The second in a short series for “Laowai’ thinking of coming to work as an ESL teacher in China.

I post under the name ‘Dos’ on the eslteachersboard site. I have been in China for more than three years in a variety of schools as teacher and head teacher. One of my duties as head teacher in a couple of the schools has been to recruit new teachers.

I wrote my first article a while ago about Visas do’s and don’ts for China . I have had quite a few e-mails from people saying they found the article useful. I thank-you for your responses. I also had an e-mail from a purported Chinese employer asking that I *remove* the article, as it was in-accurate and scaring away teachers!! Sounds like someone read my article and a dodgy school somewhere suddenly had to try and answer some piercing questions! I responded asking him/her to point out any mistakes in the advice I had written. I haven’t had a response yet.

Once other fairly major change is that the Green Book is no more, at least as a Green book. You now get a visa stuck in your passport, which I guess is both good and bad. Good as it will generally be harder for the more ‘dodgy’ schools to try to hold on to your passport as they tried to hold on to the Green Books. Bad because you will have to carry your passport around with you more. (And it takes up a page a year in your passport as well).

I have also heard of a general ‘tightening up’ of procedures around China. It is slowly becoming harder and harder for schools to change a visitors visa for a working one. Two years ago I would have said you could come to China on a visitor visa and not have to worry (too much) about finding a school that can arrange a work visa. These days I would advise against such an approach, though there are still trips down to Hong Kong!

Okay, enough waffle. I said in my last document that I would write another article about contracts. Actually this one is more of a general waffle than that. Basic advice on coming to work in China.

Why come to China?

Firstly, you need to ask yourself some questions:

How adaptable are you?

*Are you the sort of person who can survive well in a small town with few amenities?

*Eat local food and adapt easily to local customs?

*Or do you have to have the ‘western city’ environment, with all the ‘luxuries’ that come with that.

*What about pollution?

*Can you stomach baking hot summers with minimal AC, or sub-zero winters with little heating?

*Do you mind if the water in your apartment goes off for several days at a time, and do constant electrical blackouts bother you?

*Enjoy sandstorms?

*Can you tolerate garbage in the street and the stairwells?

*Are you fit enough to climb the 102 steps to your apartment?

*Can you survive being stared at on the streets?

*Enjoy high levels of noise?

*What about being called in to work and told that you have a new class in 5 minutes?

All the above questions above may cover the more negative points about China, but you ask anyone who has been here a while, and see if they aren’t true!! Prepare yourself for strange sights the likes of which you have never seen before. Ever had a dream you were walking down the street in your pajamas? Well here you can see it in action! Freshly slaughtered dog to your taste? Chow down bro!

China has many strange and wonderful sights even for the hardened traveler. And I have never been in a country where a bottle of beer is half the price of a can of coke!

If you are willing to experience the good, the bad and the strange then come to China, you will love it! (Except for those frustrating days when you just want to punch the next person who says ‘Hello’ to you on the street.)

If you like your life organized and well ordered, I would say: consider another country.

Okay. Enough of the dire warnings. If you are still with me, let’s get down to brass tacks.

Firstly let’s touch on that old chestnut: Recruiters. I have seen many posts about recruiters on the net, mostly negative I have to say. I have only had one experience with a recruiter, from an employer point of view, which was also negative. The school paid the recruiter, the recruiter didn’t pay the teacher.

For China, I really don’t think you need a recruiter! There are hundreds, thousands of jobs out there on the net, you should be able to find something yourself with a little effort.

A recruiter would probably say: Use us because we can vet employees and help support teachers in their new environment. If this were the case, then perhaps recruiters would be a good idea, at least for someone entering the market for the first time. In reality, so it seems, the recruiter only seems to cloud the issues, and add another step in the mis-communication chain. Make your own decisions, but… Don’t send money or original documents!!!

When looking for a position, do some browsing. Go through a lot of adverts and see what the general market is, what the salary levels are for your level of experience, perks, holidays and general other conditions.

Private schools usually pay more, but they expect more from their teachers too. State schools usually have many less teaching hours, and longer holidays, but the pay is also less of course.

Pretty much any school will offer accommodation. Some apartments are better than others, though legally an apartment should be approved for ‘foreign residence’ by the relevant authorities. In reality the offerings are mixed. My first apartment in China was on the seventh floor (with dark, garbage strewn stairwells ruled by some breed of mutant rat) a not-very-large-room, with a bed, a TV, a desk and a closet. The bathroom was certainly not large enough to swing even a small cat, and the shower left a lot to be desired. The small kitchen was basic, though I didn’t often go in there often as the cockroaches had long ago claimed it as their own. I could only have one heating device on at a time without the fuse blowing. Having said all that, it was okay for me at the time. My current apartment is in a very nice block, two bedrooms, well equipped, generally roach free kitchen and a nice shower/toilet which even sports a bath!

Most schools pay the apartment utility fees, with the probably exception of the phone bill, though there are a growing number of schools who only pay some, or none of your bills.

Holidays:
State schools/universities often have long school holidays. Some pay you (rates vary) during these holidays, some don’t. Private schools have hard, long hours during the peak months of July and August. Otherwise you are generally looking at busy weekends and evenings.

Some private schools offer you paid holiday over the state holidays, some don’t.

Medical insurance:
There are various levels of medical insurance ranging from none, to fairly comprehensive.

Salary for a standard teacher is usually in the 5,000-6,000 range, though there is lower and higher of course. Some cities are cheaper to live in than others. Shanghai, for example, is generally more expensive (as you would expect) and there is more to spend your money on. On the other hand, a small town out in the middle of no-where will likely cost you next to nothing to live in, though the facilities may be found wanting.

Look at what is important to you, and what you think you can live with.

Correspondence:
Once you have had a good look at the adverts, and decided what location and type of school is right for you then obviously you need to contact them. Most of the time this is done by e-mail.

Here’s an important tip: Keep ALL of your e-mail correspondence, both sent and received. It may be useful at a later time in proving that the school offered this, or said that. Read the e-mail very carefully, remember they are often sent by Chinese whose grasp of English may not be very good. If there is any doubt about any important point, clarify it. When you send e-mails, try and keep them simple and clear.

What should you send? A short cover letter with attachments, including your resume (CV), and a copy of your passport. You can send a copy of your degree/TEFL as well, but this can wait for a later date.

Keep your attachments small! The internet connections in China can vary in reliability and speed, and Chinese computers are amongst the most virus ridden I have ever seen. They may not have fast broadband access, and a 5Mb file will not be appreciated. I have discarded applications before simply because I can’t be bothered to wait for a huge file (or a load of huge files) to open.

Your cover letter should be short and to the point. Someone who has received 50 applications likely won’t read a 5 page introduction, take my word for it! You can go into more detail at a later date, should things proceed. Here’s a tip. You are applying for a job as an English teacher. Check your e-mail for spelling and grammar errors!!! I pretty much automatically reject a poorly written e-mail without bothering to open any attachments. If you can’t make an effort, then why should I?

Ask questions:
If the school replies, then it is time to ask more in-depth questions.

*Ask to see photos of the school and the apartments (if possible).

*Ask for other teacher’s e-mails at the school and e-mail them.

*Ask them about the conditions and treatment at the school. Find out as much as you can!

*Ask them to e-mail you the contract. Read it carefully and question anything you find un-clear. If things are not clear, then re-write them. Get the school to confirm and agree to the changes in writing. ALWAYS do these things as soon as possible, the best time is before you go.

Remember: A contract doesn’t have to be signed as it is! You can always get it amended! The amount of people who sign any old piece of paper put in-front of them is amazing. Then they complain later that they have to pay a huge fee if they want to leave early. I am sorry, I have NO sympathy for people who sign a contract with a horrible clause in, then complain about it later.

If you leave it until you are physically AT the school before you start doing these things, then you will have much less leverage in getting things changed.

Whatever you do: DON’T hand over your passport until you have the contract sorted out to your satisfaction! If you do that, then any dispute will be so much harder to resolve, as the school will have you by the short and curlies if you give them a hard time.

Be suspicious! It is a horrible thing to say, but it may save you grief at a later date. Any school whose intentions are honorable will understand your concerns and try to help resolve them.

Cancellation fees:
Many schools put large ‘cancellation’ fees in their contracts. If the teacher wishes to leave before the contract is up, then they point to this clause. This type of clause is a bad idea for both the school and the teacher.

If the teacher is unhappy, they have two choices:

They approach the school and state they wish to leave, and the school demands a huge sum of money from them, which they likely don’t have. Arguments ensue and, since the school generally holds most of the cards, the teacher either loses out on money, ends up staying unhappily or…

Choice 2 ... doing a ‘midnight run’ and departing with stealth, which leaves the school ranting and raving and with problems covering classes. Can be nerve racking for the teacher as well. I have heard stories of teachers literally climbing over the wall to escape! It happens!

The best thing to do with a contract with this sort of penalty clause in is: not to sign it. If the school has to put one in, then they obviously have had trouble with teachers leaving at short notice in the past, and this in itself is a danger sign.

Payday:
In China it is quite common for companies to say to staff: “Sorry, we don’t have your pay ready today, come back next week”. It happens. Of course, this sort of thing is not acceptable in the west. You need to make this very clear from the beginning. Put a specific clause in the contract that says if you are paid late, the school has broken the contract and you won’t teach any more classes until you are paid. You have to stand firm on this, though it can be hard at times. The employers sometimes forget you are out here on your own. Chinese staff generally have family they can turn to in times of hardship, you (probably) don’t.

On the other side of the fence…
Don’t forget to look at the school’s point of view as well, understand that private schools are not there for fun. They are a business which, at the end of the day, is open to make money. If you sign a contract saying you will teach 24 hours a week, and will hand out flyers at a local school, then you can’t complain when they ask you to teach 24 hours a week and hand out flyers. That said, you should add a clause into your contract saying you have the right to refuse classes given to you with less than 24(36 whatever) hours notice. If you don’t do this, then again, you may well be asked (at 6pm) to teach ‘tomorrow morning’. Without recourse to a contractual clause, you have no real way of saying no.

Photos:
Often Chinese schools want to take photos of their teachers and stick them in adverts. If you don’t want to do this, then put a clause in your contract to this effect.

Chinese workplaces and attitudes are very different from the west:
The employees are far less likely to ‘stand up for themselves’. They will work long hours for the company, and will be expected to put the company before themselves. This, generally, is not the western way (!!) and it can cause conflict…

Cultural conflicts:
China is, as I have said already, a very different place to the west. That’s one reason you want to be here right?

Of course, this means different attitudes. You may be lucky and work for a company which is managed by a (good and efficient) western staff/manager. These managers, if they are any good, will act as a ‘filter’ on behalf of the teaching staff, blocking out and rejecting some of the incompatibilities. On the other hand, you may work directly for a Chinese boss who has no idea about managing westerners. This is often the worst case scenario, and mis-understandings are easy to come by.

I have already touched on a couple, the late pay, the lack of notice. Well, there are others too. For example, a Chinese person may laugh or smile if they are embarrassed, have been ‘caught out’ or if they have no answer to a question. To a westerner it looks like they are laughing at you, and tempers flare quickly. Alternatively they will answer ‘Yes’ or ‘Ok’ to a question if they don’t understand it, as they think they will lose face if they are seen to not comprehend. This makes things go wrong later when the westerner asks about the progress of something which has not even been started yet!

How to reduce these conflicts?
The first step is to be aware of them! However, this is not always possible of course.

Next, well, ‘prevention is better than cure’ as they say. In your initial dealings with the school and the contract, a detailed list of your duties and the schools expectations can help. If you are lucky enough to have a good translator then this helps no end.

Please be aware!! The best translators are locals who DON’T work for the school. Someone you can trust, (many teachers have Chinese girlfriends/boyfriends who they draft in for this task). People who work for the boss may not translate accurately for a variety of reasons. (They may not understand properly for example, and rather than ‘lose face’ by asking you again, they will translate what they think you probably meant!!)

Next, put everything down in writing (a memo) and give a copy to your boss/supervisor/whomever and keep a record of it yourself. Make sure you date it and write these notes in simple and clear English. This can help mis-understandings and you also have a record of things agreed upon.

An important cultural difference.
I have been waffling on about how you need to get everything in the contract. HOWEVER, you should be aware that in China a contract is often considered more of a ‘guideline’ than anything set in stone. You should state clearly (and also in writing!) that you expect the school to honor this contract early on in the proceedings. Make it plain that you are not from China and westerners do it this way.

All of the above is prevention. If things go pear shaped you have it to back you up. However, if the school is really a dodgy one, none of this will matter. The school boss will probably have good contacts with the local police (or more shady types!). If he/she wishes to make your life miserable, then likely the contract isn’t going to help you at all. If you are careful with your research then you should minimize the chances of ending up in this situation, but if it happens then you need to be careful. If you want to leave, consider what will likely happen if you are up front and honest about it. I am not saying you should run, but think carefully before you talk about leaving. Once you have signaled your intentions this way, then the boss will be alert and likely things will be harder for you.

Let me state, this is a worse case scenario, but, IT HAPPENS!

Enough of the doom mongering. If you are careful, do your research then things shouldn’t fall to that level.

Face:
‘Face’ is a big thing with adults in China. If someone thinks he/she has lost face, then they will do anything in their power to recover it. Money will become a secondary concern.

The problem with being a foreigner in China is that you can never quite tell what will cause someone ‘lose of face’. It’s a bit like being in a huge minefield, the first you know something is wrong is when you leg is blown off.

If you cause a lose of face to someone in China, and worse, someone powerful in China, then you can be in trouble. Seriously. Go to the school and ask for help. It can come down to whose contacts have the most clout in the end.

If you cause the school to lose face, then you can expect them to want to fine you at best. Your best bet is to apologize profusely and ‘give face’ to them.

It is too hard to give specific advice on this issue, just be aware that face is important.

The ‘cycle’:
Honeymoon
When you come to China (especially if it your first time) then things will be new and exciting. Likely the school will be on its best behavior, you will be wined and dined and see new and exciting sights in your new home.

Depression
This honeymoon period generally lasts for about 2 months, after that you may find yourself entering ‘depression’. You miss you homeland, food and friends. Everything in China sucks and you swear that the next person that spits next to your foot will be made to suffer!

This is the time when many are tempted to throw in the towel. Before you give in, think. Is it really that bad? See if you can stick it out another month.
Some people are affected by this stage worse than others. It depends on too many factors to list here, but if you can grit your teeth and live through it you will start to make new friends, pick up the language a bit and generally settle in. If it is an ongoing thing then, well not everybody can handle China!

Acclimatization
Once past this ‘depression’ stage you become acclimatized, and from then on it’s only your next class you have to worry about…

Okay, that’s about enough. If this document seems to be rather negative, please remember that I wish you to avoid the worst that China has to offer. It has many, many good things to offer as well, and all of the above happens to the minority of teachers at a minority of schools.

Being well prepare to come to another country, with an open mind and with research backing you up, the chances are you will have a great time here.

Come on over! Live a little!

Dos
Dosdosdos @ mailbolt (dot) com.

Disclaimers: All of the above is advice only. It is stuff I have picked up or heard about whilst in China. I can’t and don’t guarantee anything! If you disagree with anything written here, please feel free to e-mail me. Sensible e-mails will always be responded to and I am not too big a man to admit I may be wrong. Sometimes. Do not eat. Non-flammable. Should not be used by the under 5s. Do not leave in direct sunlight. May cause foot ache if used instead of shoes. Colors may vary. Batteries not included.