Making a living

[Capstone]

Cardboard,

I think that its great that you are considering a teaching job - it would be a great way to basically have a paid vacation. I also think that your plan of possibly taking a trip to China to check it out before accepting a teaching job is also a very good idea - it will give you a chance to experience the culture first hand and make your decision to teach over there or not a much easier one.

If you do decide to go the teaching route make sure that you check out your perspective employer thoroughly before deciding to take the plunge. My wife teaches English at a high school that employs 85-90 English Teachers as well as several German & French teachers. During this trip she resumed working and has been filling in for another teacher who is currently on maternity leave and has been put in charge of baby sitting (so to speak) the foreign teachers at the school also.

She says that there are a lot of scams involving foreign teachers in China. Basically if the deal sounds too good to be true (promise of high pay without the need for a degree, or previous experience) then it probably is a scam. There are many cases of foreigners who come over here to teach only to find out that the conditions of their contract are not upheld. One thing to look out for is if the potential employer does not offer a Z visa (work visa). Many of these schools will employ foreigners on the sly and will tell you that it is ok to come over and teach on a tourist visa which of course is not the case at all. If a school is not willing to offer you a Z visa then do not even consider it. Now that being said most of the teaching opportunities for foreigners over here are completely legitimate but you just need to make sure and do your research before diving in.

On a related note, I got to see one of the 'apartments' that are offered as part of a teaching package. My wife took me to visit an Australian who is teaching at her school this year. The 'apartment' is little more than a dorm room - some of which have a private bathroom while others do not. Some also have a small kitchen area but my wife said that they mostly assign those to married couples who come over to teach. Now with that being said, there is nothing wrong with them and are good considering that they are free but just don't be fooled by the 'apartment' benefit that some of the teaching ads tout.

Good Luck!

[Cardboard]

Thanks for all the info Capstone, it really helps.  I think I may end up using the initial apartment / room until I am comfortable with my position, and then maybe rent out a place for a while.  I am absolutely going to do my research leading into this, and have found a bunch of tips and pointers to follow in order to find a legit job when I arrive.  I just filed for my passport, and in the meantime I am going to arrange my resume in preparation.  Once my passport comes in I should have a better understanding of what I'm looking for, and will then start looking to apply to some jobs.  I have heard that the best way to get these jobs is through contacting public schools directly instead of through recruiting agents.  Are there any sites in particular anyone knows of that may have schools that are directly hiring?  I'm wondering maybe if I should call around for information, but I guess that is limited by the fact that I do not know any Mandarin or Cantonese yet.

[Capstone]

I have heard that the best way to get these jobs is through contacting public schools directly instead of through recruiting agents.  Are there any sites in particular anyone knows of that may have schools that are directly hiring?  I'm wondering maybe if I should call around for information, but I guess that is limited by the fact that I do not know any Mandarin or Cantonese yet.

Sorry wish I could help you out but I'm not familiar with any sites for teaching jobs. I will ask my wife when she wakes up in the morning though if she knows what the best way of finding a teaching job would be. I would give you the contact information for her school but they require applicants to have both a bachelors degree (in any field) plus either prior teaching experience or a TESL certificate. They actually verify all your credentials as well as run a criminal background check on you as well so a suggestion made by a previous poster to Photoshop some bogus education certificates just wouldn't fly .

[Cardboard]

Yeah I am not interested in forging any kind of documents.  I am mostly looking for almost an entry level position where I can see if this is something I would like to make a possible career out of.  If it seems like its for me, I have no problem getting TESL certified or even going back to school. 

[Jeff S]

Try to get a hold of Marshall, the originator of this post. His blog is still being updated and I think there's email links there. He seems to know the lay of the land pretty well.