Vantaggi
There is a lot of potential to hone your TEFL teaching skills and learn real transferable skills for your CV. The company actively encourages and rewards entrepreneurial spirit, so motivated people have the opportunity to flex their academic and/or creative muscles and make a real difference for both learners and the schools, whilst adding value to their portfolio of achievements. (Remember the interview question - 'Tell me when you were able to improve your work....'!) For those who want to teach and travel, with the emphasis on teaching, there are great resources and support both academically and socially, and of course travel in and around China is relatively cheap! Two consecutive weekdays either side of a weekend makes for quieter shopping and moving around the city!
Svantaggi
China can be a challenging place to work and live, so proper support from your school is essential. Cross-functional communication and cooperation can be a little tricky because the business and social culture is so different. The competition for schools is fierce in China and parents and children are under a lot of pressure to perform, which puts pressure on the staff and kids to show results that are sometimes unrealistic. Working weekends are the norm, but it's when the kids' are free to come to a private language school and therefore a business necessity; just check the schedule to make sure of start and finish times on weekends. (We are usually free by 6:00pm so can still socialise.) Six days a week in summer is difficult, but it's the busiest time for the school. You need a good DoS and senior management to make it fun and rewarding. Sometimes the local Chinese management will make poor decisions not realising the effect on international teachers and/or students. This can be difficult. Finally, the local management need to learn to plan! It can be really frustrating to be told of a new academic event within a day or so of it happening, only to realise it's been discussed and planned by the local Chinese management for weeks!