Teacher Discussion Forums

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

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.