How To Get An English Teaching Job in China 2020
We have put together a guide to help you get an English Teaching Job in China 2020. We hope you find this useful.
1. Find a TEFL Recruiter
To get an English Teaching job in China is relatively easy. There are thousands of positions available for Native English speakers. But you must be careful. Picking the right company will ensure everything runs smoothly in your build up to working in China
You should do your research thoroughly before deciding on a company. Here at SDE we have been employing foreign teachers for many years. We have a good reputation and we work closely with the Education Bureau in Shenzhen.
Questions that you could ask the agency –
– How long have you been recruiting in China?
– How many teachers currently work for you?
– Are you linked to the local Education Bureau?
– Does the company hold your passport?
You should do checks on sites such as Glassdoor. These will give you some more information about the recruitment company that you are planning to apply to.
Check salaries. At the moment in China a good base salary in a government funded school is 14000CNY. For teachers with years of experience up-to 18000cny.
2. Prepare your TEFL CV.
Recruiters will pass your TEFL CV/Resume onto schools. Make sure you have a nice clear head-shot of yourself at the top right hand corner of your resume. Make the photo look good and you will have a higher chance of getting a English Teaching position.
Your TEFL CV should include any relevant work experience, especially in relation to working with children. This will help you massively. Including details about your 120 hour TEFL course will also boost your CV.
You must include your nationality. The amount of applications we receive that don’t include their nationality is astounding. You must include it as many recruiters have to stick by the rules – and the biggest rule is that teachers should be from Native English Speaking countries such a the UK, North America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Ireland to name a few.
3. Interview with the company.
Now that you are ready. You’ve prepared your TEFL CV, handed it to the recruiter, and they have asked you for a Skype interview. Make sure you have an internet connection, a good one, and your computer is working well. Dress for the occasion. Don’t be nervous. Talk about relative experience working with Children. Talk about something interesting such as your hobbies.
4. Interview with the school
Nowadays schools will request either a demo or interview and this will usually be done on Skype. If they require a demo. You will be able to send a video demonstration pre-recorded.
You can practice teaching A B C or numbers and colours, or conversations skills to your imaginary students. Smile in your video, be loud and clear and speak slowly.
5. Get your documents prepared.
This is something that you shouldn’t take lightly. Especially if you want to take your English teaching job and begin a career that could last a lifetime.
Make sure you have your original degree certificate, a criminal background check, your TEFL CV, and your references. You will have these documents. But they need to be verified – your degree and criminal background check need to be aposilled. These rules have only come in during the past two years.
6. Apply for your visa.
Before you arrive to teach in China you will need a temporary visa called a Z Visa. Once you have this Z Visa you are elgible to fly to China and start your English Teaching Job.
Once you have arrived, you will undergo a medical and apply for a Residence Permit. This then cancels your Z visa. With your Residence Permit you are free to travel in and out of China.
You cannot travel outside whilst your are still on a Z-Visa. So take precautions and book flights when you have received your residence permit. This usually can take up to 4 weeks to get your residence permit. Most companies will reimburse the resident permit fee.
Foreign expert working in China,(Z)For commercial performance,(Z)Chief representative or representative of a foreign company,(Z)Offshore oil operations,(Z)Volunteering (more than 90 days),(Z) Foreigner working in China with a Work Permit issued by the Chinese government.
If you are applying in London you must apply at the China Visa Application Service Centre. There are number of these application centres dotted around the UK. Just select which one is closest to you. You can book appointments online.
Before applying for you Z Visa you must have your documents notarised and legalized in the UK. This can be done at an FCO Legalisation office and by the Chinese Embassy.
There are 3 Documents that need to be processed for you to Teach English in China;
1. Degree (Scanned Copy Colour). 2. DBS (ie Criminal Background Check) (Original Copy). 3. TEFL Certificate. (Scanned Copy Colour).
There is a 2 Step Process to officiate all of your documents.:
- 1. Notarization – a solicitor or notary public in the UK
- 2. Legalisation – This can be done at the FCO Legalisation office. This office can confirm your documents were notarized by an official person.
This needs to be done before applying for your Z Visa at the Chinese Visa Application Centre. There are fees associated with the notarization and legalisation of your documents. You should check the relevant websites.
The People’s Republic of China has not signed The Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (1961) official documents are therefore required to be notarised by a notary public, Authenticated/ legalised by the FCO Legalisation Office and the Chinese Consulate or Embassy. Basically, to be able to use your documents in China you will need to legalise them before you apply for your Z Visa.
7. Money Money Money
It’s a great idea to have some cash behind you before you arrive for your English Teaching Job in China. You will need enough money to last you until your first pay check.
1000 pounds would be adequate enough. Some companies might give you a loan against your first salary, but that will depend on different teachers personal finances. You will be offered a reimbursement on your flight. This can be paid to you after the first semester or the second semester. You will get the reimbursement but not right away.
The main expense that takes a lot of dollar is the living arrangement. In a big city such as Shenzhen it will cost about 5000 rmb for a modern 1 bedroom apartment. This is in downtown. But if you are based in the suburbs it will be cheaper.
But you should negotiate with the company on how you can cross this barrier. It’s not a massive barrier and we at SDE have over 400 teachers happiliy working here in China. So don’t let this be a deterent.
And don’t forget your one way ticket.
7. Do A 120 Hour Online TEFL Course
To prepare yourself for an English teaching job in China, we suggest that you take an online course. There are a number of reasons but the main reason is that you need it to gain a working visa in mainland China. You must also have a bachelors degree.
Online TEFL course are great for many reasons; you can learn how to lesson plan, learn how to prepare classes for different grades, you can learn how to teach basic English to all levels.
The Chinese administration bureau allows the minimum 120 hour TEFL course as a basic qualification to obtain your visa. It is very important to make sure that the course is accredited. You can check on the providers website – and see which company accredited their course. Then head over the accreditation website and usually they will show a list of courses that have been accredited.
Good Luck with your journey – it begins today.
We hope you enjoy your English Teaching Job and experience. If you are interested in working in Shenzhen, Beijing or Suzhou, then feel free to drop us a message on recruiting@sdeteacher.com . Teach Abroad in China Today.
Edited on the 19th June 2020 – Nemia Fe Contado