How easy is it to find work?

[NewMoon]

Hi everyone, I’ve been looking at these forums quite a bit recently, just hoping someone could maybe give me some advice!

I’m a 25 year old male from the UK, I have a BSc and just finished an MSc but I’m having a lot of trouble finding any decent work in the UK and I’m becoming a bit sick of it. I was in China for about 3 months a couple of years ago and did a short mandarin course and I’ve been getting lessons in the UK too so I know enough mandarin to get by/get around and I’m really keen to become fluent. Anyway my sister just moved to Beijing and I’ve been thinking a lot about going back to teach as I’ve heard teaching jobs are fairly easy tona agai come by.

But there’s a few things holding me back, first of all I haven’t got much money at all, I could afford a flight over to China but don’t really have enough to live out there for long, so I’d need to find something fairly quickly! And secondly I don’t have a teaching certificate or any experience.

So I’m wondering just how easy it’d be to pick up work out there, I’m thinking of heading out late feb/march 2010, I’ve heard universities are good places to start teaching, is it just a matter of emailing them and asking for a job? I’m reluctant to sign up to anything while I’m in the UK but I’m also a bit worried about flying out to China and not finding anything/running out of money.

I’m not looking for loads of money, but if I could live well and save a bit each month, as well as have time to study Chinese that’d be perfect. I’ve a couple of places in mind, probably either Chengdu, Xiamen, or Qingdao

Any information or advice would be much appreciated!

Cheers:)

Larry

[anon6969]

Finding English Teaching is pretty easy. I don't know how you would find other jobs.

[oasisoasis]

i don't think for a man,without any experience and certificate, to find a teaching job in a university in China is easy now. Because there are too many foreigners(native English speaker) in China now. perhaps you can have a try in some 2nd-tier cities.~~

have a try, and good luck~~~

[whereishunter]

Here is what I would do. Choose a city and then email all the universities there. Its not to hard to get a job in China. I think the hardest problem is choosing a city to live in. But now is a good time to look for a uni job as they are looking for teachers to start in March. You might not find a "top" university, but as long as they pay you, I dont really see too many problems.

As for experience there is a teaching shortage in China/Asia. Just look around and you can always full your CV with some teaching experience....

Just keep with University jobs as they are easy and give you a lot of free time.

[NewMoon]

Cool, thanks for the advice whereishunter, i'll get emailing

[Erbse]

How easy is it to find work?

Depends just on yourself.

I have a BSc and just finished an MSc

BSc and MSc in ancient Egyptian history? Mayb some details could help here.

I’m not looking for loads of money

That's exactly the reason why you do not have a paid job.

[NewMoon]

Not so helpful Erbse but thanks anyway,

My BSc is in Biological sciences, MSc in Sustainability (Environment and Development), and China is a good place to be with regards environmental work, so i figure even just teaching a while and getting better at mandarin can only help me in the long run

I have a paid job actually, i just dont find it satisfying, thanks for your insight though - i think the massive recession might figure in the lack of decent jobs around at the minute too

[Sarpedon]

I think you'll find it extremely easy to find work as a teacher with your qualifications, even with no experiences. There were several postings by people recently who were going to China to teach and they had no degree at all. So someone like you should be able to jump in with no difficulty.

Of course the money is poor but you will certainly have much more free time.

I'm currently teaching in Seoul, Korea and although I despise teaching children I certainly can't complain about the money, the free time, or any of the hundreds of other little perks that teaching in Asia brings. Although next year I'll be heading to China myself.

Check out the various job sites on the net, send out your resume and wait. You'll probably have more offers than you know what to do with.

[Erbse]

My BSc is in Biological sciences

Yeah' date=' might be tough to find something in China.

MSc in Sustainability (Environment and Development)

Check out Western China. There several Western and Chinese Companies try new things in water and renewable energy. They are looking for qualified personnel.

Start your search here:

http://www.german-company-directory.com/?menuaction=contactmgr.ui.index&extf.=%28%26%28c%3DCN%29%28nationality%3DDE%29%29

I have a paid job actually

So, why do you say you don't want to make a lot of money?

i just dont find it satisfying

You're right. An unsatisfying job is not worth the time.

i think the massive recession might figure in the lack of decent jobs around at the minute too

There was never a recession for educated, confident, motivated people.

[Aremonus]

I don't think it's difficult either. I went to China with nothing but a high school diploma and the english I've learned back home and I've been offered plenty of jobs as an english teacher (anyway, none of them was paid more than 10k Yuan a month, so I ended up getting a part time job in the Chinese gov where I can work at home and earn more).

It's sad but to most Chinese employers, the most important qualifications is white skin color. An well-educated Asian woman from Canada couldn't find a job as an english teacher, although she certainly was ways more qualified than me.

[taylor04]

Aremonus I hope you are not teaching that kind of English...

[Aremonus]

Haha, don't worry, I'm not... I'm working for the chinese gov as a translator. It's better paid and I can work at home, also when I'm in Europe. I had to return from China anyway, as I wanna earn my bachelor degree in economics instead of hanging around over there^^ So China is for summer holidays

[gerri]

Aremonus, to me at least, something is missing from your story... I'd venture you are of Chinese descent, and have learnt Chinese all the time so you are able to translate Chinese <-> English? You are making it sound so easy to just go and work for the Chinese gov't as a translator... ;)

[Aremonus]

No, my Chinese is just far from that level... I'm translating English to German, but I wish that someday, my Chinese will be good enough to also read Chinese news papers without problems...

Yet this dream is still very, very distant, as I barely know about 800 characters...

The reason why it was so easy was, as usual in China, guanxi... I knew a guy working there and he helped me to get in