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Sign up with Google Sign up with FacebookQ: Any advice on how to find non-English-teaching jobs in China?
After my few years in rural China and four years of study in the States, I've become fairly adept in Mandarin. But still, I am getting consistenly turned down for non-English teaching jobs in China (echinacities and craigslist). Does anyone have some tips that might help sweeten my application process? Or to succeed outside of the English game, am I doomed to 2-3 years of expensive post-graduate study in a field nonrelated to language? Do (Chinese) employers believe that human intuition can surmount to success and profit? Or do they need that certification?
12 years 39 weeks ago in Business & Jobs - China
What's your degree? Are you at all marketable as a freelancer. I know people who make a killing facilitating business between Chinese and English companies. All the do is arrange meetings, tell both sides how to behave and what to expect from the other, translate a bit...etc.
Go back to your home country and find a job that is located in your home country and China is your best bet.
I have had some success previously with non-English teaching jobs but that was because I had a degree in International Politics and Economics with a minor in Edu. so I was able to teach subjects.
Before teaching, I applied for some jobs in the linguistics field and was successful but the pay was worse than teaching, I mean ESL teaching.
Subject teaching... international schools will pay a mint for good, qualified teachers. I know a guy who, back home, would be an economics (I think) teacher, but they've got him doing sciences etc as well... he reads the book the week before he teaches the lessons!
Otherwise, if you're looking to teach at a uni with a specific major (such as international trade), yeah, you're going to need to have that post-grad! And, rightly-so too!!!
Shining, I know exactly what you mean. When I worked at an international school, they pay was the same as if I was back in the States or Canada, plus extra for housing, it paid off my old Uni. debts and paid for my future Law edu. It's always the same, people come to China and want to find that good job outside of teaching but it's rare except for those intern positions. Most of the expat's I know making good money have worked for the same company for 5 to 10 years in their home country and were moved here to manage or direct a branch of the company. Actually, most of my Aussie buddies don't have degree's at all, but are raking in 30K to 50K a month with a nice apartment and some of them company vehicles, but they are only here between 2 to 5 years before they have to go back or move to another branch
I can only speak for my field of experience- lab science- in saying it is possible to find such jobs in China. You might want to look around for other websites. If you can tell me what you have a degree in and which industry you are interested in working for, than perhaps I could introduce some websites that are more non-ESL oriented.
Networking may be another opportunity. Find out trade shows, seminars etc., in the field of commerce or industry that you are interested in then just mingle. Lots of such opportunities exist in China if you do your research well enough. Prepare a CV/resume in both English and Chinese if possible. www.linkedin.com is another way to get the message out. You need to write a killer introduction to yourself and the skills you can offer.
I am in the process of becoming a TEFL teacher.. Sooner or later, I will go to China to teach English as a foreign language.. Even though I earn a modest salary in UK, I want to take a career break for a year and teach English.. Even though I have been to China several times and familiar with the culture, finding a job and teaching there will be a new venture.
This is all very new to me, and I have noticed the diversity of comments people make from their own or someone else's experience... Of course people have all sorts or experiences and some are encouraging to the reader, whilst others are not... I hope that I will have a good time teaching English.. I am not doing 'just for money' yes, of course, I will need to make a living whilst I am in China.. but the desire is to immerse into the Chinese culture and look a little bit more beyond the ' gloss of western civilisation' that the new generation has adopted...
MissA:
Good luck. China ain't glossy, that's for sure.
I hope you find what you're looking for but a lot of us end up appreciating our home countries much more after a stint in China.
Hi
How about coming here as an au pair at first?You cab do this for 6-12 months.Its a great chance to become good at mandarin as we pay for lessons - also a great chance to begin your experience from the Chinese point of view since you will be sharing the day to day life of a Chinese family.