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What is the first concrete step towards getting a job?
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mcloo7



Joined: 18 Aug 2009
Posts: 434
Location: Hangzhou

PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 12:32 am    Post subject: What is the first concrete step towards getting a job? Reply with quote

Hi, what was the first thing you all did to get your first teaching job in China, especially if it was your first teaching abroad experience. Hence, how should I start? I have a BA and I tutored Chinese-American kids at an after school center in California for about eight months. Thanks.
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Zimmer



Joined: 26 Oct 2011
Posts: 229

PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 12:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Decide what age group you'd like to teach, look for jobs that seem right for you and apply for them.
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mcloo7



Joined: 18 Aug 2009
Posts: 434
Location: Hangzhou

PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 12:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks. I guess my main question is where do I look for jobs and apply for them. Is the postings forum on this site the best place to look?
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Zimmer



Joined: 26 Oct 2011
Posts: 229

PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 12:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Check the listings on this site, and google esl jobs China and see what pops up.
Or, you could look for training school or university websites and contact them directly.
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Non Sequitur



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China

PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 1:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Get yourself onto one of the job sites that send alerts.
Much of what you need to do will be prompted by the process after an employer shows interest.
You will have one conversation going with the employer and another going on Dave's or other site plus one hopefully with another FT who works or has worked at the school.
Another recent poster recommends seriousteachers.com and I agree but there are others.
ST is a bit of a process to load all your stuff but once there it is easy. There is a search feature as well.
The China hiring season is coming to an end for Sept start but no matter what urgency an employer wants, do NOT come on a tourist visa.
A thread 'Job Offer Checklist' has many ideas on how to avoid problems.
Best
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mcloo7



Joined: 18 Aug 2009
Posts: 434
Location: Hangzhou

PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 1:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks. Can you tell me what site you used? If you remember.
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Non Sequitur



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China

PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 2:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Did you miss it in my post?
Here's the link
http://www.seriousteachers.com/
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mcloo7



Joined: 18 Aug 2009
Posts: 434
Location: Hangzhou

PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 2:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks.
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The Great Wall of Whiner



Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Posts: 4946
Location: Blabbing

PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 3:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The first step is make sure you have a white face. If you are of European ancestry, you'll be at the top of the pick for jobs in China, regardless of education.

The second step is to make sure you have some paper that says you have some education. Not essential in a lot of cases-- this very website has jobs that state: "no degree or experience required", and there is a reason for this.

Finally, looks are everything. If you have a Masters in English and 40 years of experience and 62 years old, overweight and unpresentable, that blonde-haired blue-eyed good-looking 22 year-old stud with no education or experience will take your job 99 times out of 100.

Anyone with a real proper education and qualifications should be applying for international schools in the large cities that pay the best salaries and offer the best packages.

I know I piss off a lot of people who are not legally qualified to teach in China, and I know that I piss off those who are qualified who got stuck teaching in a low-paying, high demanding position in buttuck nowhere. But facts are facts.
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Lobster



Joined: 20 Jun 2006
Posts: 2040
Location: Somewhere under the Sea

PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 5:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Prepare a good application package. Resume etc.

Develop a list of sites that offer jobs here, check them regularly.

Compare and research to see what kind of positions are on offer, and what the pros and cons of each type are.

Think about how you will negotiate what you want, prioritize the things that are important to you (e,g, pay, location, workload).

Above all, ignore this type of negativity:

Quote:
Finally, looks are everything. If you have a Masters in English and 40 years of experience and 62 years old, overweight and unpresentable, that blonde-haired blue-eyed good-looking 22 year-old stud with no education or experience will take your job 99 times out of 100.


You don't want to focus on things you can't change or are beyond your control. As well, it's not really true. Many schools prefer a more mature and experienced teacher over the good looking young backpacker. Focus on your strengths.

Make sure China is the right place for you. As you can see, not everyone can make it here.

RED
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Laoshi1950



Joined: 22 May 2004
Posts: 198
Location: Australia

PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 5:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Some other websites that list China teaching jobs, and their contact details, are -

www.chinajob.com

www.anesl.com

www.tefl.com

www.abroadchina.org

www.networkesl.com

As another poster has already pointed out, the main teacher hiring season for the Fall Semester (September start) - especially for universities, colleges and high schools - has almost finished. But, extra vacancies do occur for a variety of reasons.

I understand that training centres and chain-type English schools hire new teachers regularly throughout the year.
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chinatimes



Joined: 27 May 2012
Posts: 478

PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 5:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Your first job in any country is going to be a stepping stone to something better. Even if it is good, there is better down the road. So, I would plan a first job that I could leave shortly after without too much drama or problems.

In China, there is no severance, no pension, no overtime unless they really use up your contracted hours, and little to no vacation time.

Plan accordingly. A summer job will be intensive and during the hottest time of the year. I would prefer to start at the end of August or from the September school year.
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Non Sequitur



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China

PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 6:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

chinatimes wrote:
Your first job in any country is going to be a stepping stone to something better. Even if it is good, there is better down the road. So, I would plan a first job that I could leave shortly after without too much drama or problems.

In China, there is no severance, no pension, no overtime unless they really use up your contracted hours, and little to no vacation time.

Plan accordingly. A summer job will be intensive and during the hottest time of the year. I would prefer to start at the end of August or from the September school year.


A few issues with this advice, although apologies to prev poster if I've misunderstood his/her intention.
Unless it's so bad as to be unbearable, complete your contract. The initial job should have the least downside, even to the extent of lower pay than another riskier job where you overlook warning signs because it is in a particular city. You want to move on with your release letter and your pay and airfare allowance up-to-date.
If you re-sign for another year in the state/provincial sector you will have 5/6 weeks paid winter holiday plus 2m paid summer holiday.
Note if you take a standard 20 hrs pw contract and your schedule calls for only 16 hours it is likely that overtime will only start after 20 hrs. I have known 22 hour weeks in semester 2 that did not attract overtime as semester 2 schedules were 18 hours ie unders and overs
All low risk state/provincial jobs offered now will be for Sept start.
If you do do a summer gig make sure classrooms and accom have a/c.
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chinatimes



Joined: 27 May 2012
Posts: 478

PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 7:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Unless it's so bad as to be unbearable, complete your contract.


I don't see why completing a contract is so important. It doesn't mean you walked out without notice. The shortest job I had was for 3 weeks, the longest almost 4 years with one school. The one with 4 years was only based on a 1 month agreement to see how it is and then work from there.

There is no honor is working 12 months when both you and the employer want to quit midway. There is no honor in continuing a monkey show when you were intending on actually teaching English.

In China specifically, they do not give you all the details of the job. They only want you to sign the contract immediately and they will show you photos and books "later".

Well, those are important, and if they don't want me to leave, then they ought be upfront with what they have. If it is not to my standard, I will inform them and give them ample time to make necessary changes. Either that change will be to improve the situation or get another teacher.

You don't need to complete 1 year to get a new job. They main issue is, if you can't get what you want with a second job, then maybe your expectations are too high. So far, I have never had a problem letting the second school know exactly why I was leaving the first school. Also, the first school had no problem telling the second school, "Yea, he wants to use good books. We don't want to buy them." Or "We have a terrible apartment with roaches, so he can go".

They don't exactly say that, but when I raise issues like that above to the previous schools, they come to an agreement with me to let me leave instead of fixing the problem. I have no problem moving on to better pastures.

Now I have 2 bathrooms, a big living room area with a separate kitchen, and upstairs bedroom. Not a bad trade. I'll be happy to finish 1 year here and leave the roach infested apartment after 3 weeks. You are free to complete one year there. I'll give you their contact info.
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Ariadne



Joined: 16 Jul 2004
Posts: 960

PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 9:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I take exception to the comment about not much vacation time. That really depends on the type of school. I'm at a uni and we are off on National holidays, a month during Spring Festival, and two months during summer.

.
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