I would do the basics. Create a linked in profile, get your CV online, maybe add it to e.g. Monster.com, and then have low expectations. A future employer will (almost) always want to see you in person, especially the better the job the more lengthy the process. 

As I se it, there is three options

Hang in China and look for jobs in China

Hang in China and look for jobs at home

Go back, get a McJob while looking for jobs. 

Without knowing the job market in your field, I would think the latter option has the best prognosis. In any case, try to think outside the box and see where your talents can be applied. 

There's an alternate idea: save enough money to pay for two or three years of in-state tuition. Learn new skills to make yourself valuable to your future employers, and look for jobs in the mean time. You'll keep busy, and do fine.

Many colleges only cost about 3.5k per semester. You could even save for just one, or two years as well. Community colleges cost even less. Some places only cost 2.1k.

That's one option. You'll learn more, and may have a much better future then you intended. Just an idea, mate.

not sure of the age limit but if your chinese is good , you can take a test to work for the state department in washington dc, only place that has jobs right now and you can take the test at the embassy here before leaving. had a friend ,young guy about 33 do this and seems happy with the job.

Good question as I'm in the same boat as you, not wanting to go back and wait around (losing hair and sleep while going into debt) looking for a meaningful job with decent wages.  I think you have to ask yourself the questions:  How bad do i want to go back and how much longer am I willing to stay? 

If you decide you are willing to stay just a while longer then getting some solid real work experience that would count in America while you are here that would probably be the best way to go. Work there a while building your career and then go back.  Even then you might have to wait around though.  You could also check into doing a master's program online at a reputable American university.  That would probably help your chances a bit as well.   Best of luck to you. 

Just to make a couple of things clear, I feel I really need a break from China for a while. It will be nearly 4 years in July when my contract ends (was studying Chinese initially). I've stayed about a year longer than I anticipated thus far. I would possibly consider staying, only if there was a really good offer, but seeing as how there aren't many entry-level  positions here, and anything above that requires a specific skill set, I suspect it would be just as difficult as finding something back stateside. I've dug a pretty big hole I think, mostly due to uncertainty of what to do, and no help. 

@Scandinavian

Think I'd have a bit of trouble swallowing my pride on the third option there. Pretty much all my friends from college are now light years ahead of me on paper in the corporate world (I'm 25, almost 26), even the ones who did quite poorly in school and didn't really care. I feel as though I need to go back with something that can show for the time I've spent here. I wouldn't mind taking a trip back to the states for an interview if I was confident I could be the person for the job. Don't know how to express that to hiring managers, though. 

I don't even know what my field is exactly. I suppose quite a few people I've known here with similar skills have gone into HR, but I'm not even sure what other companies would hire me as I don't have the relevant skills on paper.

@Hulk

Don't make enough here to save money for use back home, unfortunately (though money hasn't been my goal here). I've thought about school, and even applying for financial aid, but the idea of being poor for another 2-3 years just to be more viable in the job-market is...depressing. Especially considering my business major friends back home are seemingly doing well enough, despite their 2.something GPA's and lackluster attitude towards everything. 

@ambivalentmace

I might look into that. Didn't know they had walk-in tests for the State Department. I've checked online at USA.gov website, but it's always the traditional lengthy hiring process that, more than likely, needs you to be stateside. I consider my Chinese at a professional level, though I still make simple errors constantly. I've ran out of time on that end though, so can only work with what I got now. 

Good advice from others.

Also, if you are going back, you can certainly line up a bunch of interviews before your return. And unless you have family to stay with or some cash, I wouldn't return until you have 3 or 4 interviews lined up, and you should also have a plan and a reserve just in case it takes you a month to get a job. You have to think about worst case scenerio, and make a plan.

And don't cut yourself short, you are still young, spending time in China at your age and learning ways of the world and Mandarin is not a bad thing, and can also look good too on paper, especially after a few years. If your plan to return is not strong, then simply stay in China, find a better job where you can save at least a little, study Chinese more as that can prove to be useful in the future. And be sure to get a reference from someone in China too, that you can use.

I think Hulk's idea is the best for you.  You said your grades were good and working here you are probably poor enough to qualify for some government assistance so why not apply to do  master's degree back in the States?  While there you can search for work as well. 

Finding a job in the US, depends on the individual person . If he is picky, then he will not find a job regardless on  what ever job it maybe.

I studied my Master'sw degree in the US. Took the US teacher's exams to be certified. I taught 9 years with the school district. Came to China for adventure & seek my roots.

I am sick & tired of the lies & discrimination in China. I am going back to the US.

I have a teaching job with the School Dstricts waiting for me when I get home. I am US Credential License Subject teacher.

That's a great question. I recently have to solve the same problem, but to go back to France with my wife with the least painful transition.

Since 2011, French public administration allows to declare a foreign company with no establishment in France, and then declare workers of that companies with French residency. You can then keep working for your Chinese company, but under the French tax system. You pay way more taxes in France than in China, but it nicely solves the job problem. Of course, you have to prepare this with your boss, and your job have to be something that can be done remotely.

Short of this, my plan was to candidate for public education positions. In Europe, those positions are not the best paid, especially with two people on a single income, but it's stable, enough to live decently (you might not buy a home, but you can rent, eat and pay the bills) and it leaves some time to look for something paying more. Usually, you candidate to job openings, and then you go for the interview, so this approach would have required a round-trip from China to France.

McJob would have been a last resort, as I can hardly convince my wife that living in France is better if we have to live from paycheck to paycheck with a lower life standard than in China.

I'm a computer IT by trade with a Computer Science BS Degree, but been teaching English for 12 years (Better money & Hours), and that degree got me 70% less then what I'm making in China. There is NO way in Gods name that I would return to the U.S, well I would visit. My Chinese wife and I bought a house & car here already, had our kids here, and this might surprise a lot of people, but we are REALLY happy in Shenzhen, China.  The job market in the U.S won't change for 30 years or until there's anew world war.

The good news for you is that you're still just 25-26, so it's not too late yet.

But it's almost too late so it's good that you feel that pressure to GTFO now.

Honestly if you don't have prospects for a non-teaching career here and you don't want to be teaching your whole life you need to leave immediately. If you have friends with good jobs than network with them. See if they can help you slot into an entry level gig.

I think you're almost too old for that to work but theres still maybe a year left you can make that work. 

That's why I think it's so dangerous to come and teach in China as a fresh grad. You age out of career starting points without getting the experience to get a senior role. If it looks hard to start a good career in the west...it's virtually impossible here now.

Oh and to answer your question...probably not. Sorry to be pessimistic but what separates you as a mid 20s soft-degree graduate with no relevant experience from all the other mid 20s soft-degree graduates with no relevant experience WHO LIVE IN AMERICA? You have to ask yourself why someone would take a flier on someone 1000s of miles away when there are way too many people looking around right in front of them.

One of the things that scared me so much about being a young teacher, is that it lets you kinda feel like youre accomplishing something when you're not. (i'm assuming you're a teacher btw apologies if you're not) It sounds cool to say you're living abroad...but really it's something that you're WILLING to do not something you're ABLE to do. whatever life experience people feel they get from it, It doesn't really set you apart career wise in any way. So unless you really like it...you SHOULD be scared you'll get stuck in it forever if that's what you are doing and you don't like it. I sure as hell was.

If I were you...i'd go for a masters in accounting or something else practical like that. One option that no one has mentioned is that a few big state schools offer 100% online programs in the 25K-30K range. You'll have to take the GMAT as well prior to admission. It's a standardized test similar to the SAT. Not too hard.

I thought about doing this myself, but because i have 4 years of experience as a financial analyst I decided to go for the MBA. Which I would not recommend for someone with no experience. There's way too many MBAs out there with zero experience so it won't help you that much. 

The idea there is that even if you're stuck teaching. All you have to do is make enough to generate 8000-10000 RMB a month to pay for the program. And while you do it you'll get good at it and can start looking for real jobs. That might be your best realistic option to break out of the china trap my friend.

I would have to agree with a lot of the above posters, especially Hulk. You and I are in similar positions although it sounds like your Chinese is much better than mine ut I've found a way to get more income/savings out of working in education in China. It seems to me that the options are as follows: 

1) apply to grad schools in the states while still in China - you can take your GRE etc. here and support yourself teaching until it's time to start school. If you like teaching but want something more stable, apply for a masters in education or a specific subject that would allow you to teach back in the states or at international schools around the world (I'm seriously considering this option) 

2) Go back to the states and apply for entry level office jobs. The problem being it could take awhile as you said and you could be stuck living at home unemployed. 

3) stay in China teaching and work your way up to making 20-40k rmb/month teaching - it can be dangerous as expatlife  says but if you love teaching and have a good work ethic you can live a good life and save a substantial amount. This is what I'm doing now - I'm fully aware of the risks that expatlife mentioned but saving 3-4k US per month is not bad at all. 

4) use your Chinese and try to network into an entry level corporate job in China - probably tough but not impossible 

As for me, I'm looking at a combination of number 1 and number 3. I'm willing to give myself a few more years here saving up the rmb ONLY because I would want to study something relevant to education back in the states. If your interests don't lie in education, it is career suicide to teach ESL long term. Even if you want to go into teaching, too many years here won't really do much for you. I'm hoping that having a famous medical school on my resume will look better than EF or something seeing as I teach skills and not just oral English but even then more than a couple years won't add anything to the resume. Feel free to PM me if you want to chat. I'm also 25 and a poli sci major from a well-known school in the states. 

Congratulations on discovering that your poli sci degree is worthless in the real world, though if you hadn't come to China you may have discovered that sooner. If you really must go back to the US, you might just have to bite the bitter bullet that you'll have to start in an entry level job. Otherwise your options as I see them are as follows:

1. continue teaching English, assuming you are indeed teaching English. If you're sick of China you can go to other countries. If you're doing something else it might help us in giving you advice about your career prospects.

2. find a job where you can use your Chinese language skills, assuming you've been intensely studying it this whole time. I heard instant translators can make big money, but your Chinese level needs to be such that you can translate from English to Chinese and vice versa instantly in the middle of the sentence. Or you might be able to find a job in some factory town translating for foreign companies who run their operations there. I actually did that briefly after teaching but the factory environment and loneliness sucked the life out of me.

3. save up enough money to fund further education to learn a skill for the job market.

Hope this helps.

I think some people are over reacting a bit.  No, the job market is not that good these days and teaching ESL doesn't get you far by itself.  But some of you guys are acting like this kid is done all but done when he is only 26 years old.  Fact is you've got your whole life ahead of you at that point and lots of options.  Make connections, find part time work, do internships, volunteer, take classes, build your resume, sell your time here as a positive thing (which it is) and make it fit in with whatever you do next somehow.  Not everyone back home looks down on ESL teaching as much as some would have you believe.  I know a guy who taught ESL for 3-4 years here and left when he was 27 or 28 and got a nice job at the state department right after that.  Tons of ways to still build yourself and get out of teaching (if that is what you want).    

As far as Chinese goes, It depends.  If you learn to read and write Chinese well while you are here then it can help you considerably in some positions.  I know of several cases like a girl who is doing very well in publishing and others who are working in government and NGO's.  But yeah you are right just speaking it some won't help you career wise.  However, ESL does give you enough free time to be able to actively learn characters and such.  You just gotta be disciplined. 

I also agree that investing that much time into Chinese may not be the right path for most people.  But there are other skills you can pick up on the side in your free time.  Just have to have a plan.  Anyway you do make some sense, just don't want someone to be so downcast about their future at such a young age because there are plenty of doors that can still be opened with the right plan.