Job Discussion Forums

[Shawn-W]

Greetings,

I have been trying hard to find a job near or in Jia Shan or Jia Xing, but with no luck. Frankly, I don't want to leave my wife here in Jia Shan to go off to work in another city, if even only 2-3 hours away, but it seems I may have to. That said, I got a job offer from WenZhou that seems pretty good, but I am... well, worried and more than a little scared and anxious. I have never done anything like jump head first into another country before and I do not know what to do or who to trust. Ping Yang Qiu Shi School has made a nice offer, but I don't know if I can trust them. Anyone know?

I could really use some help and guidance. I met my wife online in May of 2006 and we fell in love quickly. After a year, I finally managed to get together enough money and move to ZheJiang Province in China. I thought getting a job would be easy, but I am lost as to what to do. In this province, I've been told I need a BA degree to teach, but others have said different. I would like to teach, but am now thinking of taking whatever is offered.

I am currently in college and consider myself a bright, if hasty and absent-minded, individual, but I am really at a loss.

With that said, anyone know about Ping Yang Qiu Shi School? Or maybe could offer some advice or guidance. I am drowning. No job for almost five months and my wife is no longer the only one worried about what to do.

Thanks,
Shawn Wilkes

[tw]

You need to do a LOT of pavement-pounding, and you need to do it NOW. From your blogs, I understand that your wife is still in university. So that explains why you don't want to be away from her. If she is NOT an undergraduate student, then she should be able to live off-campus should you find a teaching job with a private language training centre.

Now, I don't know whether one needs to have a degree to teach in Zhejiang. However, there have been many threads on the degree issue and if you do a search on the key words "zhejiang degree" you should be able to dig up some information. My suggestion is for you to go to as many colleges, universities, middle schools (who don't usually require a degree), and LTC's as you can and just be straight with them and see they can get you a FEC and RPF. BTW what kind of visa do you have now? You've been here for what, four months?

One other suggestion is to complete a 40-hour online TEFL course.

[Shawn-W]

Greetings,

Thanks for the advice. My wife and I plan to do some pavement pounding this afternoon. I appreciate the help.

Also, I am about to go for a TEFL Certificate and I saw http://www.teflonline.com. Anyone know anything about this course? Is it a scam, is it valid? There was another online course suggested, but it costed $1000... too expensive for me. This is under $300. It will hurt, but I can stomach it.

Thanks,
Shawn Wilkes

[Shawn-W]

lol, scratch my question about TESLonline... I just saw a link to it from the ESLcafe main page... so if this place links it without an ad link, I guess I can trust it... I hope.