Job Discussion Forums

jimpellow · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 913

"China does not really 'verify' experience or educational qualifications. You should see who I am working with.......fake degree holders, no teaching experience at all."

I hate being the wet blanket with all this visa stuff, but once agin we are seeing people give feedback on what was true. This is increasingly not true as more and more provinces are requesting translated transcripts, authorized degrees and verifying the two years of working experience, etc.

In short, if you do have degrees and verifiable work experience hold on for a lot more demand for your services. If not, start planning on your exit strategy. Damn, I never would have made it to China coming from a business consulting background. Wonder exactly who they intend to hire?

muffintop · Joined: 07 Jan 2013 Posts: 803

choudoufu · Joined: 25 May 2010 Posts: 3325 Location: Mao-berry, PRC

jimpellow · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 913

There are a few posts in these very forums which state such over the last month. Of course people are too busy bashing the posters to have any brain matter left to understand the true importance.

Do your research on other boards, google, lawandborder.com etc. It is only of importance to me as I am developing an offshore business which benefits from this. Wish I didn't have to, the whole thing is ridiculous and will affect my friends in China. I already wrote of one friend (direct) who had to provide translated transcripts for his RENEWAL in Tianjin. Nobody is my friend here, but some good qualified people who despite all like the the country and want to make a living while helping people.

To answer in terms of location, Beijing seems the worst. Many of the big cities in the more developed areas such as Tianjin, Qingdao, Shenzhen Jiangsu and Guangzhou are becoming very stringent. Shanghai seems to be resisting in terms of criminal background check and so forth. Generally these areas are first in implementing public and not-for-public-disclosure national law and it filters to the poorer provinces. Once something pisses off Beijing, then they mandate it be followed immediately. Similar to the drunk driving laws from about six years ago.

Bud Powell · Joined: 11 Jul 2013 Posts: 1736

Why would schools want translated documents when consulates offer authentication services? Do the schools want to know what the teacher has studied? Is that it?

jimpellow · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 913

BlueBlood · Joined: 31 Aug 2013 Posts: 261

We'll see if I have to "verify" my teaching experience. If I do, I've no idea how: I've no documentation and am long out of contact with my former employers.

If they pushed it, best I could do would be statement(s) from people who knew me at the time and knew I was teaching.

Frankly, I'm not worried about this.

muffintop · Joined: 07 Jan 2013 Posts: 803

BlueBlood · Joined: 31 Aug 2013 Posts: 261

mt, great to see you on the board tonight (my time; not yours). I'll PM you...

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

Like everything on a CV you must be prepared to defend it IF CHALLENGED.
Given that most FT recruitment is a tick the box exercise, with little interest in quality, FAOs will accept what you say.
The two most important ticks are:
Is the FT Caucasian?
Does he/she have a pulse?

jimpellow · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 913

Once again, let us for the sake of new people seeking advice, and those who want to be proactive about this, rather than leaves in the wind who get their butts stir fried Chinese style, try to determine the facts.

This is from just one posting all the way back in July 2012 concerning background,

"Here in Beijing I had to provide a translated resume and letters from my last N employers verifying that I had worked the described periods with them to total at least 2 years."

Unless the poster made this all up, this in itself refutes the two blanket responses made above.

So using the two years work experience as an example, does that mean that everyone must now prove such? Absolutely not. A requirement like this seems to be stemming from the provincial level. I say seems because when a national law is passed in China the entirety of it is not shared with the public.

Someone who does not have the necessary work experience could probably find at this point in time(most likely a second or third tier) area that does not require such. Or they may ask for an original TEFL certificate in lieu of experience. Or the local authorities may actually themselves contact the employers in question as I have also read of recently happening. Or they and the school may be able to make it up and never get asked to prove it. Etc..

No real rhyme, no real reason to any of this. But yes these stricter requirements are indeed happening, and not just Beijing. They are changing and they are being interpreted differently and it is the laowai who is at the receiving end of this clusterf***.

Frankly there is a lot of cognitive dissonance on the board about this. It's your world, you can do with it what you want. But when you give advice on what you want or have known to be, rather than observable facts, then your beliefs can negatively impact the lives of others.

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

My experience doesn't include the upfront requirement of references and other proof.
As mentioned you will have to front with the material if challenged.
Look forward to a Jim-initiated poll to sort out this difference of view.
Smile

muffintop · Joined: 07 Jan 2013 Posts: 803

U99A · Joined: 12 Jan 2013 Posts: 64 Location: P.R.C

It is really just case-by-case.

Try your luck!

jimpellow · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 913

Some good points in response to my last post.

I won't initiate a poll as I think the results would be skewed. Pretty small group of us actually who actively participate.

Muffintop, that thread did refer to the authorities rather than the school. You can search around and find other first hand recent accounts, but we are in agreement it is not across the board.

I would just caution everybody to give cautious advice to anyone who has to go through this in the current environment.

Mr Internet Researcher himself, me, has been burned by this twice in the last four months as I listened to the people at the two schools rather than than what I saw on the Internet. They hadn't been keeping up with the changes, and when the reality hit, you knew who was expected to pay for it.

The case by case comment is funny and oddly accurate. Everything I read has said no to Z-visas in Thailand. Then this American teacher blogs recently that he was reading the same thing and walked in to the Bangkok embassy and had his paperwork in order and no problem. Go figure.

Anyways, I need to get back to my life for a while. Cheers