Job Discussion Forums

LondonMan2 · Joined: 19 Jun 2006 Posts: 14 Location: London, England

Hello there,

I am travelling to China in February/March with the intention of landing a job at a decent school. I have exhausted many information sources however I would like some advice from those without vested interests.

1. Harbin? - I understand hotel accomodation is expensive so is it realistic to just turn up and search for work?. Anybody have any thoughts on the city other than to avoid the tap water ?.

2. Applying before travelling? - Having emailed my cv to a number of universities I have had no reply. I also tried to obtain contact details for middle schools but this is proving difficult. Is my only realistic option to go through recruiters?. I also read that the Chinese embassy in London often send prospective teachers to China each year but as I am not a holder of a degree I do not think I would be accepted. I would add that I do have teaching experience, speak basic Chinese Mandarin and will also be TEFL qualified by the time I travel.

3. Arriving in Winter? - Obviously it will be slightly chilly at that time of year but that is not really a problem for me. What concerns me is that most schools will already have hired in September so my chances will be limited by the time March arrives. Also when is the best time to contact schools? I am thinking that maybe the schools are not currently interested in a prospective teacher willing to start as far away as March. Should I wait till November/December once the original recruitment rush has died down.

4. Harbin or bust? - Harbin is most definitely my number one choice however any suggestions would be welcome. If Harbin is not an option I would ideally live somewhere remote possibly in the North or West (not interested in Southern China). Bizarrely somewhere with an ice rink would also be an advantage.

5. Public/Private debate? - Having read this forum and other information on the net I am well aware of the minefield that private language schools are. It seems that horror stories are linked with nearly all the large organisations? Confused

Please accept my apologies in advance for grammatical errors. Teachers are a tough audience for simple forum postings Wink

Thank you for your time.

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

I think #2 says it all. You have no degree and are not currently TEFL certified. Sure, in China you can still find work somewhere, but most legitimate schools won't be interested AT LEAST until you get that TEFL certie. However, many schools in China are also looking for degree holders now -- some sort of edict from the central government I think.

There may be some members here at Dave's that could hook you up with something. Oh, also, most schools aren't EVEN thinking about hiring for Feb. 2007, they are concentrating on their summer camps and September, 2006. You might have more luck reapplying around December.

LondonMan2 · Joined: 19 Jun 2006 Posts: 14 Location: London, England

Babala · Joined: 28 Jan 2005 Posts: 1303 Location: Henan

I'll address # 3 for you. March is not a good time to come. The second semester at schools begins after Spring Festival which is usually in mid-February. I would aim for coming here at the beginning of Feb. as opposed to March. Kev is right, schools do not start looking for teachers until right before they need them. Re-apply later and when you have your TEFL and you may have better luck.

tw · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 3898

China.Pete · Joined: 27 Apr 2006 Posts: 547

"(M)ost legitimate schools won't be interested at least until you get that TEFL cert. However, many schools in China are also looking for degree holders now - some sort of edict from the central government I think." - Kevin

Kevin and I seem to have had differing experiences on the need for a TEFL certificate in China. I recently earned one, but have never had an employer - be they company, language school, or university - who had the slightest interest in same. Nevertheless, I have to agree with Kevin in your particular case. Absent a college degree, you'll likely have considerable difficulty meeting the Foreign Expert Bureau's requirements to find legal employment in a university or public school, not to mention stiff competition from Bachelor's degree holders who are seemingly quite numerous in China. Therefore, you should probably focus on language schools. A TEFL certificate should have some currency in the better schools where you would most likely prefer to work.

"I understand hotel accomodation is expensive so is it realistic to just turn up and search for work?" - Londonman2

You should be able to find reasonably cheap hotel accommodation in the 100-150 RMB a night range. However, I hope that you are not contemplating coming here without sufficient funds to tide you over for the length of a nice "vacation" in northeast China. Desperation can lead to pretty grim employment situations, and nowhere is that more true than in China.

"I am well aware of the minefield that private language schools are. It seems that horror stories are linked with nearly all the large organisations?" - Londonman2

I have posted elsewhere regarding my opinion of language schools. Read it if you like. But I would look at such a litany of complaints about language schools (many of these from people who have never even darkened the door of the actual place!) not so much as evidence of a minefield as it is a sampling of employment practices that can be all too frequent in Asia. Perhaps this is why such threads tend to feature a lot of people shouting past each other: the one group crying at the injustice of it all; the other saying, "So what else is new?" That said, many FTs find considerable satisfaction working at language schools.

mondrian