|
Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
JRJohn
Joined: 21 Jun 2006
Posts: 175
|
 Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 5:51 am Post subject: Is It Still Possible To Get University Jobs? |
 |
|
I taught in China until 2012. I am in Korea now. I am deciding whether to stay here or go to China. I did rather like teaching in China, in Chinese university and gaining some knowledge of the language. I completed my contracts and got references. But now it seems impossible to get university jobs. Suddenly one university wanted a skype video interview and lesson demo. That is certainly much more strict than until very recently. At any rate, the computer I used has no camera, and the interview for a place in Beijing was so negative, and sceptical that I felt the interviewers were actually depressed. I was to have an interview with a place in Jiangsu Province, and I was rejected because I wasn't a registered secondary school teacher in the U.K. even though they did not ask for this. One of the places I taught in-where I enjoyed teaching and was asked to teach another year-now wants none of the old teachers back.  I taught English majors. But the demand now is for teachers of business, engineering, science and so on, who can teach those subjects in English. But they can't. The non-English majors struggle to speak English at all.
So what's going on? Where do I look for jobs? I would love a university job, though middle schools are okay. I just don't want to work for a racket like Disney English. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
fat_chris
Joined: 10 Sep 2003
Posts: 3198
Location: Beijing
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 6:03 am Post subject: Re: Is It Still Possible To Get University Jobs? |
|
|
| JRJohn wrote: |
But now it seems impossible to get university jobs. Suddenly one university wanted a skype video interview and lesson demo. That is certainly much more strict than until very recently.
I was to have an interview with a place in Jiangsu Province, and I was rejected because I wasn't a registered secondary school teacher in the U.K. even though they did not ask for this. One of the places I taught in-where I enjoyed teaching and was asked to teach another year-now wants none of the old teachers back. I taught English majors.
So what's going on? Where do I look for jobs? I would love a university job, though middle schools are okay. I just don't want to work for a racket like Disney English. |
On the one hand I do find it good that the universities are getting stricter in hiring. However, setting up more hoops to jump through to teach compulsory Oral Engrish for non-majors to freshmen and at institutions that are not Project 985 and/or Project 211 universities?
...and all for the grand sum of 5,000 RMB per month…
| JRJohn wrote: |
| But the demand now is for teachers of business, engineering, science and so on, who can teach those subjects in English. But they can't. The non-English majors struggle to speak English at all. |
I commend the universities for looking for people who can teach these subjects in English to the students, but as the OP indicated this is a bit fruitless if the childrens don't have the English level to keep up with such subjects in English.
OP, keep lookin', keep patient, and keep the faith, and you should be able to find something that is suitable and to your liking. It may take some time but keep at it.
Warm regards,
fat_chris |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 6:35 am Post subject: |
|
|
| +1 F_C |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Shroob
Joined: 02 Aug 2010
Posts: 1339
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 6:57 am Post subject: |
|
|
It's not impossible, there are plenty of jobs out there. I recently went on a 'recruitment binge', I emailed a ton of uni's (go to wikipedia --> list of Chinese universities --> link to their website --> find email) in areas I liked. Most appear to have been fruitless, but some did bite and I managed to narrow down my choices. I'm just considering my options, do I return to China or stay where I am...
Conditions for Oral English teachers haven't improved much, if at all. Like you say, more seem to be asking for subject teachers or specific English courses (IETLS, GAC). Again, as Chris said, for not much money. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Simon in Suzhou
Joined: 09 Aug 2011
Posts: 404
Location: GZ
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 9:35 am Post subject: Re: Is It Still Possible To Get University Jobs? |
|
|
| fat_chris wrote: |
| JRJohn wrote: |
But now it seems impossible to get university jobs. Suddenly one university wanted a skype video interview and lesson demo. That is certainly much more strict than until very recently.
I was to have an interview with a place in Jiangsu Province, and I was rejected because I wasn't a registered secondary school teacher in the U.K. even though they did not ask for this. One of the places I taught in-where I enjoyed teaching and was asked to teach another year-now wants none of the old teachers back. I taught English majors.
So what's going on? Where do I look for jobs? I would love a university job, though middle schools are okay. I just don't want to work for a racket like Disney English. |
On the one hand I do find it good that the universities are getting stricter in hiring. However, setting up more hoops to jump through to teach compulsory Oral Engrish for non-majors to freshmen and at institutions that are not Project 985 and/or Project 211 universities?
...and all for the grand sum of 5,000 RMB per month…
| JRJohn wrote: |
| But the demand now is for teachers of business, engineering, science and so on, who can teach those subjects in English. But they can't. The non-English majors struggle to speak English at all. |
I commend the universities for looking for people who can teach these subjects in English to the students, but as the OP indicated this is a bit fruitless if the childrens don't have the English level to keep up with such subjects in English.
OP, keep lookin', keep patient, and keep the faith, and you should be able to find something that is suitable and to your liking. It may take some time but keep at it.
Warm regards,
fat_chris |
Sorry, Chris. I agree with many things you post and enjoy your tongue-in-cheek approach, but a skype interview and a minimal demonstration of being able to stand up and teach is certainly not "hoops to jump through." I have done some hiring of foreign teachers here in China, and frankly a higher institution hiring ANYONE for ANY position in a classroom sight unseen is ridiculous. In 2014, a person who wouldn't pay $3 for a webcam and is not willing to show SOMETHING of why they should get a job from out-of-country is not probably someone I would consider hiring either.
Yes, universities in China are not paying much...but it is also still pretty much the easiest job in the ESL industry in Asia. They also are often not getting much for the money they are spending! More and more people are coming over from K-land to work here. There are plenty of university jobs (although this is certainly not the hiring season!), but it is changing. Just having the right nationality, skin color, and a non-relevant degree may not get you a job offer on the spot like it did 5 years ago. You might actually have to give a good interview and, like any minimal-wage job back home, show that you WANT the job, not just expect it to be given to you. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
fat_chris
Joined: 10 Sep 2003
Posts: 3198
Location: Beijing
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 10:20 am Post subject: Re: Is It Still Possible To Get University Jobs? |
|
|
| Simon in Suzhou wrote: |
Sorry, Chris. I agree with many things you post and enjoy your tongue-in-cheek approach, but a skype interview and a minimal demonstration of being able to stand up and teach is certainly not "hoops to jump through." I have done some hiring of foreign teachers here in China, and frankly a higher institution hiring ANYONE for ANY position in a classroom sight unseen is ridiculous. In 2014, a person who wouldn't pay $3 for a webcam and is not willing to show SOMETHING of why they should get a job from out-of-country is not probably someone I would consider hiring either.
Yes, universities in China are not paying much...but it is also still pretty much the easiest job in the ESL industry in Asia. They also are often not getting much for the money they are spending! More and more people are coming over from K-land to work here. There are plenty of university jobs (although this is certainly not the hiring season!), but it is changing. Just having the right nationality, skin color, and a non-relevant degree may not get you a job offer on the spot like it did 5 years ago. You might actually have to give a good interview and, like any minimal-wage job back home, show that you WANT the job, not just expect it to be given to you. |
Ah!
I gotta backtrack and agree with you on all points that you mentioned above, Simon.
Agreed--the least universities could do is conduct a Skype interview and ask for evidence of how the teacher would lead a lesson--this actually is welcomed as it is a step in the right direction of improving the quality of the "foreign experts" who are landing positions at Chinese universities.
Also agreed--those are definitely not too many hoops to jump through. Heck, only a resume, an interview, and evidence of how one will conduct a lesson are all still less than what many other teaching jobs require a candidate to submit.
I admit that I made the mistake of applying the idea of "extra hoops to jump through" to the OP's entire post when I really only had the following part of the OP's post in mind when I threw out that cliche:
| Quote: |
| I wasn't a registered secondary school teacher in the U.K. |
I was wondering what the rationale of this is, hence, my "extra hoops" comment. If the position in question is somewhere along the lines of a teacher trainer position or a position teaching graduate students in a College of Education or a position teaching at a high school, then I would understand this requirement, otherwise…?
I conduct regular workshops on improving one's teaching for both the foreign teachers and the Chinese instructors at the university where I am based, so I do take your post to heart and I do wholeheartedly agree with it.
Warm regards,
fat_chris |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Bud Powell
Joined: 11 Jul 2013
Posts: 1736
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 1:10 pm Post subject: |
|
|
There are many, many public university jobs available.
Subscribe to esljobs.com, and check out abroadchina.org to see a wide range of jobs available throughout China.
I don't think that there's any general push to make FTs jump through more hoops, but I think that universities have become skeptical about the qualifications of some of the yahoos who show up at their doors.
It's a bit curious that you were rejected for a position because you aren't a registered secondary school teacher. A teaching certificate does not always indicate teaching competence.
You don't say how much class room experience you have. Three-to-four years in China should make you a seasoned teacher who is competent to teach English public universities in China. |
|
| Back to top |
| |
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
