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Katja84
Joined: 06 May 2007
Posts: 165
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 Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 8:45 pm Post subject: Applying for jobs - some clarifications? |
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Hello!
From reading posts on this board I am getting increasingly confused about Chinese regulations regarding foreign teachers, so would appreciate if someone could help me out...
1. According to SAFEA regulations, do you need to be a native speaker of the language you teach to get visas/foreign expert certificates/jobs in public schools or universities?
2. What is the difference between being a foreign teacher and a foreign expert? Can I be either without the required 2 years (or is it 4?) of working experience?
3. Are SAFEA regulations the same in all provinces, or are they likely to be less severe in poorer provinces or in the autonomous regions?
I know people can and do get around this, I'm just wondering where I stand according to Chinese law.
Also, I'm looking for a bit of advice on how to apply for jobs...
4. I'd like to work at a public university/college for the school-year 08-09. When should I start applying for work? Since I am less employable than most applicants (non-native speaker), would it be better to start early or to wait until employers start to be panicky about finding somebody?
5. I'm wondering a bit how to formulate an application as well... Should I stick entirely to what is directly relevant to teaching, or should I tell them more about myself? If I was applying for a similar job in the UK, I'd probably mention things like societies and clubs (president of the Friends of Palestine society and secretary of Socialist Students...) in the hope that it would show organizational skills etc but I have a feeling I'd have most Chinese employers running in the other direction... Have you included hobbies or the like in order to show a bit more of your personality or do you 'stick to the topic'?
6. Do Chinese employers ask for references? Should these be added to the CV or is it better to say 'available on request'?
7. Is it common with job interviews if you're not in China at the time of applying?
I know this is a lot of questions but it's difficult to navigate this board sometimes and I was just hoping you'd have quick answers that would save me hours searching... Thanks if you do  |
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tw
Joined: 04 Jun 2005
Posts: 3898
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| Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 11:49 pm Post subject: Re: Applying for jobs - some clarifications? |
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| Katja84 wrote: |
| 1. According to SAFEA regulations, do you need to be a native speaker of the language you teach to get visas/foreign expert certificates/jobs in public schools or universities? |
I have posted this before, but here it is again.
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I'm not a native English speaker. Can I teach English in China?
Native English speakers are preferred but not required as long as you have a good command of the English language and do not have much of a foreign accent. There are many teachers in China who were not born in but educated in English speaking countries with not much of a foreign accent. There are many ESL/EFL teachers in China who did not educate in English speaking countries but have taught very well. |
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| 2. What is the difference between being a foreign teacher and a foreign expert? Can I be either without the required 2 years (or is it 4?) of working experience? |
Again, this has been answered many, many times by many, many posters. Basically, the experience requirement is not commonly enforced or followed unless the city is saturated with foreign job seekers, e.g. Shanghai and Beijing to name a couple. Unless I am wrong, a foreign expert is one who works in a specialized field that is not teaching related, e.g. IT, accounting, consulting, etc, whereas a foreign teacher teaches. But, after all is said and done, those of us who have a Foreign Expert Certificate that basically says we are, well, foreign "experts".
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| 3. Are SAFEA regulations the same in all provinces, or are they likely to be less severe in poorer provinces or in the autonomous regions? |
This has been said many times and the answer is, while they all have the same regulations, they are interpreted and enforced differently from one province to another. Using the university degree and/or two-year experience as example, Jilin province definitely doesn't care about the experience while Beijing now enforces the two-year experience rule.
| Quote: |
| 4. I'd like to work at a public university/college for the school-year 08-09. When should I start applying for work? Since I am less employable than most applicants (non-native speaker), would it be better to start early or to wait until employers start to be panicky about finding somebody? |
Haven't you been following thread asking the same question? This question gets asked about a thousand times a year. Anyway, start applying next April at the earliest. While some employers will panic at the end of the school year or at the beginning of the school year, there are plenty who will like to have their FT situation finalized before they go on summer break. Many FT's use the golden rule to begin applying after the May 1 holiday.
| Quote: |
| 5. I'm wondering a bit how to formulate an application as well... Should I stick entirely to what is directly relevant to teaching, or should I tell them more about myself? If I was applying for a similar job in the UK, I'd probably mention things like societies and clubs (president of the Friends of Palestine society and secretary of Socialist Students...) in the hope that it would show organizational skills etc but I have a feeling I'd have most Chinese employers running in the other direction... Have you included hobbies or the like in order to show a bit more of your personality or do you 'stick to the topic'? |
Show them a scanned image of your degree, a scanned image of your passport page that you have a white face, and a simple one-page resume that BRIEFLY summarizes your education, work experience, and any other relevant training or qualification. That's all they care. They don't have the patience nor the language skill to go through a two-page CV.
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| 6. Do Chinese employers ask for references? Should these be added to the CV or is it better to say 'available on request'? |
Some do, most don't. Only provide them if they ask for them and e-mail addresses will suffice.
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| 7. Is it common with job interviews if you're not in China at the time of applying? |
It's quite common, especially if they have doubts about your English.
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| I know this is a lot of questions but it's difficult to navigate this board sometimes and I was just hoping you'd have quick answers that would save me hours searching... |
Notice nobody else has answered your questions? These questions are asked so many times that doing some searches would have yielded answers. |
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Anda
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 2199
Location: Jiangsu Province
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| Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 3:16 am Post subject: Um |
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| You won't get a job without applying will you? When a job is offered then you need to make up your mind straight away and take it otherwise someone else will. You have been here a year teaching so you should know the rest by now. Most places are interested in filling positions. Out of the way places will take who they can get, this includes goverment positions and universities. We on the board can't tell you what a boss anywhere is going to decide after speaking to you. You should email them a picture so as not to shock them at a later stage. End of advise! |
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Katja84
Joined: 06 May 2007
Posts: 165
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| Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 8:21 am Post subject: |
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| You have been here a year teaching so you should know the rest by now. |
My employer was officially my project in Norway and not the university per se, so I never had to go through the application procedure, and since some people on this board have been telling me I basically haven't got much of a chance at getting a job at least I want to make sure my application is right. Thanks for mentioning a picture, wouldn't have thought of that 
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| Notice nobody else has answered your questions? These questions are asked so many times that doing some searches would have yielded answers. |
I posted this, went to bed, and as I woke up in the morning I've got all the answers on one page... And I do appreciate the simplicity of that. Searching on this board is not the easiest, in part because often you have 10 pages answering one question and it turns out that 99% of it has gone off on a tangent and in the end you notice that the question hasn't actually been answered, or that different answers have been given but no majority opinion emerged. That's often because it's rare that people ask 'what do regulations say', most ask 'is it possible', which are two quite different things.
And just a follow-up question (that has probably been answered elsewhere, so feel free to ignore it if you wish...) - if you apply earlier than most others, are employers likely to throw your application away in the hope that somebody better will show up or are they likely to keep it just in case nobody does? |
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eslstudies
Joined: 17 Dec 2006
Posts: 1061
Location: East of Aden
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| Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 8:30 am Post subject: |
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� Geoffrey Weymouth - Book inquiries to: [email protected] 1-374
2007
Complete Guide for
Foreigners Working
in China
Foreign Experts and English Teachers edition
with section for students studying in China
China Human Resources & Training Association
Authored & Compiled by
Geoffrey Weymouth
[email protected] |
This SAFEA approved downloadable book should answer Katja's legal questions. It's not free though. More of an investment, and at least it has some authoratative backing. |
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tw
Joined: 04 Jun 2005
Posts: 3898
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| Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 8:57 am Post subject: |
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| Katja84 wrote: |
| And just a follow-up question (that has probably been answered elsewhere, so feel free to ignore it if you wish...) - if you apply earlier than most others, are employers likely to throw your application away in the hope that somebody better will show up or are they likely to keep it just in case nobody does? |
Of course they can. However, if they have started applying for visa notice, FEC and invitation letter, you should have the job. That is why you should keep sending out resumes and applying for positions until such time the employer informs you that they will be sending out the paperwork for you to get your Z visa. |
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Anda
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 2199
Location: Jiangsu Province
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| Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 2:02 pm Post subject: m |
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You don't state your nationallity so you don't give us much to go on! I have been helping a European couple with advice lately. They have been geting plenty of offers but they have been waiting to get their pasports to travel so a number of offers they received have been taken because they haven't been ready to move.
A boss is only interested in experiance, presentation and health. Many places these days want a photo. Most places seen to want to make phone contact. Have a reason that is simple ready on why you want to work here. Also why have you picked them. They want to feel that you will stay. Many want you here on a tourist visa as a work visa costs them 800 RMB so they want to see you here on the ground before putting the money out. Most pay your airfares back at a set rate after a year.
Bur remember you only need one job and many want you on the ground three or four days early in case you don't turn up. They will also have a list of replacements ready. Things work both ways. |
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HunanForeignGuy
Joined: 05 Jan 2006
Posts: 989
Location: Shanghai, PRC
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| Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 2:21 pm Post subject: |
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| eslstudies wrote: |
| Quote: |
� Geoffrey Weymouth - Book inquiries to: [email protected] 1-374
2007
Complete Guide for
Foreigners Working
in China
Foreign Experts and English Teachers edition
with section for students studying in China
China Human Resources & Training Association
Authored & Compiled by
Geoffrey Weymouth
[email protected] |
I am sorry but I would hardly call this book "authoritative". Mr. Weymouth is an Australian who has lived in Beijing for a period of time and who has gone through a series of professional reincarnations. He is a recruiter, an agent, and from those whom I have known personally, and that is several Americans, two Australians, and one Kiwi Madame, plus a Brit, he has in the past committed much "bait-and-swap" with his recruits. The China Human Resources and Training Association? Maybe www.tesol-china.org. Just another agent hacking his wares. Exercise caution here.
If you want more particulars, PM me please.
HFG
This SAFEA approved downloadable book should answer Katja's legal questions. It's not free though. More of an investment, and at least it has some authoratative backing. |
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eslstudies
Joined: 17 Dec 2006
Posts: 1061
Location: East of Aden
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| Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 7:09 pm Post subject: |
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To the previous poster: kindly use the board functions correctly so as to not attribute quotations to me that are your comments, not mine!
That aside:
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| I am sorry but I would hardly call this book "authoritative" |
We are frequently exhorted to attack the message, which is the book in this case, rather than the messenger, its author. As you undoubtedly own the PDF in question, you might prefer to direct comments at its content, rather than make insinuations regarding its editor and author.
It's SAFEA approved. Apart from a few Daves posters, can you suggest a higher authority? |
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