Job Discussion Forums

[jagb6f]

Hey all!

I'm approaching the end of my 2nd year here in China and, honestly, I'm loving it so far. However, I've spent the last (almost) 2 years at a training center and I'm quite ready to move on. However, the problem is that my contract ends on December 31st which is a bit of a weird time.

I'd like to know, what are my options for moving on to a Middle School/University(my current dream choices)?

I'd like to avoid having to go back to America and trying to return if at all possible. It'd be really nice to see/talk to my family again, but I've heard lots and lots of Z-visa horror stories recently and I think it would be much more convenient for both me and my next school to just transfer the Z-visa from my training center.

So, I'd like to know, should I start applying for jobs now and hope I get a bite, or should I wait a little longer, or is December a great time to find a job? I'm pretty new to the job hunt, got hired right out of America, so I'm pretty nervous.

Thanks for any help/advice!

[OhBudPowellWhereArtThou]

A public university will usually be shut down completely by around mid January and won't want you in place until a week before classes resume in February.

However, you should begin making inquiries at public universities after the October Madness anyway. Depending upon the openings at the public university, the university may be amenable to taking you in in January, especially if the school is short-handed. I've see it done.

If you want to return home, and you hit it off with the FAO, you'll sign a contract, and then go home. If you need to take care of documentation issues (authenticating your degree, etc.) start NOW. Get the paperwork together. If it's back home, have someone send it all to the U.S. State Department for authentication (that and your home State Department if necessary. Check with your area's Chinese consulate), then have it sent to the Chinese consulate in your jurisdiction and have it authenticated. Then, after you receive the letter of invitation, you send all that stuff back to the consulate with your health exam, extra photos (if requested) your passport and anything else that's requested.

October is when it is especially important to send letters and requests for an interview with the FAO. If the university will need a new FT for the spring, and you pour on the charm and convince her that you have something to offer (I think you do), you may be in luck.

Get a haircut, shine your shoes, and look spiffy. (It helps. Really).

It's good that you are thinking about this NOW.

[danshengou]

I second that it's good you're already looking. But hopefully you've been doing your research for awhile and your CV is updated and ready to be sent off to the places you want to work. Don't go back to the States unless you really have to as this will cause you to have to do the entire z visa process again which may mean authenticating docs this time too. You have to get a letter of release and then move to the new job from within China nice and smooth, no extra paperwork. After you are set in the new job, then you can take a vacation back to the US.

[doogsville]

There is another option, which is to stick out the training centre for another 6 months or so. I arrived in China in a February, which was the beginning of the year for the training centre I worked for. I signed a years contract, and when it was up for renewal I only signed on for another six months, which meant I left just in time to start at my current uni job. I lost out on the end of year bonus, paid in lieu of air fare, but it was a small price to pay.

It's an option for you if you can't find a uni that'll hire you just for the second semester and it'll also mean you won't be out of work from the end of December when your current contract ends to the middle to end of February when the second university semester starts. Negotiate a contract that ends a couple of weeks before the next uni academic year and you can take a couple of weeks holiday before starting the new job.

[jagb6f]

Wow, thanks for the replies all!

@OhBud

What you described is exactly what I'm hoping to do. With any luck I can just get everything transferred and take a nice vacation in America to see friends and family before I head on back. I'm hoping I can find a nice FAO who's willing to do that, and I'm definitely going to be asking my Chinese friends for help/suggestions on what I should do.

I'm currently in Nanjing, which I think is right around your area(I think I remember you mentioning that you were in Jiangsu.) Any suggestions on what might be good schools to apply for/things to specifically do in Nanjing to increase my chances?

@Dan

Yeah, that's my biggest fear that I'll have to do the Z-visa stuff again. I have heard way too much craziness about that currently to want to deal with that unless I absolutely have to. Hopefully I can just get a nice, simple transfer to a University before heading over.


@Doogsville

Huh...I hadn't thought of that, but it's definitely an option. I think my current training school would be happy to have me for another 6 months. However, it's definitely a last-case scenario. Recently, a lot of my best friends and coworkers have jumped ship and I'm wondering if my new Head Teacher could get any more condescending. It's not really a place I want to spend another 6 months if I can at all help it. Still, I thank you for the suggestion! Who knows, maybe the job will improve a lot between now and December.

[OhBudPowellWhereArtThou]

To increase your chances of landing a good job, spiff up your CV and be sure to get a release and a recommendation. The employer may tell you that he isn't obliged to issue a release or a recommendation if you go home. I'm not sure if that's true.

I've never worked in Nanjing, but I know that there are a lot of schools there. The last time I looked into Nanjing, I found the pay scale at some good universities to be lower than in other areas of Jiangsu.

Unfortunately, I can't recommend any schools.