Wall Street English: Beijing

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Wall Street English: Beijing
« on: May 28, 2015, 07:54:02 PM »
I have a job offer from WSE in Beijing.

Pay is 17,000 RMB/month
250 RMB food allowance
Monthly bonus if goals are met (unclear what this is exactly thus far)
One month pay bonus for contract completion
Health and Pension plan

I pay my own rent
They'll pay for 14 days in a hotel when I arrive and help me find a place

Lots of work hours: 35 a week
Only 10 vacation days a year + Chinese holidays
Adult classes 5 - 8 students per max

I start out slow, watching for a week, then 1 or 2 classes, eventually ramping up to a full schedule after about 6 weeks. Full pay during all of this time.

Any advice, suggestions, information, experience???

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AMonk

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Re: Wall Street English: Beijing
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2015, 01:12:45 PM »
I'm not so sure this a that good an offer  kkkkkkkkkk


35 hours a week = full-time, more-than-ordinarily even for Western teachers at home = (possible) BurnOut

17,000 sounds OK, until YOU have to pay rent AND utilities ... especially in BJ

Noles?  TLD?  What's your take?
Moderation....in most things...

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BrandeX

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Re: Wall Street English: Beijing
« Reply #2 on: May 29, 2015, 03:23:47 PM »
Eh, it's alright if you want money.
I do 8:30 to 5:30 M-F for 19.5k, but only teach approx 1.5 hours per day.

Surfing the internet and such all day can get boring, but the pay is the most important factor for me at this time.

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Nolefan

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Re: Wall Street English: Beijing
« Reply #3 on: May 29, 2015, 05:24:10 PM »
i would check that working hours and teaching hours are not the same just to retain some sanity.
If you have to teach for 35 hours, just think about the amount of prep needed.
Moneywise, it's a good deal.

depending on the area, a one bedroom flat can be had for 3500 to 6000. There are also plenty of people around living with roommates in fancy flats where you can pay anywhere from 2500 to 3800 judging by the ads floating on my wechat moments.

If you're not out in western restaurants all the time and you're slightly prudent, you should be able to put 7000 a month or more in your savings.

alors régressons fatalement, eternellement. Des débutants, avec la peur comme exutoire à l'ignorance et Alzheimer en prof d'histoire de nos enfances!
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Re: Wall Street English: Beijing
« Reply #4 on: May 29, 2015, 10:48:13 PM »
Hi and thanks. It's 30 hours teaching which I believe are 50 minute classes plus the 10 minutes free between. The extra 5 is something called English Corner which i believe is relaxed kinda free shootin' the shit type of thing.

There is no prep work, it's all done for you. Grab the folder and head to class.

It's similar to my deal in Korea moneywise. More hours of course and less vacation. But this place has run its course.

I'd love a uni gig like cruisemonkey but with a wife and others who depend on me it's not that simple sometimes.

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cruisemonkey

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Re: Wall Street English: Beijing
« Reply #5 on: May 30, 2015, 12:33:25 AM »
If you're not out in western restaurants all the time and you're slightly prudent, you should be able to put 7000 a month or more in your savings.

I work 16 hours (max) a week, have 5 months of paid holidays and save 7000 a month. Yeah, I only make 8000 (+ allowances) a month but the CoL is 'dirt cheap' and I have essentially no expenses except food.

Why work 35 hours a week for 50 weeks a year to save the same amount in the end?
The Koreans once gave me five minutes notice - I didn't know what to do with the extra time.

Re: Wall Street English: Beijing
« Reply #6 on: May 30, 2015, 01:04:39 AM »
Hi and thanks. It's 30 hours teaching which I believe are 50 minute classes plus the 10 minutes free between. The extra 5 is something called English Corner which i believe is relaxed kinda free shootin' the shit type of thing.

There is no prep work, it's all done for you. Grab the folder and head to class.

I've done that kind of work before, though not at Wall Street. Depends on the teacher, of course, but I found 25 hours a week like that to be grueling. It's great if you want to burn in some ESL skills, like if say you've just finished a certificate course and want lots of practice. But to do it as a living you really need some way to make the load lighter - and since you can't opt for fewer hours, it has to be shrugging off some aspects of being a teacher. Which is fine. The job isn't really teacher so much as spot trainer. It can be done.
when ur a roamin', do as the settled do o_0

Re: Wall Street English: Beijing
« Reply #7 on: May 30, 2015, 04:41:43 PM »
If you're not out in western restaurants all the time and you're slightly prudent, you should be able to put 7000 a month or more in your savings.

I work 16 hours (max) a week, have 5 months of paid holidays and save 7000 a month. Yeah, I only make 8000 (+ allowances) a month but the CoL is 'dirt cheap' and I have essentially no expenses except food.

Why work 35 hours a week for 50 weeks a year to save the same amount in the end?

If I could do that gig I'd be all over it. I am quite fucked up. Booze has become my best friend. It's 11:30 am on Saturday and I'm already blasted. I really hope to get an offer from Oscar school. I have decided my line is $1200/month. I don't even give a shit if I don't get paid for July and August when the school is closed.

With Missy working in her shop, I figure she can make $300/month. If we can bring in $1500/month between us we can easily save $500/month and that is pretty good considering the house and everything else is paid for.

Fuck Korea. You know what, I'll be happy sitting in my little house or outside playing with Eva and getting her to chase shape shifters and getting by financially. Sometimes a man just wants to be fucking home and relaxed.

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cruisemonkey

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Re: Wall Street English: Beijing
« Reply #8 on: May 31, 2015, 04:47:06 PM »
Don't come to my uni if you're 'whacked' on booze & Vallium!

We just got rid of a guy from Cambodia where he was getting some powerful tranquilizer 'over the counter'. He started using it to help him sleep... and became dependent. He'd been taking almost three times the max. daily dose for over two years (you're not supposed to take it for more than 14 days). It's completely illegal in China and can't be prescribed by a doctor.

The withdraw was not pretty - he wen't nuts.
The Koreans once gave me five minutes notice - I didn't know what to do with the extra time.

Re: Wall Street English: Beijing
« Reply #9 on: June 01, 2015, 10:24:44 PM »
I worked at WSE in Shenzhen for 1 year about 3 years ago. The only reason I left is because of the work conditions for teachers- I loved all the students, staff & management, even the teaching facilities and curriculum. But 10 days annual leave? Screw that, I'm Aussie and not a slave!

Are you on 30 or 35 hours? I thought the only option was 25 & 35 hours. Anyway, I started on 25 hours and begged to be out on full time (you can't do much in the mornings still working just 25 hours/ wk). Generally it's 1-9pm and it works that the first hour is the service hour, so you mainly organise your classes for the day (you will get rosters in advance, and the SA's will organise the student report sheets for you the night before), doing student reports etc, and preparing Social Clubs & English Corners (burgh). Then it's 3 classes, a 1 hour break, then 3 more classes, maybe 10mins to finish the reports for the night (just inputting results in & filing) and you're out the door! Depending on the centre, you could work say 10-6, or 12-8 etc. That really played on my body and I did get very sick and in bed for 7 days with near pneumonia about 8 months in. You MUST look after yourself, forget going out and drinking, except on "weekends" (which won't be like your other friends weekends, your will be midweek!).

You'll get a week's training, understanding the system and mainly how to prepare & conduct Encounters- they are your main lessons & have up to 4 students (pretty rare). After this week, you'll be in centre for about 2 weeks mainly getting in to prepare every lesson plan for every Encounter- they'll give you 2 weeks to do this. Don't muck around, get it done, you'll thank me later! When you finish doing all these (48 + the Mastery & Milestones) I really advise getting as many lesson plans done for the CC's as possible. Otherwise you will just be coming in earlier to finish doing them after your 2 weeks! The worst is English Corners, I often had to spend time preparing them at home, always running out of ideas!

It's not hard, and you will meet some incredible and influential students (the movers and shakers of China- heck, I gave lessons to the chairwoman of Huawei  aoaoaoaoao!) but I just wish they would give their employees more consistent schedules. I would definitely work for WSE again, just not in China.
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1.

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El Macho

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Re: Wall Street English: Beijing
« Reply #10 on: June 02, 2015, 06:31:05 PM »
Questions to ask:

What is my exact take home pay on a salary of 17,000 RMB? How much do I pay in tax? How much do I pay in social insurance?

Can I have some of my salary count as housing reimbursement and be untaxed?

Will I have consecutive days off?

It's not a ton of money for Beijing, especially for the hours. But a year is more than enough time to make connections for something better…or to realize how good you had it in Korea ;)