Job Discussion Forums

AussieGus · Joined: 29 May 2014 Posts: 108

G'day all.

I'm interested in teaching adults in China but am concerned that I cannot verify my 6 years ESL experience in Korea and one in Vietnam and Laos. How anal will they be about it? Foolishly I requested no reference letter from any of my past employers and the schools I taught at either no longer exist or I've lost contact with owners, managers and co workers. In a few cases I left on bad terms as is often the case in Korea and they wouldn't have given me one anyway.

It seems that any job teaching adults asks for two years ESL experience. I have much more than that but can't prove it. Can I just put it on my resume when I apply and hope they take my word for it? I don't want to be treated as a newbie. I guess I could forge recommendation letters from the schools I taught at but I don't really want to do that.

I have a BA and TESOL and want to teach adults only. I did my time teaching kids in Korea which is as fun as pulling teeth. I enjoy teaching adults, however. Adult academies seem more picky than the one's that cater to children. Is that because no one wants to teach kids?

thechangling · Joined: 11 Apr 2013 Posts: 276

In my experience Chinese employers don't bother checking previous employment unless it's with another Chinese employer and even then they often only want to see the release letter if you have previous Chinese teaching experience. You could just make up your home based country's employment experience and no one would ever know nor care.
In K-land my public school snake administrator rang my previous employer in Taiwan but when I got to China, as far as I know, no out of country calling took place. I'm sure there'll be exceptions out there though.

Bud Powell · Joined: 11 Jul 2013 Posts: 1736

If you are pressed for proof, show them your passport with renewed visas. Why else would you live in SK except to teach?

AussieGus · Joined: 29 May 2014 Posts: 108

Thanks guys.

A few of the jobs I have looked at are chains catering to adults. Why do they actually ask us for details and dates of our previous teaching experience down to the day, let alone month and year? Makes no sense unless they intend to personally verify them.

Don't they realize a newbie could just 'invent' his experience?

Strange.

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

Did you check your sent emails folder? There may be forgotten correspondence there with contact details. That's helped me in the past.

Scrabble King · Joined: 25 Dec 2014 Posts: 91

Maybe you can get letters from your old teacher colleagues who worked with you in the past?