Job Discussion Forums

[cripplecreek]

Hey,
I'm a 24 year old civil engineer living in Washington State. I'm planning to quit my job early this fall so I can travel for a spell and teach English in China. I have close friends and family who are currently teaching in China and have passionately recommended the experience to me. I'm very gung-ho about both the experience of living abroad and the actual teaching. I'm hoping to take an online TEFL certification course (I to I?) this fall while applying to English teaching jobs that will start in January/February. My cousin, who has taught in Qingdao for two years, has assured me that, after September, February is the next busiest month for hiring new teachers.

My problem is this: I really don't want to quit my job this summer only to find that there aren't teaching opportunities that start this winter. I don't have any formal teaching experience (I've tutored and mentored a variety of ages though). I also don't have any Chinese language background. Does anyone have any insight into the availability of jobs that start in the middle of the academic year, specifically January/February? Will I be a viable candidate for available positions?

It's better to look before you leap... Thank you very much!

[LanGuTou]

January and February are usually difficult to find start dates because:

1. Public institutions are on their long winter vacation.

2. Everything else closes over the Spring Festival period.

Things usually pick up again from mid February onwards. The second semester in public schools start around the beginning of March.

[cripplecreek]

OK, thanks, good to know. Then how about mid-february and early March? What is job availability like then?

[hot_water_hillbilly]

Jobs are always available

Many provinces, including Shandong DO NOT accept online TEFL courses

[LanGuTou]

Ignore the Online TEFL thing. In the bigger picture, it is probably useless to you. As a Civil Engineer, I assume that you have formal education equal to or above a university degree so you can still apply for teaching jobs in China.

I am not so sure that jobs are always available. In the January/February window you are restricting yourself to the private sector especially in the two week Spring Festival period. Even then, many private schools will also close. The other problem is processing your RP. Medical Centres and Public Security Bureaux also indulge themselves in long holidays at that time of year.

That is my take on it.

[hot_water_hillbilly]

"Language schools" - i.e., private language businesses hire all year round - as they have high turnover.

It's public schools (K-12) and universities that have more limited yearly hiring cycles.