Job Discussion Forums

[riggo8381]

First of all, I would like to thank everyone that takes the time to read and reply to this post!

I am a new poster but have been reading through pages and pages of this forum for quite sometime now. I have read more than a few posts that would apply to my situation but would like to throw out my personal story and see if you all can provide some specific guidance.

Who we are:
I am a 26 year old college grad with a BBA in Finance. I have been working in various industries throughout my career, primarily in retail. I have quite a bit of experience with training although not education directly. I have always wanted to obtain my teaching certificate to teach High School level business courses and would pursue this if it wasn�t for my burning desire to go abroad. My wife is a 26 year old college grad with a BA in Communications and she recently obtained her teaching certificate here in Texas, although has not taught full time yet (some subbing and management training as well.) We are confident in our ability to teach a class and prepare lesson plans. My wife obviously has the training to do this and we are both experienced with preparing a presentation to essentially teach a group of people about a specific topic. We are most willing to pursue a TEFL cert if needed once we have arrived.

We are both native English speakers and definitely look American (I have red hair, blue eyes, and blinding white skin�lol.) My wife is proficient but not fluent in Spanish as a side note as well. Neither of us speaks Chinese but we have full intention of at least knowing some basics before we are on the plane (we have Chinese friends and books on tape for what that�s worth.) We also plan to learn Mandarin while abroad.

We are fairly well-traveled but have never lived abroad. We do not have kids, but do have 2 dogs, and would really hope to bring at least 1 (the smaller of the 2, 30 lb Boston Terrier.) Our decision to make the move is final and we are in the process of getting rid of the home and cars�

What we want to do:
Through our educations and life experiences over many of the past 5-7 years we have become fascinated with the Chinese culture and population. We both desire to see a new part of the world and hopefully add something to wherever we go. With the research we have done so far we firmly believe that teaching ESOL in China is the next step and are planning this move in the next 6-8 months.

What we would like to know:
1) Any specific advice on what cities/provinces might be a good starting place to teach?
(Being from Texas we are accustom to climate swings but do not particularly enjoy frigid temperatures. We would like a clean city, doesn�t really matter of the size, with fair income/cost of living rates (which I imagine anyone would.) We would really like to travel from our city in the down time to experience the Chinese history/culture also.)

2) Any words of wisdom on us teaching at the same university/institution and which one of the two might be better for us as a couple? Also should we expect some extra �stipend� since the employer will only have to pay for 1 apartment?

3) Since we are accustomed to working 45-60hr weeks, working the usual 15-20 hr weeks might be dull after some adjustment time. Are most places ok with �freelancing/side work� to fill up the work day and pick up some extra cash if we so desire? (There are a number of posts on this I know but would like to just get some input that might relate to the other questions I have asked, ie in certain provinces you might recommend to us)

4) With my business background would it be better for me to pursue a business teaching role or stick with ESOL, taking into consideration my lack of classroom experience?

5) Would it be better (assuming we have the funds) to move over ahead of time and interview a few places, find a recruiter, or just job hunt on the net as I have been considering our dual teaching situation?

I think that will tide me over for now, thanks again for taking the time to read this lengthy post and I look forward to your responses.

FT-Wannabe Codie.

[danswayne]

My humble opinion as follows:

Stay home she teaches and you start teaching pursuing your alternative certificate if Texas allows as Florida did for me. This way you both gain 2 years stateside teaching experience and certificates.

Come here to Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, or one of a handful of other large cities and teach in one of the real international and make about 60,000 USD a year to start with along with a fairly nice expat package.

1. Would like to find a clean Chinese city, I know they exist I just haven't been there yet.

2. Chinese Universities and international schools love couples forget a stipend in 99% of chinese schools, not sure about international schools though, they might be a little nicer.

3. Same as US military policy, Don't ask Don't tell has been my experience.

4. No extra pay in Chinese schools once again my exp only, not worth the extra work.

5. No real answer, question to ask is how much money and time to you have to spare?

[mlomker]

I get the impression that most international high schools are looking for certified teachers with 2+ years of experience. I'd suggest that your wife be a little liberal with how she writes her resume and she should be able to secure a position that pays 2-3x what you will earn.

Given your climate desires I'd suggest Shanghai (lots of jobs but high cost of living). There will be plenty of international schools for your wife and you might be able to find work on the business side since Shanghai is all about business.

A large city is not going to have clean air but it's China. As far as travel is concerned, you'll have all of the transit options there. Keep in mind that China is a large country and unless you're taking a plane you really can't get anywhere for a weekend trip, regardless of where you live.

It's generally wise to find jobs in person. I'm sure you've read all of the horror stories on here. Only a small percentage of jobs are advertised on the ESL forums.

If you worked in the same place as your wife then they'd probably give you a 2-bedroom apartment, not a stipend. If you decide on a big city, though, you're more likely to not receive accommodation but a higher salary. The two of you could then decide where to live on your own.

16-20 hours can mean a lot of things. It might mean 26 45-minute classes so you'll want to ask about your schedule. If your classes are repetitious and you can use the same lesson plan you'll have plenty of time for side work (you wouldn't tell your employer about it). If each class requires prep then it could be more of a full-time job than you think...at least until you get good at throwing together lesson plans.

Most employers are going to expect a CELTA or equivalent certificate (maybe your wife could get by without). It'd be cheaper to do one in China. If you have enough reserves to take the class for a month and then spend a month job hunting then that'd be a nice way to go.

[riggo8381]

I appreciate the responses so far. There are a couple of thing I have not read before and will take into consideration. It would be great to have a 2 bedroom apt versus a smaller one.

Judging from the responses so far I recognize that I must have failed to emphasize our primary reasons for wanting to take this route.

Our main concern is not to make a ton of money. We both have above average income careers here in the states and are not looking to head to China to make a bundle. We are more interested in the experience of teaching abroad. It�s the challenge of a new culture and hopefully the rewards of teaching that we are aiming for. I realize that we may or may not reap rewards from teaching in terms of grateful employers/parents/students, but we are willing to give it a try. Don�t get me wrong we are not going to volunteer or join the Peace Corps as those are just not our callings (nothing derogatory meant towards those who do.) We just want to live comfortably and see the country in our spare time.

In response to how much? We plan on taking about 7-8000 USD as emergency/start-up money, and will have access to more in our US bank if needed. I hope this would be sufficient as I have read many people get by on the equiv of $500 USD a month. I figure we would be able to get by for awhile on our little nest egg? And obviously we would have enough to get a return trip home if needed. I like to think we are planning thoroughly enough to be safe.

[danswayne]

Find a school first and depending on the city you go to expect anywhere between 4,000 - 15,000. The universities are usually on the lower end of the pay scale, but they offer the most freedom and chances to really teach ususally if you want to. The training schools quite often have bad reputations on here, sometimes warranted and very seldom sometimes not. Do not expect to be paid what you are worth or given extra because you are a couple, this would be the exception for sure instead of the standard for most Chinese schools.

[Steppenwolf]

Find a job in HAINAN and be happy down south with its pristine beaches and green forest cover on the mountains there.
Or Guangxi slightly to the north of Hainan.

Don't fret just yet over the abundance of free time; it will quickly fill up; you can learn Chinese, how to cook, do sightseeing etc.

As for the "cultural experience" - you will quickly learn that you have had overly romantic ideas of what's in store for you here!

[tofuman]

"Most schools are going to expect a CELTA or equivalent."

Really? Where are you located? In these parts, most schools have never even heard of CELTA, fewer require it.

While I have found a TESOL helpful, it is hardly required for candidates with a bachelor's degree. CELTA has some great ideas for teaching in a school that does not exist in China. The applicable CELTA stuff for China could be picked up in a one week seminar, perhaps three days.

The rule here, generally, is classes of forty or more. CELTA limits working class size to 12 students, great but isn't going to happen. With large classes, the CELTA paradigm is more or less useless

[7969]

[tw]

[abusalam4]

From all the options you have mentioned, there is one that you should avoid and never try - recruiters.

Most of them are unprofessional, dishonest, and cheat and lie.....There are quite some stories about them here in thje Forum and other places in the web.

Stay away from them if you can!