Planning to arrive in China in Sept. Hit me with your best advice

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cdmxpaisa
Posts: 19
Joined: Sun Oct 30, 2022 8:30 pm

Planning to arrive in China in Sept. Hit me with your best advice

Post by cdmxpaisa »

Greetings,

I am planning to go work in China in September. Not sure if it will be in conventional IS role due to applying so late in the hiring season, but that is the end aim.

Currently in SEA and will be going back to the states in June to see family and prepare Z visa documents as well as add K-6 and Health Ed to my G5-9 math license. Will start the job hunt in April.

1) I did teacher ready and then switched my (now expired) FL license to Wash St to avoid renewing FL license and to get a license that wont expire. I am assuming I can just take the other FL content exams and send those passing score to Wash St. to get them added to my license. Long shot, but if anyone has done or attempted this, please chime in. Also thinking to try and apply for the QTS. It has a stipulation to have completed the ACP (TeacherReady) in the US. Which I did, so it appears I meet all the requirements.

2) Useful job hunting websites, agents, groups you have used or know about for China?

3) What salary would you aim for in my position? (NES, degree, G5-9 math license (hopefully K-6 license also) 2 years G8 math/science GCSE exp, 8 yrs ESL exp)

Due to me starting the job hunt late, not expecting an IS subject teacher role this upcoming year. So, planning for a homeroom teacher role in a private/IS setting. I am going to be flexible on location. Mostly focused on being at a decently ran school + salary. But i'd like to be atleast in striking distance to a major city (Shanghai, Shenhzen, Chengdu, etc)

I have seen people making 25-30k rmb just from teaching at language centers with no license or exp. In my mind I am thinking I should accept nothing lower than 25k rmb. Even that seems like I am low balling myself.

4) Any cities you would recommend or advice to avoid?

5) Any tips / things to do / get while I am in the US this summer?

6) Any tips / things to do once I arrive?

That's all I got for now. Any advice / info will be much appreciated.

Cheers
sciteach
Posts: 258
Joined: Sat Dec 13, 2014 7:49 am

Re: Planning to arrive in China in Sept. Hit me with your best advice

Post by sciteach »

Others can talk more about things on the ground - but the Language centres almost don't exist anymore due to law changes in 2021 banning private tutoring of kids for academic subjects (such as English).

I'd also say that your timing is off - as schools normally start in August with the latest starting in very early September.

On advice - avoid schools with mainly local admin like the plague. Also make sure you have multiple VPN's up an working on your phone and laptops before you get into China. As I think you mentioned that you've worked in asia - don't expect Chinese kids to be well behaved. 25K after tax seems to be the general amount going as a minimum since covid.
cdmxpaisa
Posts: 19
Joined: Sun Oct 30, 2022 8:30 pm

Re: Planning to arrive in China in Sept. Hit me with your best advice

Post by cdmxpaisa »

I am not interested in language centers.

I am aiming for a basic homeroom teacher gig in a private/IS.

I am probably too late in the game to secure a proper K-6 or middle grades math position.

I am flexible on location, so hoping I can find something decent for my first gig in China.

I heard some people starting in Sept (arrive mid Aug). If they will start in Aug I guess I will need to cut my summer vacation in half.

Yea going to get astrill before arriving and then look at switching to Vmess. I hear that is better than VPNs and is what all the local techies use.
twofromusa
Posts: 31
Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2019 10:42 am

Re: Planning to arrive in China in Sept. Hit me with your best advice

Post by twofromusa »

cdmxpaisa wrote:

> 1) I did teacher ready and then switched my (now expired) FL license to
> Wash St to avoid renewing FL license and to get a license that wont expire.

Sorry, unrelated to your question about China, but will you please let me know the process of how you transferred your license to non-expiring Washington State. I would love to do the same.

Thank you!
cdmxpaisa
Posts: 19
Joined: Sun Oct 30, 2022 8:30 pm

Re: Planning to arrive in China in Sept. Hit me with your best advice

Post by cdmxpaisa »

it was quite simply and quick.

https://www.k12.wa.us/certification/tea ... -out-state

just follow these steps
sciteach
Posts: 258
Joined: Sat Dec 13, 2014 7:49 am

Re: Planning to arrive in China in Sept. Hit me with your best advice

Post by sciteach »

I was not referring to you working at a language centre. I was stating that your info on people getting paid 25K after tax at those types of locations are not possible as those jobs no longer exist.

Also, 25K in Chengdu is very different than 25K in Shanghai or Beijing. See if housing allowance is included as this can be a real killer.
cdmxpaisa
Posts: 19
Joined: Sun Oct 30, 2022 8:30 pm

Re: Planning to arrive in China in Sept. Hit me with your best advice

Post by cdmxpaisa »

sciteach wrote:
> I was not referring to you working at a language centre. I was stating that
> your info on people getting paid 25K after tax at those types of locations
> are not possible as those jobs no longer exist.
>
> Also, 25K in Chengdu is very different than 25K in Shanghai or Beijing. See
> if housing allowance is included as this can be a real killer.

I have heard if you get out of the center and into the suburbs prices drop alot in the major cities.
sciteach
Posts: 258
Joined: Sat Dec 13, 2014 7:49 am

Re: Planning to arrive in China in Sept. Hit me with your best advice

Post by sciteach »

People who live or have lived in Shanghai will get this.

Q) Where is a cheap place to live in Shanghai?

ANS) Kunshan....
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Response

Post by PsyGuy »

I dont think youre to late for China in April. Off peak recruiting starts in February and thats when a lot of the third tier ISs make there strongest push to fill vacancies when ITs that were hoping for dream appointments have to face the reality they arent happening. The EUR recruiting cycle doesnt really start until April/May either. Many DTs in DE dont really have to provide their notice until Mayish either. All that combined means a bigger population of easy picking fruit for third tier and hardship regions in IE.

I also think youre very competitive as an Entry Class IT. Your mostly looking at candidates in EE who are trying to transition from EE to IE or those DTs who its either IE or they cant/wont go back to whatever Hades they consider their current DE appointment.

Adding a lower secondary science credential/endorsement and/or a ESOL endorsement might be a strong option. There will be those ISs with paired STEM and Humanities positions especially in the bottom lower secondary grades around years 6 and 7. Science gives you a stronger resume for those positions. Adding ESOL makes you a stronger candidate for those ISs that are really EAP programs and their immigration requirements are more aligned with those of an ET. It also gives you the ET and ESOL angle to fall back on at some later point, and finally if you ever want to transition to CA which is the gold standard in US NC and ASs, the ESOL endorsement/credential will meet the mutual recognition requirements.

WA will accept alternative tests for credentialing and endorsement.

You should absolutely apply for QTS using the WA credential sooner rather than later. There is no cost, its a simple application and processes relatively quickly.

In addition to the lower secondary PHE you may want to look at adding some sport association coaching certificates, or something low cost and entirely online certificates such as NFHS.

If your not going to register with SA, and once you have QTS you can register through the UK for free as long as you use a UK address or as a intern for no cost.
I would recommend Daves ESL Cafe both the International and China Jobs boards for low tier IS vacancies:
https://www.eslcafe.com/job-center
TES is also another free site, and many of the ISs there are more focused on British ITs once you have QTS, there can be some ISs in hardship regions that are desperate, and many ISs accept the TES application now.
Both Horizons and Footprints have IE vacancies though Footprints is focused more on ESOL, in the third tier their appointments tend to be more curated.
https://www.teacherhorizons.com/
https://www.footprintsrecruiting.com/te ... lish-china

When it comes to paid agencies and services some of the low cost ones include:
Joy Jobs is USD$40
https://joyjobs.com/
TIE is USD$50
https://www.tieonline.com/
Schole is $75

Then you have the premium agencies. SA and ISS. SA is $225 if you dont register through the UK or as an Intern. ISSe (online eRecruit tool) is USD$75, as a managed candidate (not openly available) the fee is USD$175.

I think youre really low balling yourself, 30K should really be your floor but 40K is entirely reasonable.

You should be open to any location. Landscape view, at the level of tier youre at bouncing around isnt uncommon, especially in ESs and ISs that are basically EAP. You might get in somewhere rather out in the prefectures and once in country find that a lot of ISs in better regions are now open to you and interested.

There are more jobs in places like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen but the costs are higher as well.

Condensed version for packing, anything you are very brand specific on bring or ship with you, or figure out a way to get it in shipped to China for you before you leave. Anything your not brand specific about you can get there, its not worth the effort to bring a years supply of anything except maybe contacts and medication. Even medication isnt as big a deal as you will find expats who will know who to go to assuming youre in a decently sized city or have access to one.

Get your VPN sorted before you go, NORD or Express are the go to with the Chinese ones in country secondary options. It can be very difficult to set up an out of country VPN from inside China. better to sign up and figure out which works better for you when your there. VPN access is so crucial its worth having a solid plan in place before going.

Find the Expat places, even if you arent the drinking sort getting into the expat network where you are is an important step, and it tends to revolve around pub culture.

Language centers are still there, there is a healthy demand for adult ESOL instruction.

Spring isnt a bad time to look for August/September starts when youre looking at bottom tier ISs.

Its going to be hard, very hard to find ISs with expat management. At best youre going to want a westerner as your direct report if at all possible. Avoiding Chinese management entirely probably isnt possible at this tier.

Chinese kids wont be well behaved at the tier your looking at. They are basically there because of problems they has in DE and their families couldnt afford better.

A specialist in primary or a specialist in lower secondary or subject IT is going to be better than an HRT role. With a revolving door of students your more likely to have some breaks in the day and classes that will be better than others. If you get stuck with a bad HRT class its going to be that all day everyday.

Maths even lower secondary maths has healthier demand in off peak recruiting compared to an HRT position.

Dont ignore the value (or lack of in an OSH package). You should expect some form of relocation (flight), housing, and health/med in some form at a minimum. Visa reimbursement (likely everything is going to be reimbursed) should also be on the table. If your staying out in rural towns and cities supplied housing is likely better if your staying in a major metro, capital city than an allowance is better. Dont fall for the housing is cheap ploy either, it may be cheap by Chinese standards but not for Western/Expat style housing.

Yes rents drop considerably as you move into the suburbs and surrounding towns, but then you have the added cost and time of commuting, which fiscally may be more a priority for some.
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