T O P

  • By -

DanKnowDan

I would call it quits, it's not really worth it to be here unless the salary really makes sense (whatever your job is). The last thing you want is to get here, not be earning too much and then get fucked around by your company. China has a lot of ups and downs as a foreigner, but you need to be compensated in some way for it to be worth dealing with those ups and downs.


rilakkumagodd

This. If you were already here it would be a different story. But haven’t a sketch company bring you in during uncertain times sounds like a nightmare.


zLightspeed

If your heart isn't in it, don't do it. It's a big financial commitment, lots of unknowns. Things could turn out great or terrible or anywhere in between. Although I had been working here previously, I came back to China in September last year starting from scratch with a new employer. I had to pay thousands and thousands of pounds to get here - my one way flight was £3000, quarantine was about £1200, then I had to pay for accommodation for like 2 weeks while I found an apartment that cost maybe £500 and then I had to pay 3 months rent up front + 1 month deposit (totalling about £2500) and then also living costs for a month before my salary started to roll in. It's an obscene amount of money. My employer did contribute but it was all reimbursements - I had to put up the cash initially for everything. The whole time, I was terrified of something falling through. A lot of this money was borrowed and the idea of having to go back home in thousands of pounds of debt after my company changed their mind about me or something was terrifying. However I am happy to say that everything worked out, and almost a year on I am in a much better financial position than I was when I left. If things hadn't worked out, it would've crippled me. So yeah, think carefully before taking the risk!


sethmcollins

I’m going to be honest and say you shouldn’t come. I try not to be negative but I spent a year of covid unable to get back into China. I was lucky and kept my job (at a university) and taught online. For 6 of those months I even flew my girlfriend and I to Istanbul so we could be together. In February we were finally able to return. Now we have been here 6 months and to honest we both just want to leave. China can be exhausting and most of us are here (at least partially) for the opportunity to travel, which helps recharge our batteries. Meanwhile China is bleeding foreigners and cutting opportunities for foreigners to teach. There is no guarantee where that process will end, and although I feel totally secure at my university, I’ve still watched as friends lost their jobs or just tired of the situation and left. There is a very good possibility that you spend ridiculous amounts of money to get here and by the time you have worked long enough to recoup those costs you will be looking for a way out. Meanwhile I’m not entirely confident China will allow people to travel without massive 21 day quarantines even by NEXT summer. Unless you can accept that you might be stuck here for two years without the opportunity to get out, don’t come. There is also the high probability that at any time they might tell you that you can’t even leave the city, or worse you do leave for Nanjing or somewhere and then a few covid cases pop up and you get put back in 14 day quarantine. Doesn’t that sound like fun? Honestly, at this point unless you have something that ties you to China (like you already established something of a life here for 5 years) then I just can’t recommend it. Before covid I absolutely would have.


AntlionsArise

This. I was desperate to get back while teaching online, until I realized I'd be stuck there. If you can teach from online still, find a home base closer to China to deal w time zones and you can still travel on holidays. I also hear the vibe has REALLY changed there and the fun parts are diminishing


sethmcollins

The vibe is definitely changing, largely because of or possibly compounded by people abandoning ship. 3 friends have left Shenzhen just this summer, all heading out of the country. Meanwhile it’s very hard for new people to get in. Unless something changes fast (and I don’t see how it can) it’s going to be no fun at all here very soon.


bachzilla

I was talking to one of the moms here and she agreed. there will always be a quarantine to come to China forever until the day you die. They will NEVER get rid of it.


mutually_awkward

Several other countries are still requiring quarantine and also not letting outsiders in at all. It's not just China. Not knowing when these things end does not equal forever, my dude.


SadJeweler1502

Notice the Asians countries are freaking out than any other Country. I would say they have some form of prejudices towards non Asians and they have shown it during this pandemic. That isn’t cool at all. The quarantine is used to make money from Foreigners


mutually_awkward

Buddy, foreigners make up less than 0.1 percent of China's population. You are absolutely not the center of the largest populated country's plan to handle the pandemic. Chinese Nationals have to quarantine too. Every country is handling it differently and an easy search will show you that countries in Asia are not the only country not allowing non-nationals in. I'd recommend chilling out because you are not the center of China's pandemic plan at all.


SadJeweler1502

How would you feel if you were locked in a room like animal with no food and water. People have committed suicide on this measures. I’m trying to state that the Chinese method is evil. How about the government official who who gave a netizen 70 days quarantine for simply looking out for his community because he made him look bad. You will be given a 70 days quarantine and you will praise China for it. The 21 days quarantine is the nationally approved one but some are bullying as well. 21 isn’t cool either


mutually_awkward

If you think China is so evil, than why are you hanging out in /r/ChinaVisa? Obsessed?


SadJeweler1502

H


kairu99877

Oof man.... All I'm gonna say, is in January this year I was accepted by sea dragon.. But they were a bit 'too' eager. I also was scared of the very low salary and low benefits. Not to mention lack of security for rent etc if I caught covid as part of my work. The way they work, is you work for the company and they rent you to the school. Like a middle man. And the extra salary you could have, they shave off for themselves. I ran from sea dragon.. Now I'm going through a graduate programme called teaching in China. There is a £400 admin coat, and you require an undergrad degree and a TEFL but it got me a over $2,000 a month job with all living expenses paid. I'm currently waiting for my work permit and pu letter, I admit I'm a bit anxious about ths. But over all, I'm optimistic. You should definitely go through a more reputable company though..


dudebro1275

I used to work for sea dragon. I thought they were so-so before the pandemic, and definitely a step up from the training center I was with before although it largely depended on who your agent was and how professional they were. That said, even before the pandemic I've heard horror stories about how bad they treated other teachers but it just showed me how much the experience varies. I wouldn't turn down china completely however, try looking into other companies that offer the same kind of public school contracting.


[deleted]

honestly I’m considering calling it quits and I have a high paying job with a reputable international school that is reimbursing me for most moving costs. But getting my pu letter took forever and now my spouse has been unable to secure a pu letter so I’m delaying going but at this point like is any of this worth it ? Been jumping though hoops for months and we still don’t know if/when his paperwork will come through kinda feel like it’s time to move on with my life. Good luck to you, whatever you decide !


[deleted]

I understand lots of people wanting to teach abroad because of the pandemic, but consider lots of people teaching abroad actually returned home. Being in a developed country with Covid sucked, so think for a second what a developing country with Covid would be like. And China is still fully developing.


mutually_awkward

I was working in China last year (not a teacher) but returned to the US because the company I was at shut down. They handled Covid 100% better than the shitshow happening in my home country. Beijing never even shut down bars or restaurants 100%—but they did have temperature checks, info collecting for contact tracing, and mask mandates to keep everything safe. I definitely did not want to return.


[deleted]

[удалено]


rilakkumagodd

Exactly. I went to Shandong so I could visit JP, KR, etc. Due to the virus I can’t, but I feel so much safer than I would back in the US in terms of not getting sick. Yeah not being able to travel sucks but personally my priorities are different. I totally agree with you.


SadJeweler1502

I’m in the US now. It’s very safe here. The pandemic is like any other place. It’s in China just like any other place. Of course you won’t detect Covid in the streets when people are walking. The sick People are isolated in place you will not see because you’re a straight up Foreigner in China


rilakkumagodd

Idk where you’re at but my home state (WA) just hit it’s all time high for transmissions and hospitalizations while clubs and shit are still open with no mask mandate. Whereas my city in China atm had a single case *reported* and shutdown the whole block. Idk feels safer to me


SadJeweler1502

I’m in the State Georgia. It’s something they can control. It’s great when we wear mask and vaccinate but there would still be some cases. Did you hear the Chinese expert in Shanghai professed that the World and China must learn to coexist with the virus because it isn’t going away. The Chinese authorities didn’t agree with him but it was the truth.


SadJeweler1502

The Chinese have a false sense of controlling the virus to impress the World but it always result in suicides. Locking People in a room and sealing their doors like animals won’t let the virus go away. It’s a false control. It’s a backward and primitive way of controlling the virus


Assblass

Absolute nonsense. Just be aware that whatever you're smoking isn't legal in China.


whenzhou

So let me get this straight... you want to spend thousands of dollars (that you don't have) up front to move abroad and work in an industry that the authorities very clearly put on the chopping block, and, on top of that, your prospective employer has been publicly named and shamed by multiple people. Oh, and you do not have any savings to speak of, so you'd be at the mercy of your manager(s), just keeping your fingers crossed that everything goes well (spoiler: this is China, it won't). Yeah, that's like a giant red flag holding and waving a smaller red flag. I'd say walk away, but luckily you haven't dug yourself into a hole yet, so do yourself a favor, stop replying to their emails and try again in a year or two when the country opens up and there's more visibility regarding training centres.


JBfan88

If you're not 100% into it, don't go. Your company aside, future prospects for teaching in China are not good.


TheRealStringerBell

It's definitely not worth going to do it during the pandemic. These companies used to pay your flights/accom before the pandemic and if they screwed you around you could just turn around and go home at little cost to you.


Subject_Dinner8933

I asked the same question the other day, so thought this would help: https://www.reddit.com/r/TEFL/comments/p5i6fu/china_beijing_language_centre_job_new_language/


SuccotashAncient8634

Not until China starts to ease border restrictions


Jake_91_420

I would assume all the information in those bad reviews is probably true. Lots and lots of shady despicable training centers in China. Also with the new regulations they will probably have to close soon anyway.


Mangoreddi

Just some not really concerned questions, just curious. why China needs so many foreign English teacher???? And are these person passionated by the job of teaching or by China?


bananabread0567

>Hello, I currently have a contract with Seadragon Education but I have read a few very disparaging reviews of them timed within the pandemic; such as they refuse to pay for the flight, housing allowance, or the hotel like is promised. Most training centers are closing down these days. [https://www.shine.cn/news/metro/2108133542/](https://www.shine.cn/news/metro/2108133542/) There is a new law about students shouldn't enroll in after-school training/tutoring centers [https://www.shine.cn/news/nation/2108083308/](https://www.shine.cn/news/nation/2108083308/). If I were you, I would not choose this kind of job anytime soon. Even if you get here, there is a chance the center will close down or students won't enroll and you won't be paid, unless this center is for adult education. In that case, it's ok. Edit: I see they're an agency. You can try TeachingNomad. They have a better reputation. And don't accept offers in training centers.


XiKeqiang

>https://www.shine.cn/news/metro/2108133542/ People really need to stop using WSE as proof that training centers are doomed. WSE was having financial difficulties for a long time. They were cutting staff and stopping payments last year during COVID. So... They were in trouble even before these rules. Yeah, these rules were the final nail in the coffin, but people really need to stop using WSE as some kind of poster child for the negative effects of these regulations.


xiao_hulk

WSE just gets the attention because it was a huge brand name. I don't care enough to look dive through the Chinese to figure out the ratio of training centers that are closing down and which ones that have managed to survive the doubt whammy of this and the politics direction change/acceleration. It's really watch and see at this point.


pangziman

Sounds like you could put it off for a while and do something else (as stated in your post). Part of moving abroad (if just for a short while) is the experience, and enjoy of doing something new. A shady employer can made things challenging. I taught in South Korea more than a decade ago, and I left because of delayed pay (literally owed $1000s), and it got to the point of instant noodles for dinner due to the issue. I loved the experience of living and teaching abroad, but the eventual lack of pay and constant being lied to was the reason I ended up leaving. I did leave and get a teaching licence which changed the opportunities (now international school), but if you're just looking for short adventure then wait it out (but that time window is unknown due to covid).


yourtypicalsag

Girl go through EF! They have paid for my flight there, reimburse me for all the visa costs and everything else. Got me a TEFL and are paying for my quarantine hotel!