Get a teaching job in China
By Amber Rollins
Part four
When you are ready to contact the school, begin with a cover letter.
Your cover letter serves your introduction. Who are you? Why are you
interested? Where did you see the ad? Quickly summarize your
qualifications - “I have a four-year degree in English and two years
teaching experience.“ ”I have a degree in Mathematics and recently
received my TEFL certification.“ Always check and double check for
correct grammar and spelling. You are supposed to be an English
expert.
Pay attention to how the school accepts applications. Some want
attachments in certain formats. Some want your CV sent in the body of
an email - and this is the safest way to go if it is not specified.
Don't assume the school uses the same word processing software you do;
they might not be able to open .doc files. Some want photos attached.
Some want you to wait until further contact before sending a photo.
Some want you to go to their home page and fill out an application.
Follow their instructions.
VII. Get ready for the offers - You will more than likely start
receiving all the job offers you can handle. Don't take the first one
that comes along. Take your time. Read through them closely. Compare.
Search the Web and see what kind of information you can find about each
school. If you are sure you do not want an offer, politely send them an
email declining. It's just good manners, and you never know when you
might meet these people again.
VIII. Ask questions - Don't be afraid to ask questions, but try to be
specific. Instead of “What are the accommodations like?”, ask “How many
bedrooms will my apartment have? Is it on- or off-campus? Does it have
cooking utensils? Does it have a microwave?“ Be sure you know what the
policy is about reimbursement of airplane tickets and completion
bonuses. Ask about how many classes you will teach and the average
class size. Once you have accepted an offer, the school should send you
a copy of the contract. It's not official until you come to China and
sign a Chinese copy, but it will tell you what is expected of you.
Beware of any school which refuses to let you see a copy of the contract
beforehand.
IX. Communicate with other teachers from that school - Ask for the
email addresses of present and former teachers, if they have any. No
reputable school should refuse. Other teachers will be able to tell you
what's available in the area (food, medicine, entertainment) and what
the accommodations, administration, classes, and teaching environment
are like.
X. Get your work visa - Be leery of schools which want you to come to
China on a tourist visa. It's illegal to work on a tourist visa, and
they will have to provide you with the documents to get a Z (teaching)
visa sooner or later, so why not do it beforehand? Coming into China to
work with only a tourist visa just seems to be asking for trouble.
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