Job Discussion Forums

[leslie]

Bye

[Roger]

Leslie,
on 1st of September commences the new school term. If you come a week or two earlier, you can scour the city and find both a place to work and one to study. Perhaps both are one and the same.
Gjood luck
ROger

[JMD]

Hi Leslie,

September is really the best time for you to find a job in China. I�m actually looking at job possibilities in Beijing for right now and choices are more limited, depending on what you�d want. Like Roger mentioned, most public institutions begin their academic term then and it�s also when the preferred start time for foreign teachers. On the other hand, that�s also when many new teachers arrive or �veterans� change positions, so there�s a bit more competition for the most appealing jobs.

However, with a combination of a degree, TESL certification and experience, you have an almost ideal combination for most employers. As a woman you have even greater appeal if you�d like to teach children. Oddly enough, more than �survival Chinese� abilities in Mandarin can sometimes be seen as a detriment by some employers as they want to make sure you only use English�

This is really a good time for you to start looking since many employers have started to post openings for September, so you can make contacts now. Still, I�d advise you to not make any commitments until you come in the Summer. You�ll still have plenty of opportunities and you can actually visit potential employers to make sure everything is on the up-and-up. By meeting potential employers in person and making a good impression, you also put yourself in a great negotiating position by developing relationships with them. Relationships are EVERYTHING in China.

You should decide what you want to accomplish. Do you want to make money or do you want to experience China and improve your language abilities? The two objectives aren�t necessarily mutually exclusive and you can save good amounts of money if you resist Western temptations and live more of a Chinese lifestyle. However, many expats fall into the trap of trying to make as much money as possible which can be exhausting and can lower your enjoyment level. Roger has a great thread on money-making possibilities, but bear in mind that he has years of experience, has lots of contacts (Relationships again!) and know what he�s doing. In terms of free-time/enjoyment ratio, public institutions are usually the best bet. Also, you should figure out what your preferences are in terms of students: infants; primary school, middle school or university students; adults�? Each have their own special needs and challenges, as well as offering unique rewards.

Finally, this subject has been debated before on this forum, but you should think about teaching outside of a big city like Beijing in order to get a more �real� experience of China. People will argue left and right about what that means, but I really think that for a foreigner in Beijing, like in other metropolises, it�s too easy to isolate yourself from the society around you and fall back on familiar patterns while thinking you�re doing something exotic.

I love Beijing, that�s part of why I want to relocate there, but, after 3 years in Harbin, whenever I go there I feel almost like I�m back in a Western city. I barely need to use any Chinese and it�s pretty easy to get most Western amenities. Things are easier. Harbin is a pretty unusual city in China because of its relative youth and Russian influences and it has its fair share of KFCs and McDonald�s, but I feel at least somewhat integrated into it�s lifestyle, while still being treated as an outsider even in my own neighbourhood. In Beijing, pretty much only the tourists will blink an eye at foreigners. In smaller places, you get noticed. It can be annoying, but I think that�s an important part of learning about Chinese attitudes. I�m definitely going to take advantage of the more �foreigner-friendly� aspect of Beijing when I move there, but I think that I�ve gotten more �grounding� here that will hopefully allow me to distinguish between what is Western and what is Chinese. Although that�s becoming increasingly harder to do�

Since you�ll be studying in Beijing first, it would give you the chance to get somewhat acculturated to China in general and help you to prepare for bigger challenges, but also, I believe, more deeply enriching experiences.

JM