Job Discussion Forums

[blues_dad]

Ok, this is my first day on the site. I have had a chance to read through numerous other posts in the newbie area and others. Maybe it's just because I'm so excited about this opportunity, I may have missed some answers to basic questions.

1. I have no college degree or teaching certification. I am interested in working in China. What is the best certification I can get without having a college degree that will still make it possible for me to teach in China? And I am not just out of school, I am 29 years old, did the military out of high school and worked every since, unfortunately nothing related to teaching.

2. What areas in China(outside of the big cities) pay reasonably well for someone just starting out in this field? Is China a good place to teach for someone just starting out?

3. As far as time-wise, how long should I allow myself to find a job? And I can assume that I don't need to fly to China to do an interview, are most of them done online or over the phone?

4. As far as medical, what do I need to be current on as far as shots, physicals, etc?

[Chris_Crossley]

Hello, blues_dad, and welcome to the forum!

I'm an old China hand myself, having lived and worked in the Middle Kingdom for more than four years now, and it looks as if I am set to stay here for at least another four! OK, let me try to answer some of your questions.

1. Officially now, China wants people to have college degrees, because there have been plenty of people who have come with the "backpacker mentality", got jobs, did the minimum of work, got their pay in cash, and then just cleared off to travel. Not that this applies to everybody who comes to China, of course. This notwithstanding, it is really up to any schools you apply to to admit you with whatever qualifications and experience you have.

Usually, colleges will want native speakers with college degrees, but there are plenty of private for-profit language schools who are not all that fussy. So long as you are a native speaker (and, from what I have read and heard, not ethnically Chinese), you should be fine, because foreigners' faces "sell", i.e., they are a marketing tool to get the local Chinese to part with their money on behalf either of themselves or of their little darlings. Whatever work experience you have will be considered more as a sign of maturity, even if it is not related to teaching as such, but, wherever you start, you will still be starting at the bottom.

2. I have been teaching in the city of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, for four years. It is not an international city like Beijing or Shanghai by any stretch of the imagination, yet foreign presence is growing, as is the city itself as more and more outlying land is being claimed for huge construction projects. Wuhan wants to turn itself into the equivalent of Shanghai within about ten years, so it is playing catch-up quite fast. Pay rates are pretty much what you would expect from a big city, but it is not too expensive to live in compared to Shanghai.

3. It depends upon when you want to go. You can allow yourself at least one month before you go, possibly two, depending upon the starting date of your job. And, no, you won't be asked to fly all the way to China for an interview. It'll probably (99.99%) be done by telephone where you are.

4. Chinese government regulations require foreigners who are working (rather than just visiting) to have a medical done in China itself shortly (within the first month) after your arrival. Certainly, this was the case when I first came here. Any medical you may have in your own country before departure will not necessarily be accepted by the Chinese authorities as a substitute. However, if you are working in a big city in China and you do not come from an area where there are likely to tropical diseases prevalent, you are unlikely to be required to have shots done in China, but you will be required to have a blood sample taken. Remember that AIDS and SARS are still sensitive issues in China, so do not be surprised if they want to go over you thoroughly. Unless your school is paying for you, be prepared to spend about 500 RMB (about 62 U.S. dollars) on having the medical examination done.

If you have any further questions, please let me know by PM.

Good luck in whatever you decide. TESOL in China can be quite rewarding, even if, at times, you will encounter irksome frustrations, especially if you decide to work in the private chain school sector, as many of our fellow posters will doubtless testify.

[blues_dad]

thank you for the quick reply Chris, my name is Jeremy by the way. Yes, unfortunately in my situation, I don't have the time or necissarily the extra funds to procure a BA in any field of study. Gotta put food on the table, so working overtime every week tends to fill up any free time I may have. As far as the for-profit schools are concerned, I have had a chance to browse through some of the job listings, and it seems as if most require a BA plus some sort of actual classroom experience, neither of which I have. Any suggestions on where I could start looking into the for-profit schools? Or is it just better to post a resume? Do the schools browse the resumes or wait for us to reply to their ads?

Also 1 other question. Is there places there where I can study for a BA in education while working? And would that degree be good if I ever came back to the U.S. to teach?

[mlomker]

[blues_dad]

thanx for the reply, very informative. so there may still be places I can teach in china without havign a TESOL or EFL, ESL certs? I have gotten 2 offers so far from chinese schools, and my resume even stated that I didnt have certifications, but i was under the impression that you couldnt legally work in china that way

[StillWaiting]