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Q: When should I start applying for jobs? (graduating soon)
Hello everyone! I will be graduating in May and I have already completed my TEFL Certification course. After graduation I would like to go to China as soon as possible. When should I start applying for jobs if I plan to go after graduation in May? Also, will there be a problem with the visa process or securing a job considering I haven't graduated yet? How exactly would that process work?
Thanks everyone for the help! I really appreciate it!
9 years 15 weeks ago in Business & Jobs - China
you can apply as soon as you have a copy of your certificate. Or even sooner if you find one that doesn't ask for it. You might have to wait a little time if you want to work at a public school considering the new term will start in august. It doesn't matter if you don't mind working at a training school.
I don't think it would take too long to get a job. Demand far outstrips supply. But are you sure you want to do this if you have just graduated. If you particularly want to be a teacher then fine. But you d be better getting a postgrad teaching degree and getting paid much more. Employers don t take too kindly to time out. I kind of wish I hadn't at times it's was hard to get back into my industry. Depends on what subject you have done. But you should aim to get in a career first and foremost.
Oh and also if you look too young, like teenage you might have a problem
You'll also need to find an area that doesn't fully follow the rules as you're supposed to have 2 years work experience to get a work permit.....
dongbeiren:
yep, or a school with enough guanxi that the rules don't apply to them
In theory you can't work legally as the above poster said. You need 2 years of postgrad work experience. In practice you will be fine as many language schools will be happy to hire a recent graduate who is a native speaker. If you don't have your diploma yet, some schools will still be willing to hire you as they will make a fake diploma for you to show to the government. I know of schools that have done this. Public universities will be more strict and follow the law but you definitely can find a job teaching in China.
dongbeiren:
Oh and as to when you should start applying, I'd say around 3 months before you intend to arrive in China. Getting an offer will be easy but the visa processing takes some time. And you don't want to book your flight at the last minute if you're paying for it.
Sviendarr:
Thank you for the reply! So If I want to start applying in Feb or so, the companies will use a fake degree in order to get me a Visa? Do you think that would cause any problems if I wanted to get another work visa after the first one expired (considering I would be using my legitimate degree)?
Also, do you know if the city of Qingdao is a city that is strict on the 2 year experience requirement?
thanks again for your help!
dongbeiren:
Good questions - if you apply before graduating the only way you could be hired and obtain a Z work visa would be for the company to create a fake diploma and fake CV showing 2 years of post grad work experience for you. These are the requirements to obtain a Z visa.
The company could ask you to come on a different visa but DO NOT do this under any circumstances. You would be working illegally and have no protection from dishonest schools.
It is possible that this situation of having a fake diploma on record could cause problems down the line if you intend to stay in China long term. I know of a case where a teacher was accepted for a job before graduating and began working in China a month after graduation. The school faked his diploma and CV in order to get the papers for the Z visa. That person then applied for a new job in the same province and gave his new employer both his real diploma and CV and the fake ones that were originally used to get his visa. The employer handled his new visa with no problems but I have no idea which diploma was used - either the real one because it's real or the fake one so that everything looked consistent to the police.
If you intend to stay in China long term, I would suggest getting some kind of teaching qualification before coming as a previous poster suggested. This would open a new tier of better jobs for you.
As for Qingdao specifically, one of my best friends worked there directly after graduation so it is possible to work there without 2 years of work experience. Some schools will refuse you but others will be happy to have you. Just be aware that the better schools will be more stringent with the requirements. If you're here for a year adventure, then it really doesn't matter but if you see teaching in China as a long term plan I would get qualified at home first and make sure to use the real documents.
