Job Discussion Forums

Anda · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 2199 Location: Jiangsu Province

With Australia if you are overseas for less than the tax year in Australia then you are liable in Australia for the tax differance on what you have paid locally and the Australian tax rate on the same amount.

timtastic · Joined: 05 Oct 2007 Posts: 14 Location: Beijing

What about too young? I'm only 23. I can imagine some people who are older (or about the same age) may not feel comfortable learning English from some 'kid'.

SocratesSon2 · Joined: 19 Nov 2007 Posts: 134

Actually Timetastic most places don't mind at all. In fact your the age of a recent college grad. Often school just love a younger teacher who they feel the kids can relate to better. Being 23 will not limit you very much as far as finding a job. Might even help in some cases. I would not worry about it.

No Moss · Joined: 15 Apr 2003 Posts: 1995 Location: Thailand

billwynne · Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Posts: 13 Location: Guangzhou

As it happens, I was about to ask the same question as elliemk.

I'm 59, and my wife is 55. We're planning on starting our China teaching careers in about a year. I too noticed the seeming age 50 cutoff.

I wrote to EF a couple of weeks ago to make some initial inquiries. They replied that they would not hire in our age group because of visa difficulties.

I would like to hear more about the government limitations on age for Z visas.

Anda · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 2199 Location: Jiangsu Province

Government jobs it is supposed to be 60. I am a government teacher and my college wants me for another three years until I'm 60 when applying for the renewal of my contract.

The rules can always be bent however. Health is more of an issue than age. However even with health provided you can turn up and perform then it also isn't a big issue either.

The private sector is more open to age and this includes private schools and universities.

The main issue that is more important than anything else is that you get on with your students but not at the expense of their exam marks. Also you must fit in with the Chinese staff and not rock the boat.

YankeeDoodleDandy · Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 10:42 am Post subject: Age

I'm 58 and hopefully, I will be back for the next few years. Last year there was a Canadian teacher who was 62 years old and he finally returned to Vancouver to be with his Chinese born wife, who had moved there four months earlier to fulfill the Canadian rules for citizenship. You must live in Canada, three out of five years once you have landed immigrant . Another teacher in Xi'an told me that the FAO's can use any excuse to get rid of you. They don't like teachers to work more than five years at a school. In Anhui, I met a teacher in his 70' s who taught in China for over ten years in China, I met him while he was teaching at Bengbu Normal Teacher's College in Fu Yang He was affiliated with a non denominational church group ELIC ( English Language in China ). They have high moral standards, no sex and no drinking. Needless to say I haven't applied to teach there. I agree with Anda, don't rock the boat, do a good job and age shoudn't be a factor. It probably varies from province to province in regards to age restrictions. Someone who is younger and more computer literate than me may provide the answer.

SpedEd · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 143 Location: Shanghai

There are more geriatrics floating around this place than Florida. It must be an arbitrary thing that the cutoff date was 50 years old. BTW, what's the appeal for you grandpa and grandma types over here.? If I'm you're age and working in China, I'll pinch myself to wake up from a very bad dream, indeed.

Anda · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 2199 Location: Jiangsu Province

Um a lifestyle I wouldn't get back in Australia. For a twelve hour working week I get more or less three months off a year with a free 3 bedroom apartment with all utilities paid including phone plus airfares paid. I get to teach students that like me as a teacher and a management that is keen to keep me on.

I can get a good one hour body massage for $6:50 Australian and get a good restaurant meal for $3 that would cost $20 back in OZ.

Who is going to give me $1,000:00 a week clear for 12 hours back in Australia so I can enjoy a similar lifestyle?

Have a look at the links below and throw in hyperinflation and tell me how good it's going to be back home in the West. Many men my age are sitting at home in Australian cities as lonely as can be trying to get by on the dole. Some life!

No Moss · Joined: 15 Apr 2003 Posts: 1995 Location: Thailand

SnoopBot · Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 740 Location: USA

I think age is not an issue, but medical problems can be a big problem. Many institutions do not want to chance having an older teacher that is often ill and requires frequent extra maintenance cost for trips to the hospital.

You must place emphasis on the fact that you have good physical health.

Private schools K-10 often want a younger person because the time and energy required to chase the little kids around and to be a babysitter.

Universities value more senior teachers.

Kram · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 152 Location: In a chair

hairuo · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 473 Location: Somewhere in China

I am just past the 60 mark and I was turned down by a school in Guangzhou even though I supposedly have that magic substance called guanxi... they said that resident's permits...that follow the z visa are not issued to over the 60 mark.

In Qingdao (sp?) there is a college that supposedly will only hire those that are retired from teaching and some of those teachers are in their 70s. In Changsha, there is a teacher that I do know that is in his 70s....
So I guess, it is where you are and how desparate the school is whether or not the 60 mark is adhered to.

Brian Caulfield · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Posts: 1247 Location: China

I've seen people who were 16 making 10,000 rmb working in the kindies in Wuxi. And I worked with mormons pushing 80 in Qingdao.
What is funny for me is that I always lie when someone asks my age.
This year I told my students I was 80 and they all said I looked 70. I am 59. I have told them I was 35 and they said the same thing that I looked 29.

Mydnight · Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2008 1:21 pm Post subject:

Chinese people respect age. It's burned into their psyche to think that anyone older is automatically better than ANYONE younger in something educational or even physical sometimes. I know some REALLY OLD dudes here that could care less about "teaching" but can get some really good jobs. Like I've done martial arts for about 13 years...they would rather have some old, over the hill dude that maybe did martial arts for less than a year teaching them because "he's older so he must have more experience".

You could find a job easily here if you even look venerable.