Job Discussion Forums

[traininvain]

Hey guys! I fly to Malaysia in April, before undertaking a CELTA course at IH Chiang Mai in May. I then hope to gain employment in China afterwards - is this realistic? I had planned to look for employment before/during the CELTA course with the hope of gaining a Z visa in Hong Kong.

Also, I am only aiming to gain a contract until early 2014. Due to the relatively short term contract I am after, and also my apprehension at leaving the UK without a job in place, I had been looking at Aston as a possible employer. From my research, they seem reliable even if they do not pay is not as great (6-7000RMB) although this is possibly offset by the free accommodation? Has anyone experience with Aston?

I am flexible in regards to location in China, and pay is not a massive deal (although saving a �1000 during my spell would be nice). I am 23, with a BA, no teaching experience, but two years experience working.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[zactherat]

There's a high chance you'd have to return to the UK for your Z visa. Yep, it's possible to get it in Honkers if your hiring FAO is competent (unlikely) and willing (also unlikely), but literally all the people that I know with a Z visa (and that is a lot) did the paperwork in their home countries.

Aston are OK if you don't mind being trodden on at the very bottom of the food chain for a year. Think long days, low pay, and a stupid performance on Christmas day. I've done it and survived, but saw many that didn't, and costs were high.

[Denim-Maniac]

I also tend to seek out contracts of less than one year and that does limit your choices somewhat. Lots of people may moan about Aston but I know from seeing their adverts is they offer that flexibility in terms of contract length and that may supercede everything else anyway.

The visa could be an issue and the correct administration relating to it could be problematic. An employer may well be capable of sending it to you in Thailand, but with a request to visit London to complete the application. It can be arranged for another country, but from reading many forum posts, its easier said than done. I always apply for mine in my home country, but unlike zactherat, most of the people I have worked with do get their visa in Hong Kong. This was certainly true in 2012 when most of my colleagues went on a two night visa run to HK to get the Z visa processed. It can be done ... its just that getting the Z visa secured whilst in your home country is easier.

A good thing is that summer school type jobs might be about to start close to your timescale. They might provide an 'in' for you as I guess employers are quite desperate to get summer staff on board. Not sure how 'legal' summer school visas are though.

Im going to send you a PM with some more ideas in ... and good luck with the CELTA!

And have a look at a recent thread, questions about a Z visa. Someone asking about getting a visa in Thailand.

[traininvain]

Thanks for the replies guys! I emailed the Chinese Embassy in Hong Kong, and they said providing I have all the correct documentation (which I appreciate could be problematic) I WILL be able to get a Z visa from them as UK citizen. So relatively good news.

So, I aslong as I can get a L visa I should be ok... Is it possible to obtain a L visa in third country, i.e., Bangkok or KL?

[Javelin of Radiance]

[traininvain]

Quite, even better then!

[Daphne]

With both a University degree from the UK and a CELTA, a position in a Chinese University is very attainable (though it seems you might have to wait till late August and the start of the fall term).

6000 a month is also a reasonable salary for you to seek at the tertiary level, while the housing is almost sure to be better than what Aston offers. They often have shared housing for their teachers and they tend to be far from clean, modern or comfortable.

While working for them I could hardly get a wink of sleep due to how filthy the shag carpet in my bedroom was (causing me severe allergic reactions) and had a solar-powered water heater that gave me 3-4 minutes of hot water while showering during a long, freezing winter

[SH_Panda]