I have a job interview @ 4 AM in China!

[AlecBGreen]

well, over the phone at least. Im calling my (hopefully) future employer in 45 minutes to discuss my job offer. I am applying to teach English to children in Guizhou, China this August. I called him earlier tonight which was 10 AM China time, but he was already gone. The secretary politely suggested that I call back @ 5 pm, which translates to 4 AM here in Winchester, VA. What else could I say but "Uh...ok..." Any suggestions on how to handle this? The only thing I can think of is to refer to him politely in Mandarin and just hope my skills of persuasion can get me the job...

[Old and In the Way]

1. Where's Guizhou? Southern China?

If so, and you get the job, PM me and let me know. I have connections in Zhongshan, lot's of ex-pats if you need comraderie (which you will).

[AlecBGreen]

2. yeah SE China

http://www.chinatefl.com/indexe.asp

Any contacts you could send my way would be great!

edit: 30 min and counting :bounce:

[Pert_UK]

3. Have you taught English before or been to China? I have!

I went to Shanghai to teach English in Feb last year. Unfortunately the company I was working for (a Brit company with a Brit boss) were a complete nightmare, and broke pretty much all promises and contractual obligations.....Unfortunately, they could get away with it because they were in China and had all the contacts, whereas the other teachers and me didn't. I lasted 2 months before I left, and while I was there an average of one teacher a week left, and this is in a pretty small private company. Of course SARS didn't really make life any more comfortable, and 2 weeks after I left all the schools closed to contain any possibility of spreading it.

I have many friends who have lived and worked teaching English in China who have loved it, but you do have to make sure that you get a company (or school) with whom you are 100% happy. There ARE good jobs there, but on the other hand there are MANY Chinese schools and recruiters who are dishonest. Remember that once you have paid to fly around the world to take up a job they think that you're stuck and may try to get away with changing terms and conditions.

On one occasion, a Chinese recruiter forgot that my friend spoke Putonghua and made a comment about how "Recruiting Westerners was like selling niggers into slavery" and everyone laughed. In addition, the Chinese people are brought up to believe that they are the superior race and that Westerners can never be as clever as them - hence taxi drivers believe that you won't notice if they drive around the same block 5 times to run up the meter.

I'm really not trying to put you off - I loved China and most of the people were wonderful and friendly and honest, and the whole way of life is amazing to experience. Also, Guizhou should be really nice - I spent a week in Yunnan and that was amazing, and was also in Guanghzhou for a couple of weeks. Shanghai was great, although not much greenery!

Basically, if you get the right company and the right school you will have an amazing time, but make sure you find out as much as possible beforehand and get it all in writing! It sounds like you already have some language skills, which will also help a great deal - I was pretty limited in what I could say or understand, and wasn't there long enough to develop my Mandarin.

Good luck!

[scottcsmith]

4. Good luck

My wife works for Intel here in Oregon, and we may do a job-exchange with Intel Shanghai after her 15-year-old graduates from high school. I don't know how mainland China is, my only exposure was a few visits to Hong Kong prior to the return of Hong Kong rule to China.

[Pert_UK]

5. Shanghai is very similar to HK...

Far more open and Westernised than a lot of China, although the news is still heavily censored.

For example, I was living in a thoroughly Chinese tower block estate on the outskirts of Shanghai, and there were two IKEA stores nearby, a Pizza Hut and a KFC.

Hooray for progress.

P.

[JCMach1]

6. Good luck! I teach at a University in the UAE

It has been a lot of fun being an economic expat!!!