Job Discussion Forums

nnmartin · Joined: 25 Sep 2011 Posts: 27

Hi all,

I am thinking of making the break from South East Asia and moving to China to teach English.

I am currently working at a school in Cambodia and have been doing Tefl in SE asia for six years now.

I need a change of scene!

I am not too fussed about the salary etc.. just need enough to live and a reasonble town in which to do that.

I don't fancy Beijing or Shanghai and would prefer a smaller town or city in the south of China.

I have no idea where to even start looking on the map so any ideas??

by the way I have a Celta, 10 years experience but no degree.

how possible would Tefl work be now with this kind of resume?

down to Earth advice would be appreciated and before anyone mentions it, there is no possibility of me going back to college to study anymore.

I am a native speaker from the UK, male and am around 40.

thanks

Shroob · Joined: 02 Aug 2010 Posts: 1339

Another thing to consider is that I think people are much happier in a location that they may not like, but with a job they do. If the job is enjoyable, people can overlook the location's imperfections. The wrong job can make the nicest place hell.

oldsole00 · Joined: 15 Jan 2010 Posts: 3 Location: Nanjing, China

I personally think that a first-timer to China would find small-town life suffocating: the language barrier is very, very complete for the first 2-3 months, depending on how quickly you learn. There are plenty of mid-tier cities that offer the benefits of a larger city, but are quite a bit more approachable.

Personally, I'm based in Nanjing and love it here. It's a bit farther north than you'd prefer, but I'd encourage you to take a look. Salaries are good and there is plenty of part-time work available, especially for a 40 year old UK male. I also know firsthand that a resume like yours would have no problem in finding a 25hr/wk job that pays 10,000+/month.

Oldsole

Edit: Took the site off.

coco1979 · Joined: 07 Feb 2012 Posts: 29

Or people who were never asked to prove documents in the first place......

Mr. Kalgukshi · Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 8:30 am Post subject:

Several inappropriate postings have been deleted. Future comments regarding the use of fake degrees earns the maker(s) permanent exit order from this site.

Some sites permit such postings. Dave's doesn't:

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=58022

mouse7 · Joined: 30 Nov 2010 Posts: 5

if you don't have a degree you may find it hard to get a working visa - regardless of your experience. also its not always possible for a job to get you a working visa without you going back to home country to get it.

it's not a great idea to work without the visa so you should make sure any jobs you talk to are actually able to get you one without having a degree certificate.

other than that there are lots of great cities in south china and many cities considered small in china are actually a fair size compared to england.

GHammer · Joined: 25 Dec 2009 Posts: 37 Location: Guangdong, China

I have to say that I agree with the advice that mouse7 has given above, especially since I have just returned to America to get a new "Z" visa. I will return to China in April to continue my job.

I lived and worked in Yangshuo for about 14 months (2010 to 2011) and it's a terrific city in which to live (but it was a miserable, low-paying, training centre-type job). I'm now back working in Guangdong again for an International School and although I miss the small city feel and mountains of Yangshuo / Guiilin ... I have a much better job and I'm much happier. The job, the salary, the comfort and convenience of a city close to Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and the reliability of working for a school that is qualified to get you the visa you need to work legally.

I have solid leads on two very good jobs for those of you interested. Both jobs are available in the next month and both are with reputable schools. PM me if you're interested in more information.

--G

Random Number · Joined: 07 Dec 2009 Posts: 5

like previous posters said, without a university degree, you're going to have trouble getting a work visa, despite your celta and your extensive experience. but it's not impossible, and i do know one person who managed to get their visa without a degree and without lying about it. if you're really set on china, i'd recommend focusing your search on the poorer provinces (henan, e.g.) and the smaller cities within those provinces, even though they will have their challenges. but because they're less desirable and have a lot fewer foreigners, their PSBs tend to be more flexible with the visa requirements or at least more willing to overlook shortcomings. for example, if only one foreigner applies to Middle of Nowhere College, and they really need to fill that position, the school might overlook your lack of degree and get your visa slid through the system somehow.