will say to you before leaving home, as well as when you are in the country, the money you are on is shit. Do not! and I mean DO NOT! listen to these people. They will try to discourage you from coming to China.
If you would like to do some research on jobs that are advertised with out going through a agency, then checkout www.chinasemester.com or www.craigslist.org, these websites will show you how much on average you will be paid for how many working hours.
You will be on anything from 3500rmb to maybe 10000rmb per month. In my case, I am on 4000rmb per month for a working week of 9.75 hours or 13 lessons, plus I do not pay anything for accomodation/ internet/ laundry/ cable television/ or transport. You can easily live very comfortable on 200 to 300rmb per week (that is going out for dinner every night, and having 3 or 4 meals per day) but, I will tell you more about that later.
I have spoken to other teachers around China, what they are on. For example, I talk to the teachers at the teachers college, they tell me they are on 3500rmb per month for a 15 hour week and they are through another agency. Usually, and also what I have been told, in the smaller cities you will be on a lower wage around 3000 to 6000rmb because the cost of living is low, but if you go to a bigger city, yeah! you may be on 8000 to 10000rmb per month, but the cost of living is much higher, especialy in Beijing, and also you will be working 20 to 25 hours per week.
To me, I think my situation is perfect at the moment, it is the first time, that I have taught in China. I am, at the moment, finding it a bit draining at times, mainly due to it is my first year, it is also the first time I have taught. So working 10 hours a week is good. Maybe, next year I will take the next step and work 20 hours and go for 6000 to 8000rmb, but I know, I will not get 8000rmb in a small city like Chengde.
You will also see alot of teaching positions advertised on seek.com.au also, but the two what I have already mentioned seemed to have alot more advertised. You can also put your resume on the website so schools can seek you. But, I strongly suggest for the first year, you come through a agency.
Also alot of schools want you to commit to a full 12 month contract. Tesol and I-2-I tend to do alot of 3 and 6 month contracts as well. When you are at a school for a 12 month contract, you are usually at the school with another foreign teacher. In my case I am at a middle school teaching grade one and two students, the other foreign teacher only has grade one students, but after the spring holidays, Chinese main holidays in January, we swap over, he has my classes, and I have his classes.
If you do intend on staying in China for over a year, I suggest a 12 month contract also. It does take a while to settle down in a new place ie get use to the new city as well as get use to the new classes. Also, you do not want to relocate your self as often. I think you will find it much harder if you changde schools every 3 or 6 months. I am finding it out now that the students are just getting used to me now after 3 months.
Getting back to finding a job. Agencies are the best way to go, when you come to China for the first time. Do not go with advice from anyone and run with it. Listen to them, but do your research, and go with your instincts. A person may just have to have one bad experience, or be in a personality clash and they will bag that company. I have heard bad things about TESOL also ie they do not pay correctly, you are always chasing up your pay and you get no support from them, but on the otherhand they have been doing this longer than any other company, so they must be doing something right.
Just remember you will always hear the bad things about a company, but never the good things.
Go with your instincts!
It is good to know when you arrive for your first year, when you know little Chinese or Mandarin, that you have a school, you have accomodation, you get a bank account set up for you, you have life insurance set up for you here, and most importantly you get picked up from the airport, and then taken to your hotel before being picked up by your school or university in my case.
Before leaving your country you will be given your contract, saying how many hours you will be working, for how much pay with working conditions like holiday pay and breaking the contract. You will know a little about the school, as well as the city that you will be calling home to.
If you would like to do some research on jobs that are advertised with out going through a agency, then checkout www.chinasemester.com or www.craigslist.org, these websites will show you how much on average you will be paid for how many working hours.
You will be on anything from 3500rmb to maybe 10000rmb per month. In my case, I am on 4000rmb per month for a working week of 9.75 hours or 13 lessons, plus I do not pay anything for accomodation/ internet/ laundry/ cable television/ or transport. You can easily live very comfortable on 200 to 300rmb per week (that is going out for dinner every night, and having 3 or 4 meals per day) but, I will tell you more about that later.
I have spoken to other teachers around China, what they are on. For example, I talk to the teachers at the teachers college, they tell me they are on 3500rmb per month for a 15 hour week and they are through another agency. Usually, and also what I have been told, in the smaller cities you will be on a lower wage around 3000 to 6000rmb because the cost of living is low, but if you go to a bigger city, yeah! you may be on 8000 to 10000rmb per month, but the cost of living is much higher, especialy in Beijing, and also you will be working 20 to 25 hours per week.
You will also see alot of teaching positions advertised on seek.com.au also, but the two what I have already mentioned seemed to have alot more advertised. You can also put your resume on the website so schools can seek you. But, I strongly suggest for the first year, you come through a agency.
Also alot of schools want you to commit to a full 12 month contract. Tesol and I-2-I tend to do alot of 3 and 6 month contracts as well. When you are at a school for a 12 month contract, you are usually at the school with another foreign teacher. In my case I am at a middle school teaching grade one and two students, the other foreign teacher only has grade one students, but after the spring holidays, Chinese main holidays in January, we swap over, he has my classes, and I have his classes.
If you do intend on staying in China for over a year, I suggest a 12 month contract also. It does take a while to settle down in a new place ie get use to the new city as well as get use to the new classes. Also, you do not want to relocate your self as often. I think you will find it much harder if you changde schools every 3 or 6 months. I am finding it out now that the students are just getting used to me now after 3 months.
Getting back to finding a job. Agencies are the best way to go, when you come to China for the first time. Do not go with advice from anyone and run with it. Listen to them, but do your research, and go with your instincts. A person may just have to have one bad experience, or be in a personality clash and they will bag that company. I have heard bad things about TESOL also ie they do not pay correctly, you are always chasing up your pay and you get no support from them, but on the otherhand they have been doing this longer than any other company, so they must be doing something right.
Just remember you will always hear the bad things about a company, but never the good things.
Go with your instincts!
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