Teach English Abroad: How to Find a Job in China

Have you ever considered teaching English abroad? If so, this hub will teach you everything you need to know in order to find a job as an ESL teacher in China.

China’s economy is booming. You know it. I know it. The Chinese know it. The IMF forecasts that China’s GDP will grow by 9.9% in 2011 (compared to a mere 3% growth rate expected for the US). What does this mean? For one, it means that the legions of Chinese students running around the streets in matching jumpsuits (if you've been to China, you know what I'm talking about) need ESL teachers to teach them English. In order for China to compete—and, as many Chinese have put it to me, dominate—in the global economy, the number of Chinese citizens who speak English must multiply many times over.

There's no question about it. There has never been a better time to teach English abroad in China. The government is pushing English education, the salaries are increasing, the living conditions are improving, and the power of the yuan is rising (albeit VERY slowly). But you know all these things. You’ve seen the news specials on the “Awakening of the Chinese Dragon”. You’ve done your research. You’ve made up your mind. What you want to know now is: "How can I find a job in China?"

This is where it gets tricky. Having been through the process numerous times, I think I can help. Although I’ve only actually held one job in China, I have been offered and have (for various reasons) turned down at least eight more jobs from reputable employers in the Middle Kingdom. Any native English speaker with a college degree can have the same success. You don't even need an ESL certification or teaching experience (although you can potentially make more money if you do). All you have to do is follow these simple steps.

This is the most important step. There are so many jobs available that as long as you know where to look you WILL find a job. I guarantee it! For anyone new to the China job search, this is daunting. It took me many, many hours of tireless online searching to find the best sources of ESL jobs in China. Don’t worry, though. I’m going to share some of the sources on my list. None of these sources is exhaustive. You should take some time to search each job centre (some call them job boards) thoroughly. Don't just apply to the first job that catches your fancy. You need to see what else is available in order to know how each job stacks up.

Dave's ESL Cafe - Probably the most famous of all ESL job centres, this site offers a dedicated China Job Board. Search the posts and reply to the job posts that interest you most. This is a great source for anyone who wants to teach English abroad.

Angelina's ESL - A site dedicated entirely to ESL jobs in China. You apply to positions by contacting Angelina's ESL. One of the company's employees (recruiters) will then contact you within 12 hours. Tell them your salary expectations, where you would like to work, and when you can begin. They most likely will find a job for you...Fast!

ESL Teachers Board - Like Dave's ESL Cafe, ESL Teachers Board lists jobs for more than one country. Also like Dave's ESL Cafe, they have a dedicated board where you can search for ESL jobs in China. One of the cool features that this site offers is the ability to see if a job was posted directly by a school ("Verified School Email"), by a profiled recruiter (which is always nice), or by an unknown (and potentially less trustworthy) recruiter.

ESL Jobs - The cool thing about this site is that it has a list of countries on the right hand side of the home page. All you have to do is click on the country where you'd like to find a job (in this case, China) and you will be directed to the relevant job posts. Unfortunately, there are few if any job listings for many of the countries. Luckily for us, there MANY jobs in China. Search through the jobs and find one that appeals to you. Then go on to the next step.

Network ESL - This site may not have as many listings as some of the others, but the jobs are arranged by geographic region within China which is very convenient if you know you want to live, for example, in Fujian province (in the south) or Shandong (in the north). You can also contact the company directly for help in finding a suitable job.

While there are many other websites where you can search to find a job as an ESL teacher in China, these are five of my favorites. If you would rather have someone arrange the job for you, there are many companies that provide this service (I will discuss them in a later Hub). Some have good reputations, some do not. Keep in mind, however, that you should NEVER pay a recruiter to secure a job for you in China. There a too many jobs available and they are too easy to find on your own. It is a serious waste of your hard-earned money. DON'T DO IT! In general, I recommend finding a job on your own, as you can often find a higher paid job in the city of your choice if you take this route.

2) “A Copy of my Passport!”:

Don’t be afraid. ALL recruiters and direct-hire schools require that you provide them with a copy of the picture page of your passport. Many people who want to teach English abroad in China see this requirement in a job post and immediately think they are being scammed.

If you turn back now, you’ll never get a job in China. This is a necessary evil. Is it dangerous? Potentially. Have any of the dozens of friends of mine who teach in China ever had an issue with someone using their passport for illicit means? No. While that doesn't necessarily mean that it hasn't happened, it's a good bet that if someone's identity had been seriously compromised they would have eventually found out about it.

In the end, if you really want to teach English abroad (in China or almost any other foreign country for that matter) you'll have to suck it up and send out a copy of your passport.

However, before you send a copy of your passport to someone you don't know, there are a few measures you can take to find out if that person or institution is legit.

3) Be a Detective:

You’d be surprised at what you can find on the internet. My experience has taught me to always do a Google search for the following: the recruiter’s email address, the name of the school, and the recruiter’s name (if not given, ask for it). Try adding another word to the search such as “scam” or “review”.

On more than one occasion I have been upset to find that a recruiter offering me a high-paying job in a great city is nothing more than a scam artist. Perhaps I should have seen it coming. But the very reason why these scammers are successful is because they prey on people who are blinded by the excitement of finding a great job in an exotic location. Don't let yourself be deceived.

Oh, and don’t forget to ask for the email address of a former teacher. While a current employee is acceptable, someone who no longer works for the school is usually a better gauge of how reputable the school is. There's always the possibility that a current employee will temper his or her opinions to avoid getting in trouble with the boss. If the school won’t give you the name of a former (or current) employee, stay away. You don’t want to work for a school that is afraid of what their past employees will say about them. Chances are it isn't a very good school.

I also highly recommend checking out the China forum on Dave’s ESL Café. You will find many scam warnings on here. If you can't find the name of your employer or recruiter in a past thread, start a new one. Chances are that someone else on the board has experience with or has at least heard about reputation of the school and/or recruiter.

You should also check the TEFL Blacklist blog. While this blog doesn’t include every bad apple in the China bunch, it does have many—perhaps even the recruiter you’re about to send your passport to or the school where you’re about to start teaching!

4) Read the Contract Thoroughly:

So you followed the above steps and have been offered a job by what you deem to be a reputable employer in China. You're going to teach English abroad and you are thrilled! That's great, but before commit to anything make sure you read the contract. Then read it again. And again. And maybe even once more after that. Cover all your bases. Keep your eyes open for the following:

Accommodation - Unless the school pays you well over 10,000 rmb , I wouldn't accept a job that doesn't include accommodation (or at least an accommodation stipend). But just because a school offers you an apartment does not mean that it's legit.Example: A good friend of mine arrived at his employer-provided accommodation in a medium-sized city in China only to find that the last tenant had not bothered to clean up. Not only were there bags of trash in every room, there was even food left out on the table (a plateful of chicken and noodles, I believe). This is no way for an employer to welcome its newest hire.

Ask for pictures of the apartment where you will live BEFORE you sign the contract. Make sure it is all clearly laid out. How many rooms will you have? Is a computer provided free of charge? Internet? Is there a water tank? A western toilet? A TV? A DVD player? A kitchen? You get the point. But don't be afraid to be thorough. I once signed a contract that promised I would have "personal kitchen access". Of course, I thought that meant I would have my own kitchen. I was wrong. It meant that I (my "person") was granted access to a shared kitchen down the hall from my apartment. That's China for you.

Travel Allowance - Almost all ESL jobs in China will provide you with a travel allowance. In general, the allowance is as follows: 1,100rmb for a six month contract and 2,200rmb for a one year contract. This is standard. If a school does not offer a travel allowance, don't be afraid to ask them why. You might be able to negotiate it into your contract.

Also, ask if the school gives the allowance as cash or if they arrange a trip for all their foreign teachers. Although some people prefer to travel alone, the latter option is often a better deal. I was once treated to a four day trip to Xiamen. This included a round-trip plane ticket, three nights at two separate hotels, all meals, boat rides, bus trips to neighboring villages, and entry to numerous museums and cultural sites. There's no way I could have arranged all that for 2,200rmb. It was fantastic!

Foreign Colleagues - It's not uncommon for a contract to stipulate that the school will have at least one other foreign (native English) teacher. Even if you are a hermit (I'm a self-professed one myself), you will want to have someone there who is going through what you're going through. The joy. The fear. The excitement. It's all better when there's someone for you to talk to about it all. It's worth it for the commiseration alone.

If the contract doesn't mention anything about other English teachers, ask. The school will tell you. If they don't or if they give you the runaround without really addressing the question, bail out. It's not worth it to take the risk. You can find another job.

English Corners - If you've done any research on ESL jobs in China, you've probably come across the words "English Corner". Basically, an English Corner is an extra-curricular event during which a school's English teachers play games, give lectures, or run other activities that give students a chance to practice their English and interact with their teachers in an informal environment. Some schools require that their teachers take part in these events. Some do not.

If you don't see the words "English Corner" in your contract, ask your employer about it. You want to know if your 20 hour/week job is actually 22 or 24 hour/week job. Although English Corners are informal, having to run one essentially means that you have another lesson plan to create. 

Salary - Let's face it. You aren't going to get rich teaching English abroad. If making money is you primary objective, do yourself a favor and teach in Korea instead. Nonetheless, I cannot stress enough how important it is that you understand how much money you will be making every month and just how far that money will go. 

Under no circumstances should you sign a contract that does not clearly state the salary that you will be paid! If there is any question about this, if the contract seems at all sketchy to you on this point, you should walk away. All the contracts I have seen have been very clear about this. Do not take the chance.

Employers should be upfront about the salary they are offering. In fact, the salary should have been in the original job post. If it wasn't or if the job you were originally offered has now been "filled" and they are offering you a job with a much lower salary, forget it. This is a common scam that recruiters play. They post high paying jobs and then, just before the contract is signed, they say they offer you a different job under the pretense that the first is no longer available. Even though the job might be legit, the recruiters methods are not. You don't want to deal with someone like that.

Flight Reimbursement - This is a tricky one. In general, I would say that you should not accept a job that doesn't offer a flight reimbursement. However, many schools offer capped reimbursements. For instance, I've seen many postings on ESL job sites that offer a 5,000rmb flight reimbursement. Keep in mind that this will be paid only if you complete your contract. If you bail after a few months, chances are you won't get any money back. However, some schools offer full (un-capped) flight reimbursements.

It is also common for schools to offer something like 3,000-5,000rmb upon completion of a six month contract or 6,000-10,000 upon completion of a one year contract. Read the contract carefully and make sure this is all ironed out. If the school doesn't offer you anything, don't sign the contract.

If you choose to teach a in a private language school, you might be given a contract completion bonus of one month's salary. This is effectively the same thing as a flight reimbursement. When booking your flight, keep in mind that the school may require that you book the cheapest available flight. I've heard of this happening. If so, you might take you 48 hours or more to the city where you'll be teaching (as it did for me the first time I flew to China).

There are, however, many relatively cheap flights to China. Make sure you and the school are on the same page regarding your flight before you book it. Once it's done, sit back and relax. You've accomplished a lot. Plus, there's a whole heckuva-lot of excitement in store for you.

Following these simple steps, any native English speaker with a B.A. (and potentially without one) can find a job teaching English abroad in China. Of course, this is just the beginning. You then have to think about what you will do when you get there! You might even want to learn Chinese...