Looking for a Teaching Job – Advice?

[Richard Agyapong]

Hi guys,

Please I need to find a Job as an English Teacher. Can anyone help me out? Maybe you can give me the contact of any agency that can link me up with a job or something. I really need one.

Thanks.

Richard

[Nele]

jobs.echinacities.com (I reccommend)

Dont bother with an agency, they take a massive cut from your salary and trying to sort out anything through them (such as accommodation or even getting your salary at the end of the month) is painstaking and annoying. Plenty of jobs around straight from the employer..

[Lucy Knowles]

Hey there!

Have you subscribed to http://www.tefl.com? Don’t be put off by the slightly-un-user-friendly interface – they’ve got a comprehensive database of TEFL jobs worldwide, including 53 current roles in China – see here.

Hope this helps!

L xx

[Richard Agyapong]

Thanks a lot guys! I’m checking them out right now!

[Vic]

Hi Richard, gi’me a holler. i may have something……

[Kerry Chou]

Hey Richard Agyapong,

Maybe this will help you: Chengdu Jobs on eCities

Kevin

[Richard Agyapong]

Thanks guys

I’m checking them out.

[Karen]

I’m looking too, but wondering if my nationality/ ethnicity will lower my chances of teaching English in Chengdu. Does anyone know? Seems like most of the related job ads are looking for American/ UK/ Canadian/ Australian native speakers. (I’m Singaporean, ethnic Chinese, & my first language is English. I consider myself native, but what’s your general opinion?)

[JerryS]

If you werent born here, you can get a job. I’m azn american and still got a job. My company has 2 filipinos’ who teach English. Also Karen, that pix you? Kinda cute :P.

[Karen]

Haha thanks Jerry, that’s hopeful. Yes, me. So if I do get to Chengdu, I know at least one person there who thinks I’m cute lol.

Is the TEFL cert a must? I’m thinking of taking the CELTA, which seems more expensive, & I’m not sure if its worth the money.. I do hope it translates to a higher pay!

[JerryS]

I dont have any certs, just a college degree. The company i work for is quite good. The more certs you have, the better. Just apply online to any jobs that fits your fancy and see where it leads. Worst case you can just teach privates, thats where the real money is at. I don’t teach privates because well…. I do it full time and i needz my free time.

Best of luck, hopefully you do choose CD, its quite a good city.

[niklas]

Also keep an eye out in this section of the forum(jobs – https://www.chengduliving.com/forum/forum/jobs-rentals).

I haven’t had a teaching job, but it seems easy to find one. It’s impossible not to stumble upon English teaching job offers. I’ve often seen the advice to just go to China and look for a job here, as it is easier to find one from here than from abroad.

Oh, and that pic is crazy cute indeed.

[Karen]

Hahah thanks guys, looks like putting up a picture is the right thing to do ;p Chengdu is very different from Singapore.. quite relaxed and Sichuan food is certainly one of my fav. Some peers are also telling me tt it’s easier to find a job when I’m already there. It scares me, frankly, to just quit my current job and leave. Need to work up some courage. But hey, now there are 2 names in Chengdu that I know of? Just need to put faces to them haha

Any added perspective is appreciated! 😉

[JerryS]

Once you get here, you’ll be here. Things would be easier for you, but would be best to cover things on your home front, in regards to visa issues and housing. Otherwise, you would start from scratch, which could add stress.

Also once you get here, lets have coffee, would love to know more about Singapore. 🙂

[Lino]

Quote:

I’m looking too, but wondering if my nationality/ ethnicity will lower my chances of teaching English in Chengdu. Does anyone know? Seems like most of the related job ads are looking for American/ UK/ Canadian/ Australian native speakers. (I’m Singaporean, ethnic Chinese, & my first language is English. I consider myself native, but what’s your general opinion?)

I am Belgian myself and know some people from Estonia teaching. Have met Russian and Indian teachers too. I’m sure you can find a job. It’s all about having the right attitude and proving that you can speak English fluently.

[Charlie]

Quote:

I’m looking too, but wondering if my nationality/ ethnicity will lower my chances of teaching English in Chengdu. Does anyone know?

It’s gonna make it a bit more difficult for you because English schools (and Mainland Chinese in general) value white-skinned foreigners highly in a classroom environment because they look like they expect native-English speakers to look. It’s silly but just a reality of China. You can still find jobs if you speak fluent English and have foreign citizenship, though.

Quote:

Hahah thanks guys, looks like putting up a picture is the right thing to do ;p Chengdu is very different from Singapore.. quite relaxed and Sichuan food is certainly one of my fav. Some peers are also telling me tt it’s easier to find a job when I’m already there. It scares me, frankly, to just quit my current job and leave. Need to work up some courage. But hey, now there are 2 names in Chengdu that I know of? Just need to put faces to them haha

It is much easier to find a job when you are here. The demand for English teachers is constant – everyone is always looking for English teachers. It doesn’t even really matter what country they’re from or what qualifications they have – that is how high the demand is. Wages for teachers have gone up in recent years also (along with the cost of living in Chengdu). It’s not uncommon for English teachers to get paid 150 yuan or more per hour now (about US $25 an hour).

The foreign community in Chengdu is always growing as well, which makes life in China for most expats easier in general.

[piano tuna]

gimme 200元/hour and i’ll sell my soul to the english teacher market.

also, is my pic cute?

[Karen]

cute, as long as someone’s buying :p

Charlie, thanks for the insight. So my hunch is not exactly groundless. My worry is real. I’m beginning to think that I should pick up British/ American accent. More noticeable than a teaching cert..?

Lino, you mentioned Indian teachers. I can understand Filipino English – essentially quite American. But Indian? They have a hard time shedding their accent.. except for those who grew up in the States, or.. Dubai, Pakistan, from the few that I’ve known. As for Estonia, I can only think of supermodels. Way out of my league. ^0^ But thank you, gives me a better idea of the English teaching landscape in Chengdu!

Jerry, sure thing. I do hope i can get things covered as much as possible, before i relocate and panic later..

Keep your comments coming, if any. Just want to gather as much information as possible, before packing up and go. I’m also reading up ‘extensively’ on the net, though online resource for Chengdu expat community seem limited compared to those for Beijing/ Shanghai, understandably.

[Chris Ziich]

I also have an Asian face, yet haven’t had much trouble finding teaching jobs. I only have a college degree, no teaching certifications, and no teaching experience, yet my phone was ringing off the hook from referrals from schools looking for teachers when I first got here.

I ended up teaching at a university and at private at-home classes. It’s possible that the private classes are a privilege offered to Chinese-faced teachers first, or if your grasp of Chinese is good. Often, the parents were interested in my lifestyle here and growing up abroad and would invite me for dinner and vacations with them. These are nice because they are flexible, pay well, and have no contract.

Though I did walk into EF (English First) inquiring about a position and they turned me down for not being white. Some schools are more about the image. I think this tends to be the ones for young children.

[JerryS]

howdo u do privates?? i want to start doing privates but i cant convey chinese t them

[Author]

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