Job Discussion Forums

[alys]

Hi,

I am looking for a job in China and would like to start around mid-April-May. Do they have many jobs at this time or would I have to wait to start in August or September?

Thanks

[shenyanggerry]

What kind of a job, where and what are your qualifications. At that time only the language schools would need people.

[alys]

I am looking for a teaching job.
I have a BA degree, a short course tefl certificate and about 1 year teaching experience (8 months of that is teaching ESOL)

If I get a job in a language school how much pay should I expect with this experience?

Many Thanks for any replies

[kev7161]

English summer camps will usually start hiring around May with jobs beginning in July and/or August. You can find 2, 3, or 4 week jobs throughout China. They are not indicitive of a normal school as you'll work long hours in generally hot weather. However, it's a way to get your feet wet before starting a job in the regular school year that mostly everywhere begins September 1st. And, like the previous poster says, language mills are everywhere and are always seeking teachers it seems. Many of these places are not always ideal (but, really, are there any IDEAL places in China?), but good for the short term until you can land something that may suit you better. See if you can sign a six month contract. That's not too long of a gig if things don't go so well there.

[Plan B]

alys,

A good time to find a job is coming up very soon, as long as you are flexible, and able to move at short notice.

In my experience, many adverts appear right at the start of the new term after Chinese New Year. I believe this may be for a couple of reasons :

- In general, schools never like to spend money before the new year, and in some cases like to cut back. After CNY, schools and businesses alike tend to be a bit more spendthrift.

- In some cases, teachers have a change of heart during the holiday, and decide not to return to work for whatever reason - without informing the employer. This leaves the school desperate for teachers immediately proceeding the start of the new term.

Your qualifications are fine for the majority of the private language school jobs that you will find posted on the major job boards during this period. These aren't necessarily the best ones, but once you're in China with a bit of experience under your belt, you'll be in a good position to find something better.

The salary you should be aiming for depends on the location and job description. I would say you are looking at roughly between 4000-6000 RMB (with housing, bonus, visa costs etc included). Shanghai and Shenzhen should be more, and popular tourist destinations such as Kunming and Yangshou will be slightly less.

[eslstudies]

Good advice from Plan B. Housing is a big factor: if working for a language school, you'd need an extra 1500-3000, depending on location, to cover it with utilities added.
Also the hours they ask for. A university job at, say, 16 hours a week and Y5000 a month is infinitely more appealing than 30 hours in a language school at Y8000. Factor in housing on top of that. Think about the sort of life you want to lead. Most unis are Mon-Fri, 8-4, housing and utilities supplied, tons of time for extra work if needed.

[SixthAngel]

I am looking for a job now as well because I needed to make some money to pay off loans and couldn't leave earlier. So you are telling me that only private schools will be looking for new teachers the second semester? Will it be easy to grab a six month contract since I am essentially coming in halfway through the year or will my best bet be to jump around summer camps or just stay in the US until September?

[tw]

It IS possible to get a job teaching ata public school for the Spring term.