Get a teaching job in China
 

By Amber Rollins

Part two

Private language school teachers work 20-25 hours a week, but they make more money, between 5000 to 6000 yuan per month.  However, language schools cater to people who are taking extra classes after school or work, so these hours will scheduled for nights and weekends. Language schools usually have certain textbooks that must be used and a clear curriculum, but teachers can supplement these with their own games and activities.  There is much less lesson planning than at a university, but, as language schools have a high number of students who are children, teachers must be patient and high-energy.  Your apartment will probably be in a complex close to the school.  Language schools have smaller classes, though - usually around 20.

I.  Write a good resume - Remember, English is the second language of most, if not all, the people who will be reading it.  Avoid long explanations and corporate buzzwords.  Try not to use abbreviations - the less confusion you potentially cause, the better.  If you have no teaching experience, mention any teaching-related position you have ever had - were you a tutor in college? A summer camp counselor in high school?

II.  Take some photos - All schools are going to eventually ask for some passport-sized (2 X 2 inch) photos.  How many seems to depend on the needs of the school.  You will definitely need one for your residence book and one for your foreign experts book.  Also, take some digital photos of yourself and passport-size them.  Pictures of you washing your dog or playing volleyball are not good ones to send to a prospective employer.  Wear professional clothes and stand in front of a neutral background.  These do not have to be full-body shots, but simple head and shoulders.  Most schools want a digital photo sent in with your resume; if they do not ask for it then, they will soon after.

III.  Post your resume - There are several sites where you can post your resume.  Schools do look at them, and you will probably start getting inquiries from schools without even answering any ads.  Most sites, however, also feature job ads, so you can upload your resume and peruse the jobs ads at the same time.  The biggest is China TEFL (www.chinatefl.com), which has a huge database of jobs, organized by province.  There is an easy “Send Your CV” page, which asks how long you would like to stay in China, where you would like to teach, salary expectations, teaching and work experience, etc.  I did this and my mailbox filled up with offers within days. 

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