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Two-Years Experience Requirement?
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The_Big_White_Elephant



Joined: 12 Mar 2014
Posts: 56
PostPosted: Mon May 19, 2014 3:40 pm    Post subject: Two-Years Experience Requirement? Reply with quote
Hi everyone,

I know this topic has probably been brought up before, but I was just wondering how strict is the requirement that you have two-years teaching experience before coming to China? Just looking at the job ads on Dave's, it seems the majority of them require two-years experience. I have also heard that two-years experience is legally required to get a work visa. Is this true? How do people get around this requirement?

I thought recent college graduates were one of the main demographics moving to China, surely most of them don't have two-years work experience. Can someone explain this?

I thought a bachelor's in any subject and a TEFL certificate were all that was needed to land a decent job.

Thanks!
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Toast



Joined: 08 Jun 2013
Posts: 428
PostPosted: Tue May 20, 2014 5:58 am    Post subject: Re: Two-Years Experience Requirement? Reply with quote
The_Big_White_Elephant wrote:
Hi everyone,

I know this topic has probably been brought up before, but I was just wondering how strict is the requirement that you have two-years teaching experience before coming to China? Just looking at the job ads on Dave's, it seems the majority of them require two-years experience. I have also heard that two-years experience is legally required to get a work visa. Is this true? How do people get around this requirement?

I thought recent college graduates were one of the main demographics moving to China, surely most of them don't have two-years work experience. Can someone explain this?

I thought a bachelor's in any subject and a TEFL certificate were all that was needed to land a decent job.

Thanks!


I'll try and answer your problem on the condition you don't accuse me of being "negative" or "discouraging" if you don't like the direction my reply goes.

Chinese rules vary province by province. The visa restrictions and requirements are getting stricter. "Credential creep" is a good phrase. What was acceptable 5 years ago frequently no longer is. What was acceptable even one year ago frequently no longer is. What is acceptable today may not be acceptable this time next year.

The general requirement (Remember "This Is China" - No universals) is two years post graduate teaching experience. This is one of the reasons many provinces set a minimum age limit (24?) since for the most part it's impossible to have the post grad work experience and be 22 or 23. In my book too rightfully so. Showing up in front of a class of university level students or businessmen with no idea of what you're doing, what you're teaching, or how to teach them, and expecting them to pay you for doing so is a straight up scam.

Nonetheless if you don't have the experience your options are.

-Get the needed teaching experience elsewhere before you come.
-Go to a province with laxer requirements - think very cold, very polluted, or very sandy places.
-Get hired by a school with decent connections and guanxi who can bypass some of the rules. Be aware that if you later have a dispute with them they can also use same connections against you.
-Stretch the dates and truth on your resume a little.

I work with a guy (currently on a business visa) who had his Foreign Expert Certificate application rejected recently because he only had 6 months teaching experience. The FAO's information was outdated based on her 2013 knowledge whereby the TEFL certificate he possessed would have been acceptable in lieu of the lack of experience. These days my province (Jiangsu) only accepts TEFL courses issued by some Chinese government authority.
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Bud Powell



Joined: 11 Jul 2013
Posts: 1736
PostPosted: Tue May 20, 2014 10:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Toast nailed it.
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NoBillyNO



Joined: 11 Jun 2012
Posts: 1762
PostPosted: Tue May 20, 2014 1:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
Toast nailed it.

+1


Quote:
These days my province (Jiangsu)


That is where I register my bikes.....
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jimpellow



Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Posts: 913
PostPosted: Tue May 20, 2014 4:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
"These days my province (Jiangsu) only accepts TEFL courses issued by some Chinese government authority."

I worked in Jiangsu for 5 years, but I know it is quite strict now. Can you elaborate on this? Does this mean that other internationally accredited and recognized TEFL courses are not recognized? If so what does the teacher do? Attend some crap course taught by Chinese with half the tuition fee going to the people who thought this up?

PS. Amazing how many of these FAO's fail to keep up with the changing regulations, and how often it is the teacher who pays the price for it. Kind warning to China newbies reading this. Don't just trust the school for knowing the current situation. Do your research to try to protect yourself best.
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The_Big_White_Elephant



Joined: 12 Mar 2014
Posts: 56
PostPosted: Wed May 21, 2014 1:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks for the replies everyone!

So when they say "teaching experience", are they generally referring to employment, or does volunteering work too? Would, for example, serving in Peace Corps as an English teacher for two years satisfy this requirement?
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likwid_777



Joined: 04 Nov 2012
Posts: 411
Location: NA
PostPosted: Wed May 21, 2014 7:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
From what I can tell, just try in some spots away from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou (and similar "big smoke" Eastern cities). Once you get the Z Visa, after someone pulls some strings there, you would be fine. This is of course not iron clad, but indeed, once you have a Z Visa, it would be hard to disprove that you had the "proper" experience. Just apply, apply, apply, what do you have to lose by doing that?
BUT: Don't, under any circumstances teach on anything other than a Z-Visa. Tis my two cents.
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NoBillyNO



Joined: 11 Jun 2012
Posts: 1762
PostPosted: Wed May 21, 2014 9:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
Would, for example, serving in Peace Corps as an English teacher for two years satisfy this requirement?


acceptance is arbitrary ..... but I have seen it work before.....I think it is all bout cv spin...

The arbitrary nature of admin offices as to paperwork and regulations is one of those things that is universally not appreciated by Other FT's but according to your post .. you universally enjoy what most find a universal problem so you will really enjoy this aspect of china ...
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fat_chris



Joined: 10 Sep 2003
Posts: 3198
Location: Beijing
PostPosted: Wed May 21, 2014 9:34 am    Post subject: