Job Discussion Forums

DCHun · Joined: 06 May 2013 Posts: 51

Hi Everyone,

I've searched this forum for a while now and tried to find answers to my questions that may have already been asked before...but take it easy on me if there are obvious things that I've missed. Wink

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1. Does having an MBA offer an advantages for me in my job search?

2. How do I go about applying for schools? I've pretty much just been searching the websites of schools I'm interested in and replying to job listings if they have them. If not I just send my resume to whoever they list as the contact for Foreign Affairs. I can't tell if its working because I haven't gotten any replies back yet (though its early). How do you guys do it?

3. I really wanted to go to Shanghai, but I get that the top tier markets (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou) are already saturated with well-qualified teachers. What are some 2nd tier places that might be worth a look?

4. I've been told to stay away from recruiters and agencies because of all the shady ones, but does anyone know of any good ones in case I need some help with landing this first job?

I'd really appreciate any help I can get. Thanks in advance for your input!

maximmm · Joined: 04 Dec 2005 Posts: 59

I too am interested in this info.

I just got a university job offer (someone responded to the resume I've posted either here or on another site), and while the pay is 7K, teaching hours equal to 16 hours and paid vacation is 5 weeks, it's ONLY a ten month contract. Is this a common practices among universities to offer 10 month contracts? Clearly they are trying to limit the 'paid' vacation bit as much as they can, hence the 10 month cut-off contract.

Can the 10 month cut-off mark be negotiated?

I've always found it fascinating that university jobs in asia always seem to be the lowest paid. The benefit of completing a master's degree is most elusive^^

vikeologist · Joined: 07 Sep 2009 Posts: 600

The MBA might get you slightly higher pay. Probably only minimal ebenefit in actually getting you a job

You need to send, not just a Cv and covering letter, but also copy of your passport information page and your degree, Masters and TEFL qualification.

So many cities, and usually on this forum trolls cite the most polluted ones just to be funny.

I've never seen the name of a reputable recruiter for ESl teachers. It will be interesting to see if anyone will actually provide one this time, and risk negative stories.

The 10 month thing is normal. if you stay a second year, you may get paid (at least a percentage during the summer). Obviously every contract is different, but you can't expect Unis to pay you or sponsor your residence permit after you've left. 7k is a good salary, though of course it depends what city it's in and whether you mean actual or teaching hours, for what is a part-time job.

Uni jobs (based on the amount of work) and factoring in accommodation, are probably the best paid jobs in China for ground level ESL teachers.

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

I really am over mentioning this but:
Think package!
Airfare refund or allowance around RMB10K.
Single occupancy on campus self contained accom with basic utility usage paid.
These are near cash benefits and can't be ignored.
OP
Your MBA is just another degree in the FT market.
Your Chinese appearance will count against you and don't look for a Shanghai or Beijing gig first up.
Look for 5-6000RMB less than 20 hours gigs in 2nd tier provincial centre public unis and vocationals.
Get that 1st job out of the way and then you can look at moving up or getting out.

roadwalker · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 1750 Location: Ch

I think an MBA is an attractive degree for Chinese universities. A master's in anything is better than a bachelor's and many, many of my students are studying business admin and related fields. OP, if you can string together two legitimate academic-type years of teaching out of your experience, I don't think you should necessarily cut yourself out of the Shanghai/Beijing/Guangzhou market. You may need to pick up some type of TEFL certificate (e.g. CELTA).

If you do find it difficult to find decent offers in those places, try Hangzhou, Suzhou, Nanjing, or any of the Jiangsu or Zhejiang cities radiating away from Shanghai. Or try the other cities in the Pearl River Delta or at least on the fast rail lines from Guangzhou/Shenzhen. There are many other cities that are open for business, including: Xiamen; Chengdu; Chongqing; Tianjin; Dalian; Qingdao; and others. Look some of these up on wikipedia and also expat sites. Ask specific location questions here on Dave's. Chances are somebody on these forums has lived there and can give an informed opinion.

roadwalker · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 1750 Location: Ch

I meant to mention that you may get offers to teach business courses in English to language and/or business majors.

DCHun · Joined: 06 May 2013 Posts: 51

Thanks for all of the replies. The input you guys have given me really helps a lot. Cool

I started looking up and applying to pretty much any school that seems half-decent. I guess I'll narrow it down once I get some offers.

Another thing I should mention is that though I like teaching, its not necessarily something that I want to do forever. My plan is to use my free time to take some Chinese classes (my writing sucks) and then after a couple years I'll try to find a non-teaching, international business/finance type job. So I'd really like to find a city with more opportunities to make business connections and get outside work. But that's for later on...right now I just wanna get my first job and some teaching experience under my belt.

DCHun · Joined: 06 May 2013 Posts: 51

roadwalker · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 1750 Location: Ch

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

Be interesting to see how it works out.
I don't agree with RW's analysis.

DCHun · Joined: 06 May 2013 Posts: 51

Well after talking to several FAO's at different schools, there's another issue that came up that I hadn't thought about. While, most of them just gave me their email and told me to send my resume to them, one FAO that I talked to seemed pretty interested in me. When I told her that I had one year of teaching experience in Korea and some part-time teaching experience as an undergrad, she explained that recently, they were getting stricter about granting work visas. Not having a full two years of full-time teaching experience might be a problem. Apparently, this was a recent development.

Crap...I had my hopes up too because this was a good school. And I'm not sure if this means all the other applications I sent out are basically gonna be auto-declined.

Any thoughts? Ideas? Maybe some "creative" resume writing...?

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

I sense a 'letting you down gently' ploy.

vikeologist · Joined: 07 Sep 2009 Posts: 600

Well, the 2 years of full time teaching experience is essentially a national guideline for foreign experts, albeit one that is circumvented (1 hour a week teaching table tennis to kids becoming the equivalent of full time ESl teaching) where the demand for teachers outweighs the supply.

Some PSBs are going to apply things more strictly than others, so it's probably a local thing; or as non sequitur says, an excuse.

roadwalker · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 1750 Location: Ch

The "creative resume writing" (I don't mean lying but rather putting your actual experience in the best light) could work, or could set your hopes up by getting through the filters of the school FAOs, only to be shot down by the government offices that grant Working Permits and Foreign Expert Certificates. But perhaps your CV/resume could be reworked to highlight any and all teaching and training experience.

If you really can't show two years of experience, then the Municipalities of Shanghai and Beijing, and the provinces of Guangdong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang are likely to be the strictest interpreters of these requirements. (Other posters: please add or subtract areas of stricter enforcement.) So if you are getting nothing but "sorry, our hands are tied", you should move on to the interior provinces/the west. On the other hand, This Is China, and many bureaucrats find ways to get things done. It shouldn't cost you anything to apply to schools and areas that interest you. As a sales rep, you should be used to getting a bit of rejection along with success in closing deals. At the worst, you may be making contacts with schools you could end up working for in the future.

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

'Look for 5-6000RMB less than 20 hours gigs in 2nd tier provincial centre public unis and vocationals.
Get that 1st job out of the way and then you can look at moving up or getting out'.

The above from a previous post of mine.
If you are not 'Mr 5 years experience. Blonde blue-eyed, Native speaker and recommended by a current teacher' then don't put in too many up front conditions ie '10K in central Shanghai or nothin'.
That said all recruitment advertising is a wish list.
Schools are not yet desperate to fill their quotas and in my exp they will only give up on the ideal candidate much later ie end June.
Also remember, the FAO isn't working for you. He's working for some faceless supremo whom you would never see who doesn't want his school to be in the situation of wheedling with the PSB and losing face as a result.
This place is feudal!