Chinese "Foreign Expert" requirements

mandarinstudent · Post by **mandarinstudent** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 9:10 am

I am currently in China on a tourist visa and trying to get a job as a teacher in a university. One college wanted to hire me, but ran across some problems. When trying to get my "foreign expert" certificate so that I could go to Hong Kong and change my visa, they were told that I could not get it due to the fact that I had recently graduated college. The person at the college told me that he was told that I need to work for 2 years AFTER graduating in order to be declared a foreign expert and that I couldnt teach there unless I had the foreign expert certificate. I have plenty of work experience, but I was working at the same time that I was going to college. Is this true, or is the guy at the college lying or something? Do you really have to work for 2 years after college to teach english at a university in China? At first, the man from the college said that it would be difficult to change the tourist visa to a work visa, but he would try. He also said that if I was in the US, the process would be a snap because there wouldnt have to be any visa conversion. After contacting the people regarding the "expert certificate", he said that even if I was in the US, they could still not hire me because I am a recent college grad and dont have the 2 years working experience AFTER graduation. This doesnt sound right...Anyone know if this is true? Thanks

HanMan · Post by **HanMan** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 5:52 am

Yes, it is true. Two years' working experience is necessary. In fact, most Chinese universities take it as one of the conditions for engaing foreign teachers. You may be disappointed, but that's a fact.

mandarinstudent · Post by **mandarinstudent** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 2:13 am

Right, I understand the 2 year's experience requirement. I looked at the law and it doesnt say that the work experience has to happen after graduation. It only says that you need a bachelor's degree and 2 years of experience. I have over 2 year's worth of experience, but it just happens that I was working and going to college at the same time. Im just wondering why Im getting such a hard time because the experience occured while I was in school instead of after graduation. Nowhere in the law does it say "the experience is required to be AFTER graduation". Besides, I have heard of plenty of people teaching fresh out of college.

HanMan · Post by **HanMan** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 2:14 pm

Oh i know. it's the custom. The custom in China is different from that in your country. We Chinese usually go to college before go to find a job. And when we are finding a job, we have a full-time job in our mind. We like full-time job better. And the employers like full-time work experience better. Now i think you can understand why that university want work experience AFTER graduation. You say that someone get a job fresh out of college. Are you sure they works as foreign experts at universities?

mandarinstudent · Post by **mandarinstudent** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 12:59 am

We Chinese usually go to college before go to find a job. And when we are finding a job, we have a full-time job in our mind. We like full-time job better. And the employers like full-time work experience better.

I did work full time while in college. I worked full time, took a full time course load AND gradutaed with a 4.0 GPA. This is why I dont see the problem. I have more than 2 years FULL TIME experience and even though I was working full time while going to school, I still managed to get good grades. The way I see it, working experience is working experience no matter when it is acquired. Whatever..I guess whatever I say isnt going to change anything.

HanMan · Post by **HanMan** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 1:30 am

Since you are such a talented and hard working person, i suppose things will work out for you finally. Besides, what you want is to teach at a Chinese university, not THAT university, right? You may try other unversities if you want.