Honest Opinion: 2022 Updated Working at Meten English Experience
I wrote this several days ago, planning on posting it next month. This week, I found out more information about Meten, and I absolutely do not suggest working there today.
Although the company is dodging an official announcement, the company is dying. Centers in Xiamen closed without warning, leaving students without refunds. Centers in Shenzhen haven’t paid their employees in two months. Centers in Tianjin have also recently closed, this time leaving employees without pay. All over the country, centers are closing and downsizing.
A month ago, I could have said I had many friends at Meten. I can’t say that today. A majority of the people I knew there have already left or turned in resignation letters, from foreign teachers to head Chinese teachers.
Should you work for Meten in 2022? Absolutely not. I can’t imagine that the company will hold out much longer. Of course, miracles can happen, but if I were looking for a new job as an ESL teacher, I probably wouldn’t jump onto a sinking ship.
I’m including the original text I wrote before, because it might still be of help to someone inside the industry and give them more insights into what to look for or not to look for. Below is a text message from a current Meten employee as well as the original article:
A few years ago, I worked at Meten English, and while there were some iffy things, it was, overall, a good experience. Although I don’t work there anymore, I still feel quite connected to Meten. I have a lot of Chinese and foreign friends still there, and a few of my best friends are Chinese head teachers there.
Since 2020, the English language industry in China has completely changed, so I thought I would give some updated information about what it’s like to work at Meten in 2022.
Here are 5 things that you should know about Meten today:
1) There are fewer foreign teachers
Foreign teachers have been fleeing the country in droves. It started slowly in 2020 and has only picked up speed in the last year. There honestly aren’t many foreigners left in China now. That means you could be the only foreign teacher at your center, compared to the half-dozen foreign co-workers you could have had before the pandemic. This, however, isn’t something that’s limited to Meten. Every company and school is experiencing foreign teacher shortages.
2) There are more young students
The defining characteristic of Meten used to be that they taught primarily adults. While Meten always had the option of a few VIP classes for children, now children are an intregal part of Meten’s demographic. I personally don’t like teaching children, which is why I chose Meten over other companies years ago. If you prefer teaching adults, Meten is still the better choice because they do still teach adults (compared to other popular companies that are just for children), be prepared to also teach children at Meten.
3) There are fewer competitors
In the past, the English language industry was flooded with a variety of companies. With pandemic regulations still raging in China and with the “double-reduction” policy, which discourages learning English outside of school, many companies have folded. Currently, English First (EF) and Meten English are the only two real competitors now. Meten might be a great choice for you simply because there are fewer choices.
4) There are still paychecks
With all these changes, many companies went out of business. One pro for Meten is that they’re still in business and still issuing paychecks. However, my friends on the inside have said things that sounds like Meten is struggling. EF could be facing the same struggles, but since I don’t know anyone on the inside there, I’m not sure. Right now, Meten seems okay, but that might not be the case in the future.
5) There are higher salaries
Meten has always had solid salaries for its foreign teachers. And now, with fewer foreigners working there, there’s a little more room for negotiation. Your odds of negotiating a higher salary are better than before. If you fight for it, you can get it.
If you’d like to hear a more detailed opinion about working there, check out this article I wrote on my honest opinion: https://www.atlasteaching.com/china-life/myexperienceworkingatmeten
If you’re not already in China, would I recommend working at Meten? Absolutely not. I don’t think coming to China now is a good choice.
