Job Discussion Forums

[direshark]

Planning to make the move to Shenzhen, as my fiancee and her family are in the area.
I'm surprised that I have not been able to find any vacancies over the last several weeks at Shenzhen universities (and I've been emailing schools directly also). I realize it's the awkward February start, but in the past this has not given me any issues.
Is Shenzhen really this competitive? Does anyone have any advice for someone in my position?

[The bear]

[Non Sequitur]

http://www.seriousteachers.com/index/0/41/0

Type city into google custom search space and click go.
Doesn't seem to differentiate between types of schools but a helluva lot more productive than spraying emails on spec.
This is the start of the Spring Semester hiring season so be active.
Best
NS

[direshark]

For future uni job seekers in Shenzhen:

1) I've learned that most unis in the area aren't interested in language teachers, so much as full professors teaching a subject area. This is because most unis in the area are satellite specialized campuses of high prestige unis (Peking, Harbin, etc).

2) The unis that are interested in language teachers (Shenzhen, Polytechnic) simply don't seem to need many new teachers, as competition is tight and (I think) foreign teacher attrition rate is low.

3) What surprised me most is that emailing unis directly will not net you a job (I received nothing but automatic replies), because several unis in the area now have (in the last couple years) made exclusive agreements with local recruitment agencies. Not normal headhunting agencies either that will direct you to sign a contract with the university - but the kind that (unfortunately) require you to sign a contract with the agencies themselves. As such, finding a job is a matter of finding the specific agency with which the uni is aligned.

[garamamin230]

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen) is actively recruiting since it's a new campus. I interviewed for them and they seemed to have it together despite being new since all of the higher ups (at least in the English Center) are well-experienced and respectful. I passed the first round of interviews and moved on to the second round, which included a written task and a 20-minute teaching demo. (The feedback was generally positive, as well.)

Can't say for sure yet, but it seems like they are really interested and like this might be it as they have contacted my references for letters already.

Last time I checked (last week), they're still updating their posting on TESOL.org (or was it Vitae.com)...

[The bear]

[garamamin230]

i wouldn't say that it's far outside of SZ or even outside of it. it's in the longgang district with its own metro stop (Universiade) within 55 minutes of downtown sz (according to the sz metro website, which tends to overestimate travel times).

what were some other reasons you decided against it besides the location?

[RiverMystic]

[OhBudPowellWhereArtThou]

http://www.abroadchina.org/