applying for jobs again

What level degree do you have?  Bachelor's or Master's.  My University only hires people with a Master's degree (or higher).  They are hiring now, but don't know how many people they need or if all positions are filled.

You all are quite right.  I've mostly been sending e-mails after checking out the websites of schools in the cities I'd like to live in.  I pop over on some job websites from time and time, and can't find anything worth clicking on.  Even ads by RECRUITERS aren't promising anything worthwhile, and they love to lie.

Job hunts suck. You all have my sympathies.

The school my son is attending and where my mom will be working is hiring English teachers. It is an international kindergarten and the pay is good although obviously not everyone enjoys working with kids. You do have to be at the school all day although it isn't a traditional teaching job in that you're "on" the whole time giving lessons. A lot of the time is spent just supervising/helping the children as it is a Montessori school and the children are given a good deal of indepedence. If anyone is interested in that sort of thing then PM me.

Yeah I find most of the jobs on the websites to be below what I would work for, often I check them out to have a laugh.
Honestly the price of living in China keeps going up but the wages stay the same/get lower and the hours increase. For me I love to negotiate and if a school really needs a teacher most will be receptive if you have them over a barrel, if not then find one you can negotiate with.
I don't think I've ever sent in an application from an add besides in the first few months of looking when I was back in Aus.

I have an MA AND a teaching cert from London AND 31 years experience. There HAS to be something out there not in booniesville and with decent conditions,doesn't there??

I just applied for a job but you guys put me right off reading these comments

Is anybody still looking for a job?

If you identify yourself, maybe we'll know something. For instance, my Uni (in Southeast China) will need teachers in September, and it's a good gig. I just don't particularly want to advertise the name, as that would identify me, and perhaps I'm not the only one, so may we do this the skew-wiffy way round. Tell us /me if you're still in limbo, and perhaps you'll be got on the move. This shout out could apply to all teaching jobs, but obviously this is Uni season.

I have an MA AND a teaching cert from London AND 31 years experience. There HAS to be something out there not in booniesville and with decent conditions,doesn't there??

There are..but when it comes to Chinese universities, they like quality, just not that keen on paying for it...You will find something, but you might find that even with an MA, a cert and experience they will still look at you and say "Master's starting salary is 5000, those are the rules, take it or leave it". 

well that's okay ETR cos we will have 2 pensions from over here. IF we get a free apartment and 5,000 and manage to do a few privates we will be happy with that.Not coming to make big bucks just to see the world and meet people.

When I first moved to China I was schlepping in the FT university pool before landing the job that I've stuck with for the last few years. I am no longer being paid by locals, nor am I paid in local currency and I travel to universities and colleges affiliated with the foreign education concern that employs me. I get to know some of the full time foreign teachers toiling away at these schools and we talk shop. Being removed from the situation a little bit, here's what I have noticed.

The average monthly earnings foreign teachers of English are receiving for 16-20 hours of classes hasn't changed in five years. The number of hours for a baseline offer have gone up to meet the increased number of students being squashed into schools. Schools are making more money because more students are being accepted. Salaries and benefits are no longer rising with inflation, student head counts, nor with the demand placed upon foreign teachers by way of class hours worked. Instead of an air ticket to a foreign teacher's home, everything from fuck-awful 4000 RMB to antiquated 6000 RMB remuneration has become a norm. The crooked foreign affairs people claim to the foreign teachers that is how much it costs for them to fly home, but of course the foreign teachers know that to be a deliberate lie. Everything being offered is stuck in 2007.

I suppose an argument can be made that salaries were overinflated back in the day and now it's all catching up. Tough titty. Some foreign teachers of English will brag about their "great salaries," but much of that's a pissing contest of hubris. The number of employment opportunities online outnumber the number of fat salaried jobs available, so let's look at what is there versus what people like to brag about (often bollocks). Those jobs are not readily available and it takes time to find them, or as I can personally claim: it takes time until they find you. I am in the minority. The truth is that salaries have not mirrored local inflation and increased demand placed upon foreign teachers of English.

I have been happy that I got out of that rut, but I have contemplated returning the fold for a semester because I am suffering chronic fatigue from having to travel so much. What I see being offered convinced me to stick with what I've got. Unless you're a pensioner who will take shit wages because this is some kind of exotic Cocoon-style twilight years adventure; they keep things muddy for people who are here to establish real careers. The market is a bit grim right now.

stuck in 2007...The market is a bit grim right now

My uni pay and conditions from 2003 (which weren't that great then I felt) hold up pretty well to the majority of what's on offer today.  It be crazy.

A lot of the better paid jobs (e.g. with joint ventures) seem to have actually scaled back their offers too.

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stuck in 2007...The market is a bit grim right now

My uni pay and conditions from 2003 (which weren't that great then I felt) hold up pretty well to the majority of what's on offer today.  It be crazy.

A lot of the better paid jobs (e.g. with joint ventures) seem to have actually scaled back their offers too.

Yeah I was going to say the exact same thing. Forget 5 years, I doubt conditions at public unis have changed all that much in the past 10 years. And Rollerboogie is absolutely right, the schools have slowly increased the weekly teaching load. 12 hours a week used to be common, but now you see a lot of unis asking for 16-20 hours a week.

Piglett,
 
You're a certified teacher, right? Why not apply at an international school? If you have UK certifications why not start with the schools that offer UK based curriculum?

http://international-schools.mychinastart.com/
http://www.english-schools.org/china/
http://china.international.schools.ac/

Generally, the pay is better, but you'll have to pull "duty" and most likely be required do a "club" too. You'll probably work about 28 hours a week, which may be more than you are willing to work.

My experience has been that employers love to get their hands on certified teachers, but they want to get you for the lowest possible amount, so you'll have to do your homework first. Find out what the others are getting paid, for the same qualifications at that particular school and then let the fine art of contract negotiation commence.

thanks mlaeux I have since been inundated with jobs.I only want a Uni job because I am retiring and I want to work minimum hours to be able to travel and suchlike. I have got mostly jobs of up to 16 hours- money is not the thing right now.(not that I don't love money of course  ),it's just not my major concern.