I met a girl from Anshan, Liaoning, who wanted to join me in Guernsey, where I lived at the time.

However, her English sucked, so I asked my buddies 'What can I do in China?', and 'English teacher' answer followed.

My first gig was with English First in Tangshan on L. 'Non-native working for EF'.

I was hired by S. African DOS through the advert, who was tired of all teaching hours he had to perform, because of the lack of English teachers at the mill.

We separated with the girl after some 3 years, and I.....am so lonely.

From friends or circles, always.

I originally went to China from an invite (American friend) to teach at a local university. My mirror English-Chinese teacher at the time is now my wife. As I progressed, I kept moving up in the ESL food chain, and making it to educational administrator. My wife moved up too and was the academic supervisor. Company treated us well until they got a new center director which was the worst manager I have EVER seen. 50% of the staff were fired, and the other 50% just quit. I was part of the latter group.

I realized that you will always hit a roof in the ESL world, which is pretty low because it is managed by Chinese(unless you own it). So I furthered my skills in design and technology. It was a good time too because the smartphones/tablets were being introduced to the world and websites were becoming more of a company necessity than a luxury. So I started working entirely online (with a few local clients). Now I can work from anywhere as long as I have a laptop and an internet connection. UI/UX design is extremely high in demand. My wife... she went to open up her own overseas language training center in her home city. The city desperately needed it because she learned from foreigners how to create an establishment with quality service. So she gets more students than she can handle. 

In both our career paths, we pretty much created our own end result. I think a lot of foreigners that start in the ESL field and stay in China a long time end up opening their own schools or running their own tutoring programs. 

I know a guy running a tutoring thing out of his home and making 20k RMB per month. That is really good money in a Tier 5 city for just tutoring. 

The wife and I met while working on a cruise ship and that is were we got engaged. I returned to South Africa and she returned to China. She came over to SA where we got married and then made our way to China and got married a second time. We were supposed to return to the cruise lines but after a couple of months I started teaching English part time at one of the training schools. Taught at the local university and some of the other training centers and kindergartens but found my way back to the training school that gave me my first job. Have been there and do not intend leaving any time soon. Almost 7 years later I'm still pretty happy. 

Originally, from an ad on some forum I answered. I was hired without an interview. (cos, you know, China will take someone's cat if it's born in an English speaking country!!) But, it was a T3000 city, and a crappy uni for 5000.

Two years later, master's degree & CELTA under my belt, and I got a job in a T2 city - and an international program. I got that by searching online, and finding an Aussie-Sino co-op agent. I had choices, but chose here.

I worked 1 year there (cos I didn't trust the dean - cos you know.. she lied!) So, unemployed for a few months, til a friend told me they needed a teacher where he worked (also an international co-op program).

During the period, I was certified and working as an IELTS examiner. This has allowed me to call a few shots.

Now, a couple of years later, another master's degree finished, and I've started my own English language consulting company... teaching the kids how to write academic English, and telling the Chinese teachers to stop teaching the same crap!!!!!!!