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Search, China, and Reneging

Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2020 9:49 am
by t_rock
First post: I got a job through Search in China for August 2020. With this coronavirus raging, it's suffice to say I'm having serious apprehensions and second thoughts. I have the opportunity to re-up with my current school which I'd be fine with; I've been here 5+ years, the HOS has given me wide latitude, and so I have about another month before I have to declare I for sure won't be back. But then I'd be reneging on the contract with the school in China. Search, as any recruiter, takes a hard line on backing out. But under its section on "political unrest and natural disasters" it states: "We also know that each situation that occurs is unique and that individuals need to make their own decisions when situations arise."

I decided to move on mostly for the benefits and was pretty excited for the new opportunity. But it's clear this epidemic is not going away anytime soon, I've read in the Lancet it's expected not to peak until April 2020.

Do you think Search be understanding if I decided to re-consider this in light of current events while I still have the opportunity to stay with my current school? I'm honestly open to both staying the course and re-considering but trying to weigh the pros and cons of each.

Re: Search, China, and Reneging

Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2020 10:21 am
by shawanda
Here you are more worried about Search's view of you than your life?! Who cares what Search thinks? Pull out of China today.

Re: Search, China, and Reneging

Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2020 11:24 am
by wander
I would hope that Search could understand the situation, but you are taking the risk of being banned if they don't. Personally, I would back out. The situation seems serious and who knows how truthful the Chinese government is being.

Re: Search, China, and Reneging

Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2020 11:24 pm
by sid
You have more time. Use it. Why decide today when there will be more clarity in another month?
Search will ultimately base its view on how the situation turns out. If it all blows over by summer, which it’s likely to do, they will take a dim view of people who cut and run. The people who run Search are indeed people with a human touch, and they are also experienced international people who have been through their share of exciting moments abroad. They want resilient candidates, not those who give up easily or too soon.
So wait and see.

Re: Search, China, and Reneging

Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2020 12:38 am
by Psychometrika
I'm also set to move to China in August. As you can expect I am closely monitoring the situation. I'm not ready to pull the plug yet as the situation is currently expected to run its course over a period of six months. At this time as a single, I am willing to take a wait and see approach. Right now the infection rate is expected to peak in my city around April, which is tight timing-wise, but at least allows some flexibility if the situation continues to worsen.

Re: Search, China, and Reneging

Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2020 2:11 am
by nathan61
Twice I've had the experience of moving into situations where things suddenly looked a little uncomfortable. In both cases if you stepped back from the hysterical news headlines, and examined the dangers from a statistical point of view, there was little risk. With a current 2% mortality rate, most of the deaths are in older men with existing health problems. So if you get sick then the chances of death are very slim if you are younger and healthy. This could easily become a global pandemic, in which case avoiding China will not save you. As others said, people may take a dim view of you if you immediately renege and things turn out fine in six months.

Re: Search, China, and Reneging

Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2020 4:43 am
by funteacher
I don't know why this would be a deal maker or breaker for anyone. I mean, China runs concentration camps and strongly limits any dissent. If you're okay with that, then is a disease that'll be gone in a few months really that big of a deal?

Re: Search, China, and Reneging

Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2020 2:28 pm
by jschott
Search may blacklist you. So what? There was life (and there were jobs) before Search, and there will be life and jobs after Search.

Re: Search, China, and Reneging

Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2020 5:45 pm
by shawanda
funteacher, what do you teach? How do you know COVID-19 will be gone in a few months? You are operating on a normalcy bias. I know about that, because I am actually educated, not indoctrinated. Maybe COVID-19 will disappear in a few months, but maybe it will be worse than ever and killing thousands a day around the world.

I never would have seriously entertained China before all of this because I need better air quality. Now, I can't imagine any sane international teacher opting for China. Search and so many other education-related organizations have come to depend on China, though. They want us to buy into maintaining China as a normal and reasonable option. I want to maintain my life far more than buy into such propaganda that was always dubious but now seems outright mad.

Re: Search, China, and Reneging

Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2020 7:15 pm
by t_rock
Update from OP: contacted my Search Associate. I suspect my email of this nature was not the first, nor the last, that the Associate will be responding to regarding China. As sid noted above, the Associate replied with understanding and empathy, which was very nice to read. Plan is to play for a little more time, but I think given the circumstances and the global emergency distinction, there wouldn't be a penalty for backing out this time. It's not an ideal option, but there it is.

Response

Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2020 6:16 am
by PsyGuy
Whats the waiting plan, March? Thats nutter talk. Your missing out on opportunities sitting on your hands. Right now everyones waiting meaning everyone else isnt flooding whats left of the IE market, minus China (and China absorbs a LOT of ITs), when it vanishes in a vapor there wont be a lot of vacancies left to absorb the fallout from Chinas IE market evaporating.

Re: Search, China, and Reneging

Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2020 6:46 am
by t_rock
PsyGuy wrote:
> Whats the waiting plan, March? Thats nutter talk. Your missing out on opportunities
> sitting on your hands. Right now everyones waiting meaning everyone else isnt flooding
> whats left of the IE market, minus China (and China absorbs a LOT of ITs), when
> it vanishes in a vapor there wont be a lot of vacancies left to absorb the fallout
> from Chinas IE market evaporating.

I'm not actively looking for any other opportunities. I'm happy at my current school, and also married to a trailing spouse (who is a citizen of my host country). Thus, I only even considered leaving my present position for the "perfect" fit elsewhere, which I thought the China job was (for salary, curriculum, PD, clerk position for the wife). So the choice is between China or staying where I'm at, and as I said, I'm content to stay if the coronavirus isn't ameliorated soon.

Reply

Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2020 7:18 am
by PsyGuy
@t_rock

I didnt address my response to you, we have a large readership that this may be relevant too.

Re: Search, China, and Reneging

Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2020 7:22 am
by nathan61
Do you really think the Corona will keep circulating in China for the next six months without showing up all over the world? Public health experts seem to argue it either is contained now, burns out when the weather warms up, or it becomes a global pandemic. The disease will not respect borders. It is also not looking particularly deadly if you are healthy and younger.

Re: Search, China, and Reneging

Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2020 7:34 am
by mamava
Those of us that were in China during SARS and/or H1N1 know that things on the ground are not always as they seem on the news--a number of friends in Beijing (including those with small children) right now are confirming that. You can play for more, time, but this particular event isn't going to blow over by March--the government isn't even confirming they'll let schools re-open by then. You either will have to take a leap of faith (a bigger or small leap, perhaps, depending on the size of your school and how supportive they are of their staff) and prepare to head over to the Middle Kingdom in August, or cut your losses now.

Everything people say about China is true--the air quality, the human rights, etc. and tons of teachers head there, stay there, and love it. l loved the years we were there. We arrived in Beijing in 2008, just after SARS, and were there during H1N1, so it's probably safe to say that these types of issues are going to arise again (although our school didn't close during H1N1). If you can live with the issues that are well-known regarding China, plan to go. If air pollution and the possibility of outbreaks really bothers you, then probably best pull out now--you won't have much more clarity in a month.