Ask Headmaster Ken

My current 10-month contract runs out at the end of June then I will be starting a new contract at different university in another city in Hunan province.

I was under the impression it would be quite easy to find employment for 2 months over the summer. I have also been told by various people that salaries and private tuition fees, are also much higher over the summer, due to it being peak season for training schools and with most foreign teachers returning to their home countries at this time.

I have contacted a few training schools who were advertising positions , although all of them tell me that they are looking for full time teachers. And I just get them calling me everyday desperately asking me to breach my go and work for them full-time instead.

That said, I have been offered a position at a training school (through an agent- she also helped me find the job at the university I will work at next term) starting July 1st until mid August in the new city I will be moving to. I have contacted the university (through the agent) where I will start teaching on Sept 1st and they have said it is fine for me to move in and live there over the summer. I really want to work and don't want to be stuck hanging around for two months so this would be ideal.

However the package they are offering me is as follows;
July 1st to mid-August, 6 hours a day, 6 days a week, RMB 50 per hour. Meaning I will get 1800 yuan per week.

This seems very onerous and the hourly rate also seems very low (for a training school in Hunan I would have though the hourly would be minimum 120-140RMB per hour)

I have tried negotiating with them (through the agent) although they don’t seem to be budging (aside from offering to provide lunch for me- yipee!…).

Is it better to let this pass by? are my estimations too high? is it worth continuing to try to negotiate? I assume because I am doing it through an agent she is trying to get a cut from somewhere?

Many thanks for your advice in advanced. This is a really great site.

You are free to negotiate, of course. I don't know what prevailing wages are where you propose to work.

I can tell you however that summer classes, across the board, are diminished due to the global economic situation.

I know several schools that have either severely curtailed their programs or cancelled them altogether.

Summer classes are for the upper few percent who can afford them. But those families have relatives and business interest's that need support too. So, sometimes, it is the camps that get cut from the family budget.

Now, this will vary from city to city and region to region, but I am hearing fairly widespread tales of camps being cut back.

In the end, you should set your own price for the value of your time. At some point, the offered pay isn't enough to budge you from your recliner. You have to set that point and then negotiate upwards. Also, avoid using an agent if you can.

Best of luck.

Why not try and find a summer camp to teach at? I'll be doing two 8-day camps (one here where I live and one in Chengdu) over the summer break.

I personally never work for less than 100rmb a class and it's just a number I set for myself. I've never been afraid to walk away from an offer of part-time work if the pay is not sufficient to give up my free time.

Fifty renminbi per hour does sounds very low. You could just contact some of the local language centers for some part-time work and express to them that you would be happy to work at near full time capacity over the summer break.