Job Discussion Forums

[marg252]

I'm brand-new to esl, tefl certified, but no degree. What is the best way to find a job? Do I need to just fly over and look? I am hoping to find a job ahead of time that will fly me over.

Thanks!

[eslstudies]

I'm sure there are people working in Shanghai without degrees, but be aware:
-these are probably not legal jobs, and as such would not be able to provide a residents permit. In my experience, the Shanghai PSB only issued permits to degree holders.
-they are likely to pay at an hourly rate, and wouldn't provide housing [or an allowance] and certainly not airfare.

There are probably other parts of the country that could meet your requirements. Scroll through the myriad job sites for teaching in China. I believe the Buckland group does not require degrees:
http://www.bucklandgroup.org/sub/job.htm
but caveat emptor. A web search is required on this organisation.

[clark.w.griswald]

I second eslstudies comments above.

Finding good teaching jobs in Shanghai is quite difficult as the market is so competitive. If you add the fact that you don't have a degree then you are going to find it just that much harder. Any work that you do find is likely going to be the sort of work that you really don't want.

You could however find work in the areas surrounding Shanghai - Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces - and within an hour or two travel to Shanghai. These positions will generally offer housing and other benefits.

Without a degree though you will find that most of the positions you get offered (if not all in places like Shanghai) are going to be illegal from the perspective of not being able to give you residency for working here. Many people do that sort of work and get away with it but it pays to be aware of your situation here.

[in_asia_bill]

I keep coming across this, 'TEFL certified, but no degree'. How can you get a TEFL certificate without having a degree? I always thought a degree was a prerequisite for being accepted onto a TEFL certificate course.

[foreignDevil]

[eslstudies]

[in_asia_bill]

[tw]

[jammish]

[dave_merk]

I'm just curious as to why so many people on here like to trash online TEFL certs like they were nothing. I think it's been determined beyond the shadow of a doubt that a piece of paper can't you make you a better teacher anyway, and that success as an FT in this country is 25% character, 25% determination, 25% skill, and 25% endurance. I've got three TEFL diplomas under my belt and all were done online: an i-to-i, a Bridge-Linguatec, and an American TESOL Institute. Frankly, all of them provided some good ideas, were cheap, and got me my RPF and FEC with no problem.

Online diplomas can get the job done effectively, conveniently, and cheaply. Why do they get looked down on so much? Shit, I've got mine framed and on the wall. I'm proud of them.

[in_asia_bill]

[jammish]

I completely concur with In Asia Bill. A genuine CELTA (or similar) course is no walk in the park. Indeed, our course instructor told us that the previous batch consisted of about 20 people who thought that it would be just that, and about 15 of the 20 failed, as they all spent more time in the downstairs bar than actually preparing for their course.

I did my CELTA part time, over a three month period. For those three months, I was unable to do anything apart from go to my normal day job, sleep, eat, and prepare/attend the CELTA course. It was in many ways more stressful than my final month at University.

[marg252]

I have the Oxford Seminars certificate.

So, ummm... Did you all have jobs in China before arriving or not?

[foreignDevil]

[marg252]