How to get a start teaching in China? Part 2

[Hypiereon]

Getting your foot in the GREAT WALL
PART TWO

After you get one good school in your pocket, do it all over again. Get at least three. If you get them all in the same city – all the better.

Next, contact a back-packer guest house in the city you want to go to. For Example in ChengDu go here -->

http://www.hostelz.com/display.php/35944+Mix+&+Backpackers'+Guesthouse+Youth+Hostel
(just cut and paste this into your browser)

They are very cheap compared to hotels (and more like the accommodations you'll find at many schools I'm afraid), and far more friendly and helpful. In my experience, back-packer guests houses have staff that speak better English than the hotels, and you are going to have a chance to meet other foreigners there. The guest house will almost certainly arrange for you to be picked up from the airport (if one won’t another will – I haven’t seen one yet that wouldn’t), and will even be able to help to exchange money on the black market. Most of the time they do this just to be friendly, but be aware of the most recent exchange rates so you don’t get ripped off.

Staying at a back-packer guesthouse accomplishes several things all at once. It allows you to be alone without anyone from the school breathing down your neck, it gives you time to get over jet-lag, it gives you a chance to exchange currency, make some friends, get to know your little corner of the world a bit, and gain some of that confidence you’ll be needing later.

If you can arrange to have the foreigner you met through e-mail to meet you at the guesthouse to take you to the school on the day of your appointment – that would be ideal. However, should that not work out, you can always ask the personnel from the guesthouse to hail a cab and send you off (be sure to get their card or address written down so you can show it to a taxi driver and get yourself back again.)

Once at the school on the day appointed, ask to see the on-campus accommodations. You can ask for more money in the contract if the accommodations are found wanting – they almost certainly will be. Then if you are satisfied, ask to see the contract, then whip out your own and start making comparisons. (See my “Negotiating Points for Contracts” and a sample contract – or just e-mail me at hypiereon@hotmail.com and I’ll send you a copy). Explain to them what changes you want made, bargain with them about salary, and all the other things, and then leave them to make the changes. Tell them, “I have a couple of other schools to check out over the next few days, so how about we meet again on (?) date and at (?) time.” They will be taken aback at the very least, and if anything registers on their faces at all you have scored major points for yourself. If they bumble about with your proposed date and time then simply ask them when you can come back to look over the changes to the contract, and make sure you set a date and time. Repeat it several times, and smile a lot (they will).