How to find a job teaching at a university in China (self-help guide)

[tooironic]

This is a guide about how to find a job teaching at a university in China without going through a job agency or advertisements. I'm writing this up so that those who are going through something similar as to what I did will know what to expect. Note that universities in China recruit foreign teachers from March to July each year for teaching positions that start in September. The earlier you start making enquiries the better, as it can take a while to find a suitable school and get all the paperwork finalised.   

 

Make a school short list

To get a job as a foreign teacher (外教) in China, you should first make a short list of which universities you would like to apply for. You could consider the following things:

1) University ranking in general: If you want to work at a university which ranks well internationally, you can find out the ranking of different Chinese universities on Wikipedia. The highest ranking universities in mainland China are concentrated in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou - outside of those are a handful of prestigious universities in each of the other major Chinese cities such as Hangzhou, Suzhou, Nanjing, Xi'an, Tianjin, Wuhan, Chengdu, Chongqing, Changsha, etc. Generally, the better a university is ranked, the more resources it will have, which in theory means a better working environment for you, and  more opportunities for personal and career development.

2) University ranking in terms of discipline: You may also want to find out which universities in China rank well for the discipline you teach. If you speak Chinese, the best way to do this is to search on Baidu, or ask your Chinese friends or colleagues on WeChat. In many cases, schools which do not rank well overall often have very reputable programs for specific fields of study.

3) Living environment: If air pollution concerns you, you should know that there are only a few cities in China that have relatively clear air while also boasting decent universities. The ones I can think of off the top of my head are Xiamen, Dalian, Qingdao, Suzhou, Guilin and Kunming.

 

4) Cost of living: If you want to take advantage of a lower cost of living (lower rent, cheaper food, etc.), then you may wish to consider second or third tier cities. This would be especially beneficial if you want to have a completely English-free environment to practise Chinese, or you are not pursuing an academic career.

 

Find out more about the schools

After you have written up a short list of universities, you can start thinking about what questions you would like to ask them about what it would be like teaching there. Remember that the "waijiao" (foreign teacher) recruitment system is completely different to that of local teachers - most universities don't have "vacancies" per se, but instead will take on any teacher that approaches them and meets all the requirements (more on that later).

 

Ideally, you should go to the universities directly and enquire in person. You will want to speak directly with the dean (院长) of the school you wish to work at. In some schools - especially the prestigious ones - you may not be able to track the dean down, in which case you can simply talk to the administrative staff at the personnel office (人事处), or similar. If you are unable to get to the university in person, the second best method is to email them a list of questions - though this should be followed-up by a phone call, as many universities in China do not respond to emails. If you can speak Chinese, I highly recommend you ask them in Chinese. If you don't speak Chinese, you can try in English. Even better, you could find a Chinese friend to help you communicate with them. You should ask about the following matters:

1) What is the salary range (before tax) for foreign teachers at your university?
For most universities, this will be 7,500-9,000 RMB a month. Make sure you ask for a figure that is before tax, as some schools won't specify. The only way to get a higher salary would be if you have a doctorate degree, are well-known in your respective field or are applying for a private training provider (i.e. not a public university).

2) Does your school pay for foreign teachers' flight back home? If so, how much will the school reimburse?
Most schools will reimburse foreign teachers' flights back home, but the exact amount they are willing to pay will vary from school to school. It's a good idea to get a clear figure for this.

3) Does your university provide free accommodation for foreign teachers?
This can be a real deal-breaker, especially in first-tier cities, as renting can be very expensive. If the school does provide accommodation, ask them what it is like - e.g. what is its condition, is it on campus, do I get my own room? etc.

4) How many hours a week would I have to teach?
This can vary, but in most cases you would be teaching roughly 10-14 class periods (课时), with each period lasting 45 minutes. That's 7.5-10.5 hours a week. This is, of course, one of the advantages of teaching in a university in China - the pay may be low, but the teaching load is low as well, so you will have plenty of other time to take on other jobs, or pursue personal interests.

5) What subjects would I be teaching, specifically?
If this is a concern for you, you could ask about this.

 

Apply for a work permit

To get a work visa, you need a work permit. To get a work permit, you will need to provide about a dozen different documents. There are four that are particularly troublesome that you should start preparing as soon as possible:

1) Authentication of highest qualification (最高学历证书认证). You will need to supply a copy of your highest qualification (e.g. Master's diploma) that has been authenticated by the Chinese government (for diplomas from Chinese universities) or a Chinese embassy (for diplomas from non-Chinese universities). If you are currently in the middle of a Master's program, ask if you can supply a certificate from your university to satisfy this requirement. The policy is getting stricter now though, so you may not be able to do this anymore.

2) At least two years' teaching experience (两年以上教学经验). You will need to provide a certificate from the school that hired you, proving that you worked there for at least two years. Some universities will strictly require that that experience be at a university level, and won't accept experience teaching at a high school, training school or similar. Note this experience requirement can usually be waived if you have a TEFL/TESL certificate.

3) Criminal record check (无犯罪记录证明). This should be authenticated by the Chinese embassy of your home country. If you have lived some time in China, you may be able to simply get a check from the Public Security Bureau instead.

4) Health certificate (健康证明). This should be issued by a Chinese embassy or from an international travel healthcare centre in China. It's basically just a physical examination (体检).

 

After you have received offers from a number of schools, you can start narrowing them down. You may find that salary and teaching hours are more or less the same for most schools, so you may want to consider only schools that offer free accommodation, though you should find out what that accommodation is like beforehand. Once you have decided on a school, you will be dealing mostly with the administrative staff to get all the paperwork in time for the work permit so you can apply for a work visa. Note that if you are already in China on another visa, you will not be able to apply for a work visa from within China - the government requires that you apply for it in your home country.

 

Well, that's all of the important things I can think of. I hope someone out there finds this useful. If you have any questions, feel free to ask away, though I think some of the other users on this forum will be able to do a better job at answering them than me. Remember that everything in this post is just a rough guide - things are always changing in China, so it is best to confirm with the school directly should you have any concerns.

[hoshinoumi]

Thank you for sharing this

[Kherith]

Hey, thanks for the info. Do you think I can teach French with a bachelor of marketing or do I need a master's degree ? I am considering getting a one-year degree  in teaching french as a foreign language to match my diploma with my job. Would bachelor + this degree enough ? Thanks.

[tooironic]

@Kherith A bachelor should be sufficient, but it is best to check with the school first. The process is long and complicated, so it is essential to get the latest information first-hand. Sorry I took so long to reply to your question.