How to Find English Teaching Jobs in China
Teaching English in China can be not only a lucrative career, but a rewarding and fulfilling personal experience. But how do you find English teaching jobs in China? The answer is simpler and more complicated than you might think.
Job postings are very easy to come by. To browse the most current listings, one only has to browse thejob postingboard at Dave’s ESL Café. Every day the list is updated, and most postings list not only the location of the school you’ll be working for, but your expected hours, pay, any bonuses involved (such as paid accommodation or plane tickets) and the term of work.
However, you’re now thinking that there must be a catch, and there is.
Some jobs will be posted through a recruitment office, and others will be directly posted by the school. Direct school postings often offer a better rate of pay, but you’ll be taking a chance if you accept.
Not all schools are overseen by the government, and some private schools may attempt to withhold your pay or penalize you for their own convenience. Recruitment agencies are generally a safer bet, but be sure to do your research on any one you apply to. They can have their problems, too.
When you find a job you’d like to apply to, you’ll need to get a few things ready before you’re ready to embark on your journey of teaching English in China. First, you’ll need to apply for a visa. Second, you’ll need a passport. Third, you may or may not need a Teaching English as a Second Language certification, or TESL.
This can be done online. You may also need to have a criminal background check performed. Lastly, there’s one hard rule that may present a problem: if you’re under 25, the Chinese government will not allow you to be a teacher in their country. This has to do with the visa application process, and if you’re under 25, you’d be better off applying to teach in Japan or South Korea.
General wages for English teachers in China are quite high compared to local standards of living, but are relatively low compared to most of the west. For one year’s work you can expect the equivalent of fifteen thousand to twenty thousand dollars.
However, costs of living in China are not high, and during your time there you should be able to live cheaply and take home quite a bit of money.
