Job Discussion Forums

[fromtoronto]

I am coming to Shanghai to teach English and I am trying to find out how I will find a job at one of the one to one classes to adults. I taught English to business executives in Sao Paulo Brazil for six months and loved it, and I want to do the same in Shanghai.

I don't know what these schools are called, can someone tell me? And how easy is it to get a job at one of them? I have a BA in English literature, and am CELTA certified, and as I said I have six months experience teaching one to one in Brazil.

Another question, are there online resources where I would search for this kind of school?

Finally, how is the pay for teaching at a one to one school?

I am planning to arrive there sometime in the spring.

[thefuzz]

Not many such schools exist in China and Shanghai. There is that hellhole Hampson English where you are treated like a *beep* (students get a line-up of teachers and pick one they like best) and the work is not with business people but with snotty nosed kids. Went there for an interview a couple months back and didn't bother. Stay away. Plus the pay is so low you'll be scraping the bottom of the barrel.

Best would be to work at one of the bigger training centers in the city like:

Wall Street English
EF English
Web International English
Kai En English Training Center

These places are (mostly) for adult students and after working there for a couple of months you'll make enough contacts among the students to get some private part-time work. Just showing up in Shanghai and looking for one on one or private work will end in disaster...you've never lived here and don't know the culture and how the place works, better to get a foot in the door first, do some training center work and later branch out on your own. In China it's all about connections and at this point you've got none. Plus there is that sticky issue of getting a visa: don't forget that Shanghai will host the World Expo in 2010 and this will bring on a s**tstorm of massive proportions in terms of getting a visa...basically it will be the same as in 2008 with the Beijing Olympics...no "real" reason to be in China? No visa. And if you're not backed by a company that can get you a legitimate work visa plus residence permit you'll be out of luck.

Here are a few websites with job offers (in Shanghai):

http://classifieds.chinadaily.com/?view=ads&catid=1&subcatid=21&cityid=2&lang=en

http://jobs.shanghaiexpat.com/index.html

http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/shanghai/classifieds/jobs/

http://enjoyshanghai.com/jobs/

http://www.entershanghai.info/jobs/search.php

http://shanghaiist.com/tags/joblist

And here is a great social networking site for people living / working or doing business in Shanghai:

http://www.shanghaistuff.com/

Cheers.

[fromtoronto]

Thank you very much!! This is exactly the help I was hoping for. Yes I didn't expect I could arrive and find privates on my own. I was planning to find a school and get myself started that way.

I am hoping I'll find the right place that will be happy enough with my teaching that they'll be willing to get me the working visa.

I also do a form of bodywork called Rolf Structural Integration http://www.craigmollins.com, which I plan to get going in Shanghai at some stage as well. I think I should be able to find someone who serves the expat health care community that would be interested to bring me onboard.

Thanks again for you generous help