Strategies for looking for uni jobs early

[LaoDing]

It's me again asking about the best ways to look for jobs. Since my last attempt was not phrased well, I'll try again:

First, I don't wish to come off as a whiner. The following are the facts as I see them. It could be worse, yes, but it could be better.

I'm looking for a position teaching is a public university from September 2019.  The university need not be highly ranked or anything, just an institution that at least offers a B.A. (and no 'international' student teaching or teaching students who failed the 高考). My experience is extensive, varied, and long; my credentials are nothing impressive and no M.A. or CELTA. I do have certificates in language proficiency (Chinese and Japanese), six credit hours in TESOL as a university course, and a ridiculously easy to pass 180-hour iTTT certificate (sorry if anyone found that hard- I have a lot of experience).

While some people reading this may find the complaining irrelevant to the point, I would just like to say I'm describing it as others may be in the same position as me and able to relate. It's not like these are my first EFL classes either. I've been teaching for decades and know all about class management, preparation, and all the other requirements of good teaching. As far as I'm concerned, I'm in a bad environment. Now, perhaps I could change that and I'm willing to try. But I'm also very interested in introducing myself to some other schools.

Well, lest this thread starts going on a CELTA et al slant, I just want to say I'm not interested, or frankly able, to engage in any of that this year or the next. I'm helping my daughter through university and trying to raise my Chinese credentials. I am also a proofreader and translator, and the older I get the more attractive that work becomes.

I have already taught in a university in Henan that offered a B.A. It was fine- quite pleasant as a matter of fact. I'm teaching at a vocational school (or junior college) at the moment in Guangzhou and I'm quite unhappy with many aspects of this position. Probably the biggest one is the lack of communication on any level and the inordinate amount of extra hours I have to put in just to keep my classes afloat. Even then, it seems at times that I'm incapable of pleasing any of the people any of the time. Both student motivation and listening levels are surprisingly poor compared to my previous school, there are no other 外教, and I rarely meet my colleagues, much less socialize with them. The second is the god-awful reviews I get from a supervisor/retired teacher whom I don't even know who drops in unannounced to observe my class a couple of times each semester. She has berated me in front of my whole class three times now. My colleagues say, 'don''t give a pith about her- she's picking on a lot of people.' Well, there's more but...

Still, despite all that, I could probably extend here if I wanted to. But I don't think I want to. Nor do I want to work in a 'training center.' I like the public uni for the same reason others do: low pay but long vacations and a lot of free time to use for study. Plus a great deal of control over class curriculum.  The problem is that my agent at Horizon says that uni's are not hiring until March. It seems quite risky to inform the school I won't be renewing with the hope that I'll just easily maneuver into a new place. I've also been thinking of what I'd need to do to stay here and be happy, but that has been less easy. I have gotten more active in English activities outside of class, and that has helped, but most things here remain a struggle: 'in the dark, underappreciated, and the last to know.'

[roddy]

Does having your daughter there limit you geographically? How many “candidate” universities are in that area?

[ChTTay]

What was wrong with the last thread? 

?

 

I feel like the only choice you have is to use agents to help you find a job. The other options are networking or “the internet”. We talked last time about how job sites are largely full of junk before so that’s mostly

out. However, a lot of agents do have sites but I think it’s hard for them to keep them up to date and do any quality control. 

 

Networking is mostly through friendships or business acquaintances. Do you know others who work in schools you’d like to work in? For me, that’s the easiest way to get a job at a specific place. 

[mungouk]

Job fair for foreigners is in Guangzhou today, 25 November.

 

Did you go?

 

http://jobfair.chinajob.com/employee.php

[LaoDing]

1 hour ago, mungouk said:

Job fair for foreigners is in Guangzhou today, 25 November.

 

YIKES! No, I didn't even know about it. I knew about the Canton Fair. I wonder why no one posted this on Linked In?

Well, Sorry I missed it.

[mungouk]

10 minutes ago, LaoDing said:

I didn't even know about it

 

ahem.

 

Also Foreign HR (one of the sponsors) did post about it this week.  Might be worth following them.

 

[LaoDing]

7 hours ago, ChTTay said:

What was wrong with the last thread? 

?

Nothing at all! But as it's close to impossible that I would get a CELTA in the next six months, I was wondering about options now. 

Personally, I'd rather get an MA in linguistics than a CELTA. Or an MA in another liberal arts category. It might not be the best thing for a TEFL career, but it's my life. That, however, is a digression...

8 minutes ago, mungouk said:

ahem.

 

Also Foreign HR (one of the sponsors) did post about it this week.  Might be worth following them.

Yeah, my bad. Seriously. Should have marked my calendar.

I will follow them, thanks!

[mungouk]

I saw a university English teaching post in China recently which was actually requiring a masters in English or Education, with CELTA being "desirable".

[LaoDing]

12 hours ago, roddy said:

Does having your daughter there limit you geographically? How many “candidate” universities are in that area?

Thanks, Roddy for thinking about her. For a while, we were thinking that I might move somewhere else in China (sure way to get a position), but now we're set on staying together as a family. In fact, we're trying to get an apartment together. There are lots of great schools around Guangzhou that I presume would be ideal; I'll just have to be more active in getting to know some people who work in them.

Actually, two concerned people in my department here are concerned as well, as they don't want me to leave. So this is a new development. If it were the case that I had better relationships here with the other teachers and other reassurances, it all suddenly seems not so bad staying here. Good communication makes all the difference.

[abcdefg]

21 hours ago, LaoDing said:

Actually, two concerned people in my department here are concerned as well, as they don't want me to leave. So this is a new development. If it were the case that I had better relationships here with the other teachers and other reassurances, it all suddenly seems not so bad staying here.

 

Be aware that the "If you don't treat me better, I will leave" gambit is usually not productive. It usually backfires. 

[mungouk]

@LaoDing there's another job fair in Guangzhou 21-22 December, as part of a larger convention on recruitment.

 

https://www.ocs-gz.gov.cn/OCSEN/

 

You have to register as a user on the site before you can register for the event, so I can't see if it's free or not.