Job Discussion Forums

[mjfaina123]

Hi, to everyone. I am brand new to this, 22, finishing up (finally) and receiving BA in english and teacher certification for k-12. I also am TESL/TEFL certified (completed a 100hr) course. I want to teach esl/english abroad. What schools (language schools/international schools) am i qualified to teach in? I will be certified by the state of NJ as a english teacher. I also have been teaching Adult ESL classes in the Bronx as a volunteer for a non profit community impact organization run by Columbia University. I thought perhaps China/HK/JP/Taiwan would be a good place to start. However, as i have been going through the forums i seem to keep reading horror stories about China. I would like to know 1. where is a good place to start in China, a good school, that wont take advantage of me, or violate its contract or have issues with visa, and will provide a comfortable package 2. When should i begin to look for or start applying to jobs and where do i look for them? 3. ANY OTHER advice greatly welcome. please. thanks. - best regards Faina

[LoPresto]

Faina,

As far as I know, technically, the law in China now is for someone to have a degree and 2 years "teaching" experience in order to receive a Foreign Experts Certificate (FEC), but that varies depending on which city/province you want to work in. In the past I've met more than a few recent college graduates, so it shouldn't be a problem.

Personally, I think all newcomers should focus on university or "regular" school jobs as opposed to training centers. The pay will be less, but so will the hours and you should receive a free apartment. You can use the free time to explore as well as study Chinese or whatever interests you.

Since coming to China a few years ago, I have taught kindergarten kids, 4th - 6th graders, university students and adults in a training center. I prefer working for a university.

If you are interested in a university job you might want to check out - www.chinatefl.com

A few schools may be looking to hire someone to begin around March 1, 2010.

Good Luck!

[Hansen]

If you are looking for quality of life, fair treatment, and job satisfaction, you might want to first check out the Japan forums. Unless you have a particular interest in China or something it has to offer, such as taiji, I hardly see an upside to working here. Japan may be the same. Look into it.

There are situations which are worthwhile. In general, however, China is a difficult, if not brutal place, for a foreigner, at least in these parts.

If you do want to come to China, you can begin applying right away. You might find a job to begin next march.

[Chris_Crossley]

[A'Moo]

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

I can't really say much unless I know a few things:

Is money important?

Is a love life important?

What colour is your skin?

Is having Western stuff important, or can you safely say you can mesh into a strange new culture?

What kind of weather are you looking for? Can you accept cold/hot all year round?

What are the top five most important things for you in a new career?

If I new all these, I could give you awesome advice.

[randyj]

[El Macho]

I have PM'd you with details, but since you have a teaching credential you should really only consider working at an international school. Look for IB or American School jobs. Don't even think about working at a cram school; it'd be a waste of your time and training and drastically underpay you.

Your teaching credential is a rare asset in China. Make the most of it.

[MjdRed32]

I wouldn't mind being pm'ed some details too.

Cheers.

[nyc2323]

[nyc2323]

Oh, and I'm caucasian...forgot to mention that.

[RonHex]

nyc.

money. you can do it but maybe not fresh off the boat. depending on your lifestyle/salary you may need to pick up some part time work.

love life. its hard for a woman here. if your an attractive/cool girl you maybe able to find a foreign guy but to be honest most guys catch yellow fever pretty fast. as for local boys well ive known a few girls that do well with them but again it maybe pretty hard going.

western stuff. should be ok but you may want to the moms to ship a care package now and then really depends on the city u live in

weather. china has a full range. something to consider when choosing a city

like everything in China its hit and miss

[mnguy29]

You have great credentials and you will be in demand in China. It depends on what you want here. Make alot of money by working alot of hours with few holidays? English training centers would be for you. Or, teach at an International school as mentioned before and make ok money with more free time. Teach at a University with alot of time off and mediocre salary. I have done much of these and prefer Universities. But, you must be careful and ask alot of questions about the job and apartment first. There are some horror stories here!

[Renegade_o_Funk]

...

[xiaolongbaolaoxi]

Just a word of warning.. unis have figured out that there is gold in them thar language classes and have also started to offer "minors" [sometimes called second major, but is not the same as a double major in America]. As the only available time for the ridiculously profitable classes are on Saturday and Sunday, guess when those classes are scheduled ? If you are at a uni with very few native speakers, you get to enjoy the pleasures of mandatory overtime. In true fashion, I received no notice, and only found out when a student who was friends with one of my students said she was looking forward to seeing me tonight, which did not go over well in front of my wife. They collected 35000rmb+, secured a classroom, posters [in Chinese everywhere], held several meetings, and didn't tell the teacher. When I called and asked, they said "Your mandatory classes start in four hours and will last for two months." They literally wanted me to teach seven days a week.