Job Discussion Forums

[ohmide]

I've applied to around 20 positions throughout China and have received no responses in weeks. I'm also communicating with Footprints but they are also pretty slow. What is the average response time? I'm just surprised with the delay of reply emails considering that there "seems" to be a great need for English teachers.

Thanks in advance.

Stats:
US Citizen
26\M
Master's Degree in MIS
No Teaching Experience

[tw]

[clark.w.griswald]

Chinese employers will tend to only acknowledge receipt of your application if they are actually interested in you. The good news is that when you do get a bite that you are pretty likely to get the job, the downside of course being the frustration of not knowing what is happening when you don't get replies.

If the school does not currently have a position available then many schools will not plan ahead and think that they have a great applicant here who could be suitable for a position coming available. If there is nothing available now then your application may just get ignored.

If there are positions advertised as being available but the schools are not responding then it might pay to look at what you are actually sending the schools. Sending too little information such 'Hi, looking for work. Do you have a job for me?' or too much such as an essay on your work history including part time gigs as a waiter/waitress, may not attract the attention of the school.

I recommend that you keep it simple. Apply for each job by cut and pasting their requirements into your email and addressing each requirement one by one.

[cj750]

Chinese will mishandle anything incl. apps for positions..it may be handed off or the responsible person may be on vacation. At any rate the shotgun approach to finding a job in china seems to have the best results..

[ohmide]

The majority of emails were sent on April 30th so I can understand the delay if everyone was on holiday. The next slew of emails were sent this last weekend. I'm applying to everything that looks good. My friend who is currently in Beijing tells me that 16hrs for a University teaching position is a good start and 20hrs is quite exhausting. I've been applying to jobs that post within those range for hours, provides housing, provides visa, etc. I've tried both private and public schools\universities. I've also sent all of my stuff through Angela's ESL cafe too. My "Package" is much of the same: passport scan, degree scan, picture, and resume. Most of my experience on my resume are technical IT jobs, so no, I didn't put down that I was a Safeway bag boy 10 years ago The thing is I'm a Chinese American so I have a nagging feeling that I'm getting some reverse discrimination here...but it could be my imagination although I'm sure everyone would want to see a white face instead of mine.

I got 1 email this afternoon verifying the receipt of my package so hopefully that will lead to something.

[jeffinflorida]

The Chinese are very slow and generally do things quick, at the last minute, and totally incorrect...And of course only when it benefits them...

[malu]

Something I discovered was that many of the 'adverts' on the bigger recruitment sites are extremely old and that with some sites the date of posting may not be obvious. I got the best results (and several good job offers including one I have accepted) with abroadchina.org.

[cj750]

[tw]

[HunanForeignGuy]

Actually, folks, the job market in China is a bit unusual this year, at least in terms of what I have seen.

Before, it was a seller's market so to speak and they would buy anything.

I myself am set up for next September, actually with a Plan A, B, and C (in the works) but consider this please.

At the university where I am now, most of the foreign teachers are leaving, given the problems with the place.

1. I have found suitable employment with no problem;

2. A colleague of mine, a University of London graduate, a rather brilliant fellow it not a little eccentric in the best British tradition, with a Master's degree and teaching experience, has received practically no responses to the 80 or so applications that he has filed;

3. Another colleague of mine, a fine Southern gentleman a la Rhett Butler, with a Master's degree in Science and oodles of experience, is in the same situation;

4. Another colleague of mine has simply opted out of China for Japan and is having a go at it there;

5. My other colleagues who are leaving are also swimming upstream, so to speak, with the exception of another fine Southern boy who signed on at another university on a package worse than the one he is leaving.

People have mentioned www.abroadchina.org, which I have found to be of no use, as have my colleagues. Recruiters that I have contacted and known for years are saying that the real onslaught for jobs this year is a bit of a whimper.

Strange but I am wondering about others' experiences.

All the best,


HFG

[ohmide]

Yesterday was a pretty exciting day. I had asked a friend of mine (former ESL teacher) to try to talk to his former school to hook me up and it seemed to have worked. I got an email with a contract from the University and am sending it back signed. This means I pretty much got it right?

Either way, the old saying of "you got to know someone" really does play out.

[william wallace]

I think a general rule of thumb aside from the obvious hiring season, is that the dodgier the school, the needier the school.In fact, so needy that they need replacements ASAP. If you suspect it's a fairly good school, wait a while (to your comfort level, and while applying elsewhere) and then send a polite and professional letter of inquiry.
Best of luck,
WW

[cj750]

[tofuman]

"That means I got it, right?"

You may be surprised at what you are going to "get." Careful.

[tw]