Job Discussion Forums

[hewlett77]

I've just started working for a School (Little Dragon English) here in Shenzhen. It's a new set up here, part of some church organisation. Later this year I hope to begin online study through Hong Kong Open University to pursue my degree. But currently I'm working for this outfit with no Degree. Plus I'm on a L visa which the school said they can't deal with until the end of the term which is around June or July.

Any suggestions would be great.

[Qaaolchoura]

I have a friend who went to China on an educational visa to study Chinese. He then stuck around, found a job teaching English under the table that paid him $25 an hour. His visa was for three months, and this was a very temporary job. He lied profusely about his qualifications, having precisely none. He told them that he graduated from Amherst College (neither of us has quite graduated from Hampshire), and that he spent a year tutoring Spanish-speakers in Holyoke (a bold-faced lie). I think he might also have told them that he had teacher certification. He insists that the Chinese expect you to lie about your qualifications, though I'm skeptical.

Regardless, he's not an example I'd suggest emulating when there are so many legal jobs in China. The illegal ones pay a bit more, but he escaped one step ahead of the immigration authorities, and has an acquaintance who ended up in jail, slapped with a stiff fine, and deported.

[chengdu4me]

First of all, the school can apply for a work permit for you, then an invitation letter, then arrange for your medical exam and then you can go to HK and get your Z visa so you can work legally only if they have the proper authorization to hire foreign teachers. Not every school has this authorization. Some schools will create an affiliation with a school that has authorization and they will use their school name as the hiring organization. They can do this regardless of the time of year.

If you do not have a four year degree, the school cannot legally hire you as a teacher. Many schools can get around this requirement by pulling out a stack of degrees that they have on file, choosing one and putting your name on it.

Good luck with this. You are going to need it...oh..and BTW...keep your bags packed...you might be leaving in a hurry!

[hewlett77]

Yes good advice。I don�t want to end up in a lot of trouble anytime soon。I�ve been in Shenzhen 6 months， had no trouble yet。 Kept my nose clean and my head down。 Ended up with a girlfriend from the countryside。 Nice girl but we have major diffrences， she is a Chinese Teacher her thinking so simple and strange at times。 Also renting a place and I bought all the furnture myself。 Tomorow I need to have a good chat with my boss about this and find a solution as I�m sick of moving around China plus the fact I like Shenzhen and close to Hong Kong where I plan to study。