Job Discussion Forums

Silent_Seven · Joined: 10 Jan 2006 Posts: 1 Location: Canada

Where to begin�. Well I just finished college and now I�m about to head over to China to teach English. I�m 19years old and have already put out resumes and have gotten job offers back. I think I�ve finally decided on the recruiter/agent to go with who is also a foreigner who owns a school over in China and seems very helpful to me, offering a job. I have visited other posts on here about the types of questions to ask and they have all been very helpful however, I am a bit nervous about China. I�ve lived in Montreal most of my life as well as Toronto so crowds and fast paced lives don�t bother me�. But I am curious as to what sort of culture shock I should be prepared for�. Are there more male teachers as to female?... what is the majority as in age of teachers that are over there? I�m not looking for the night life but I am looking for the social aspect since I will be in China for the year�.. Also are there places I should stay away from being a young foreign female?

bdawg · Joined: 25 Feb 2004 Posts: 526 Location: Nanjing

Just jump in man!

Plenty of ladies, plenty of guys. Age range is as large as China, but I would state that at 19, you would probably be the youngest FT wherever you happen to land.

Post in the China forums for more englightened feedback!

Super Mario · Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 7:32 pm Post subject:

Clarify with the agent you've chosen what your visa status will be. It must be a Z, work visa.
Are housing and return airfare supplied? How many days/hours are you expected to work?
Private school owners are one of the biggest dangers out there. Even the experienced get bitten. They are in it for profit, and you are a renewable, easily replaceable, hence exploitable resource. Maybe your youth and relative inexperience make you more attractive to some employers as well! [no offence intended, BTW]

As bdawg says, post on the China boards, but have specific questions to ask.
Traffic chaos and pollution aside, China is a safe country for Westerners provided you take normal security precautions. Learning some local language as quickly as you can is vital if you want to be semi-independent. And you need friends/connections for those things you can't handle yourself.

ps If the guy's name is Geoffrey Bell, you'd better check the China job-related board.