How to get an English Teaching Job in China
Hundreds of thousands of native English teachers are currently needed in China, and this number will be growing over the next few years. The attraction is the high wages, and often 75% of which can be saved.
To attract more teachers, Chinese schools have begun to raise salaries, offer more benefits to lure teachers away from other popular countries like Japan, Taiwan and South Korea. In the past few years, thousands of instructors have left their jobs in these areas to take up openings in China.
Want to take a break from "real life" and teach English in China for a year or two?
It's easier than you may think and can be extremely lucrative with wages going up to £2500 or higher
(with accommodation provided, flights and bonuses)
English Speakers Wanted in China.
APPLY TODAY
STEP 1
Do some research and decide on which part of China you would like to live in.
China is a large wonderful country, and looking into which part of the country you want to settle in may make the process of your job search easier.
Would you like to live in a large metropolitan area like Beijing or Shanghai, or in a Chinese city with a lot of history such as Xian, or Nanjing.
What about a provincial capital such as Kunming, Chengdu, or Wuhan.
Would you prefer a warm place, a cold place, a place close to SE Asia, or a place where they speak Mandarin, a place where they speak Cantonese?
Ask us for some advice, if you wish.
English Speakers Wanted in China.
APPLY TODAY
STEP 2
Do you want to work for a private language school, a university, or a high school?
There are pluses and minuses to each.
It's probably the hardest to get a job at a high school unless you use some kind of volunteer agency.
If you want to be paid for your time and devotion, you should consider a private school, a university posting or with a large company.
Private schools often pay a little more and have smaller classes, but university jobs provide you with housing and perhaps more help with getting your visa, etc.
Ask us for some advice, if you wish.
STEP 3
Following Steps 1 and 2 will have given you some idea about where in China you'd like to work and which type of institution you prefer. The search is far from over. You have narrowed the field by restricting location and the preferred teaching environment.
The next step is to get contact information. Once you've narrowed your list down to a couple of cities and/or provinces you're interested in and what kind of school you would prefer to teach at, you can begin to do research and find contact info for specific schools/universities.
Many Chinese universities have English language websites. For private language schools, it may be a little harder. If you know someone in China, they will be a valuable resource.
Chinese cities even have Craigslist now!
STEP 3 bis
An alternative method is to let English Real Fast, ERF, do this job for you.
EnglishRealFast.com works closely with established language schools in East Asia and parts of the ASEAN region. ERF has a very large selection of English language videos which it uses and makes available to assist its teachers in their activities.
As ERF is already in contact with a large number of institutions requiring native English language teachers, it may ease your job search significantly by using its services.
ERF can act as your agent to make contact with potential placement bodies and offer up your services. This is a considerable advantage and prevents you finding yourself being rejected after applying yourself to a number of institutions.
It is extremely important that you only apply for openings for which you are qualified. If you are under qualified, you may receive encouraging and on-going communications only to be dismissed as 'not qualified' at the end of the process. At that time of course it may be too late for you to start new applications. Find out more, here!
STEP 4
When you find the web page of a university or school you're interested in, find an email address and send them a resume and a cover letter.
Even if you can't find the email of the correct person, hopefully someone will forward it on.
Most universities are always looking to hire foreign teachers, so even if they don't have jobs listed, they still might want to hire you.
Of course, if you are able to find actual jobs listed in a classified section online, that's even better because you will have specific contact information for that job!
STEP 5
Treat this like any other job search.
You may have to send your resume to several places before you find the right fit.
Don't be hesitant to ask prospective employers a lot of questions about their university, your responsibilities, and so on.
You are considering moving to a foreign country for this job!
Make sure they will help you with all the necessary paperwork, like; visa, residency permits, medical exams, etc.
STEP 6
Buy a plane ticket.
The earlier you buy one, the cheaper it will probably be. You will probably have to connect through Hong Kong, Beijing, or Shanghai if you are flying on to a smaller Chinese city.
You will probably just want to buy a one way ticket because you might not be sure exactly when you will want to come home.
Many schools will arrange to meet you at the airport when you arrive. It's a good idea to arrive at least a week before you start teaching so you will have some time to get settled, get over jet lag, and explore your surroundings.
STEP 7
Get a visa! The school or university where you will be teaching will send you a letter of invitation so that you can get an entry visa from a Chinese embassy or consulate in your country.
You will also need a visa application which you can find it online at . . .
http://www.chinese-embassy.org.uk/eng/visa/
. . . .your passport, and a passport picture.
The visa will probably cost about £80 or you can pay extra to get one rushed if you wait until the last minute.
Once you arrive in China, you will get a residency permit in your passport, which will serve as a multiple entry visa for as long as you are working there, so you will only need a single entry visa.
STEP 8
Go to China! If you don't speak any Chinese, a Chinese phrasebook will be your best friend until you learn the basic words to communicate with a taxi driver, order food, and other basic necessities.
The Rough Guide phrasebook is much better than the Lonely Planet one. Speaking of Lonely Planet, it wouldn't hurt to have a Lonely Planet China book to help you plan trips and learn about the city where you will be living.
Be aware that most places do not take credit cards, so make sure have enough cash with you to survive your first month. £500 is probably enough.
Remember that you will want to buy things like kitchen utensils, towels, bedding, etc. when you first arrive.