Job Discussion Forums

[sbballer33]

I�ve been traveling for over two years in Asia now after finishing grad school, been to China a couple times in the past, but I�m thinking I�d like to live there for a year and get a job. I�ve got a Ph.D. in semiconductor related engineering, and good list of publications, but not much in the way of teaching experience, just taught an undergrad materials engineering discussion section.

I was thinking I could do something like teaching English for technical presentations (which I know is a skill that the Chinese who go to grad school in the US or international conferences desperately need whether they know that or not is another question). Also I could help to edit papers for submissions to international journals. Anybody know what types of jobs I could get, with my background? How much they would pay?

As it would be more about living in China than just making money, I�d probably prefer to live in either Chengdu or Kunming but I could also do Beijing. If I just wanted money I�d get a more directly related job in the US, Japan, or Europe. Anyone know any schools/institutions in those areas that might be worth approaching?

[suanlatudousi]

You're Indian ?

What exactly is your speaking English like ?

My experience with western Asian's English is not something I care to encounter again.

English teaching is usually (but not always) dedicated to us white-folk

[sbballer33]

No I'm an American (with a "white face") currently in India. Grad school at University of California Santa Barbara.

[Herman Blume]

SB,
Have you considered working for an American semiconductor company in that has fabs or design divisions in China? I am pretty sure Motorola has at least 1 fab in China (no idea where though). Some of the Taiwanese semiconductor companies might have fabs on the mainland.

I will be moving to China soon as well and come from a semiconductor background (functional/feature testing) and will be starting in a language mill since I do not have a 4 year degree.

Just seems that with your education level you could do a hell of a lot better than what I am getting ready to do

[brsmith15]

Hey balls,

My thought would be to apply to the big unis here: Tsinghua, Peking U, Fudan, Jiao Tong. I think they'd take you in a minute. The pay would be good although there probably wouldn't be any benefits.

I worked for Shanghai U of Finance and, being a business guy, taught accounting. Great job. High pay (by Chinese standards), Terrific boss and wonderful offfice support. No bennies tho, and wasn't paid when I wasn't working - - like during the summer and spring break.

[bradley]

I recommend just sending out your CV and seeing what you get offered.

[Eyrick3]

You do indeed seem to have a specific set of skills that, if utilized properly, would be put to good use.

Unfortunately, regardless of where you go, you're most likely to end up teaching students with little to no English-level.

I would be very surprised if any university could fill a full-time schedule with both A) advanced level students who could understand what a semiconductor is, and, B) people who need to speak about semiconductors in English on a semi-regular basis.

You'll certainly get a lot of hits just because of the Ph. D alone. If you don't have any teaching experience, you may want to consider a TESOL program to get your feet wet. Experience plus your Ph. D will get you entry to big universities like Qinghua, where the chances that your skill set will be utilized the most are highest.

[Hansen]

OP,

Wondering about the national security implications of a person with your expertise teaching in China.

The Chinese are not our friends, regardless of what they might tell you. The recent incident off Hainan illustrates that.

[sbballer33]

[dialogger]

I suggest Google 'university of technology cn' and see what comes back.
Dalian University of Technology is one that comes to mind.
Crappy FT accomodation though - so watch that.

[Jati]

With a PhD in engineering you can do better than TESL in China. There should be some university there that wants a western PhD to teach and oversee graduate students. Teaching subject material in English, that is, not teaching English.

If not China, come to Malaysia. I know a PhD in Mechanical Engineering who got himself set up fairly well at one of the national universities, with low teaching hours, time for research, and oversight of graduate students. When he returns to the west, it will look great on his resume. TESL would look like a questionable detour on your resume, sorry to say. (It doesn't look like you're set on TESL, but teaching any kind of English for Science, English for Technology, will be looked at in the same way.)

[sbballer33]

Yeah I suppose traveling for 3 years without a job doesn't look so hot either on the resume but its fun. I just want something temporary so I can save a bit of money explore living in a new place then take off over land through central Asia to the middle east. So looking for something like a year commitment with low hours, and obviously as good a pay as I can expect for something that meets the previous criteria. I've got a friend went to Grad School with from Malaysia, he taught over there for a while then headed back to the states. The problem is doing real research in these places is frustrating if your not really well funded (which you aren't compared to the US, Europe or Japan), and no one is going to offer a job to someone for that, unless they are planing to stick around. Would like to make it to Malaysia someday though, I've heard good things.

[Jati]

You are correct in your assessment RE research in Malaysia. It is an absolute joke! They gov't wants to jumpstart a research culture, but they don't make money available, or if they do (just a bit), it is with heavy politics, i.e., needs to go to the well-connected. But, they still want people with publication experience to tell them how to do it.

One of my colleagues has published Mickey Mouse research in Mickey Mouse journals and he has lots of people here wanting him to help them get started in research. Any university position now it seems comes with strings attached stating that you must be involved in research.

So, there is a place for you, and it isn't in TESL. Just MHO.

[sbballer33]

Thanks, that gives me something to think about, one other marketable thing I do have is contacts with highly respected professors back in the US. About the only way a lot of these institutions are going to get any significantly publishable research is to collaborate with universities abroad and get the pricey stuff done over there that requires expensive machinery and do a rather simple measurement on their end. Give me a year and some basic equipment and I'm pretty sure I could get a publication out for them, with my old adviser as a collaborator. So then I guess I need to find out how much a institution is willing to pay for a publication reference they can brag about.