Job Discussion Forums

[toteach]

Are there job fairs anywhere in China for foreign teachers? Teaching fairs exist in many western countries, but I've not seen anything for those of us already in China... Anyone?

[vikeologist]

There are (or at least were) teaching fairs for foreigners, and clearly a lot of stands are teaching employers.

They were in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou.

I went to the Shanghai one in (I think 2012) to try to find good teachers. (I found maybe one or two, but they didn't come to my Uni)

It looks like you've just missed the latest batch. There's ads for them here

http://www.chinajob.com/

but honestly, I don't think they're worthwhile either for teaching employers or jobseekers.

Actually Hangzhou Helen (The Helen Group) had a stand there. I had a look at the people staffing it and wondered if one of them was Helen. I was tempted to ask for an autograph, but there was steady queue of ESL lemmings, and I couldn't be bothered to wait just to ask if one of them was the most hated recruiter in China.

[nomad soul]

Don't you have a China affiliate of TESOL International Association (TESOL.org)? If one exists, check to see if they sponsor an annual conference and possibly a job fair.

[Mr. English]

There is one every year in Guangzhou around the end of April; the last two have been held at a hotel, forget the name, right next to a line 2 subway station a bit north of its junction with line 5. The date is typically announced in echinacities.com, but I suggest you be proactive and do an internet search around 1 April.

[Non Sequitur]

The ones I'm familiar with are for jobs for English speakers who are looking at both teaching and other industries.
I think that like me the other FTs in attendance (Beijing 2010) were looking to get out of teaching.

[nomad soul]

Given that China is a major employer of expat EFL teachers, I'm surprised it's not an affiliate of TESOL International, the professional TESOL association (http://www.tesol.org/connect/affiliates-regional-organizations/worldwide-affiliate-directory). (Even Mongolia has an affiliate.) Anyone know why China doesn't?

[Simon in Suzhou]

I went to a job fair for foreigners (pretty much ONLY ESL jobs) at the China Marriot Hotel in Guangzhou a couple years ago. It was a complete waste of time. About 25 stands including all the terrible chains like EF, and a bunch of public universities offering 5000 rmb/month.