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What should Mark do?

Posted by mesmark · November 23, 2005 · 3 replies

I currently work part-time at a JHS (16hrs/week.) It's an easy job where I just show up to class and teach with the Japanese teacher who prepares almost everything. I only teach a maximum of 9 classes in one week the rest is my time to use for whatever. I get all school holidays off (about 7 weeks all together.) So, if the students don't have to go to school niether do I. I'm hired as part-time and run on a year to year contract with no benifits. They pay me about $1,000/month to do this (that works out to about $18/hour.)

Now, I'm working on building up a bit of a reputation where I am and a college Prep School (CPS) came by my office yesterday and told me they'd like me to work for them which means I would have to quit the JHS (I have other work as well.)

The CPS is asking for the same time slot (16 hours/week) and i'd be teaching college prep English, TOEFL, and maybe TOEIC courses. I have never taught any of these so I'd be starting from scratch. I would be hired as a full-time employee with benifits. I would teach the same maximum of 9 classes but they are 90 min. not 60. I would be the main teacher and have to make lesson plans, tests, and write-up final student evaluations. I would have 10 days paid vacation but would have to show up every day regardless of whether school was in or not. They offered to pay me about $2,200/month to do this.

The CPS means a lot more work in the beginning, but the same amount of time. However, the JHS affords me a lot of time to do other prep and projects.

What do you think?

Take the cash and work.

or

Work and take a break.

3 Replies

Eric

actually despite them being the same amount of teaching time, it looks like you'll be working nearly twice as much with all the prep that will be required.

i guess it comes down to what is more important to you, time off or money. i almost always choose time off because i have so many projects going at any one time.

i guess you should also think about the stability of each job and how long you could potentially have both jobs...

just my 2 pesos

mesmark OP

Eric -Thanks. The stability is better at the CPS and I'm negotiating benefits, bonuses, and insurance. So, it is actually a better job all around, but I need time for my projects (time to complete the 7-8 I have already started plus those in my head.) It's a tough descision.😕

It's also really easy to be lazy and complacent. 😮

I've been at the JHS for 5 years now and have gotten really all I can get from this job. The CPS job would make me a little broader.

It's probably going to come down to the benefits package.

- Mark

Eric

mesmark wrote:
I've been at the JHS for 5 years now and have gotten really all I can get from this job. The CPS job would make me a little broader.

It's probably going to come down to the benefits package.

i think these last two things are very important when weighing the decision. its good to keep changing and growing. plus it will look better on a resume for the next job down the line.