My Unplanned Journey to China: How I Found a Legitimate Job Without Getting Ripped Off

My Story:

Want to know how I ended up in China? Check out my reviews of a terrible TESOL certification company and an amazing visa service company. Now, for those who are interested, here's the full story.

I'm a teacher by education, with a bachelor's and master's degree in English language teaching. I used to work in a state school, earning a small but stable salary. I even managed to set up my own classroom, complete with a projector, whiteboard, and a decent library of Oxford books for my students to read. I was pretty happy with my job, and I wouldn't have thought of leaving if it weren't for the education reform that came crashing down on us.

September 2017 was a turning point for me and my colleagues. We were told that there would be layoffs, but we didn't know who or how many. As the months went by - October, November, and December - we were constantly being threatened, but we didn't get any clear information. In December, we were forced to sign a notice about 'possible worsening of working conditions,' and in January, the real trouble started. Our salaries were delayed, first in parts, and then it got even worse in April when we were given half of our advance payment and told that there was no money left. The next payment in May was a disaster, with more threats of layoffs and the impossibility of finding a job in our field in the city. Every school was in the same situation.

I was a pretty good class teacher, especially for my 9th-grade students who were assigned to me in my first year of work, right after university. But they weren't exactly thrilled about the change, especially since their previous teacher had left on her own and dumped all the negativity on me. Luckily, I had some great students and parents to work with, and that made all the difference. But the stress was building up... and that's when I got the call to attend a university session. Yes, I'm highlighting that I didn't have a secret plan to conquer China. I simply went to university, took a few extra credits, and studied hard. And it was during that session that I got a message that 11 out of 14 English teachers would be laid off. That was the final straw, and I started searching for job opportunities abroad while I was on my way to classes. I'd always dreamed of going to Japan, but it's basically impossible for non-natives to get hired there. China, on the other hand, was a different story. By the time the session was over, I'd already had some job interviews lined up. It all happened pretty quickly, and many of my potential employers were willing to hire me on the spot, which wasn't an option since I still had to finish the school year. I did end up missing out on a great opportunity in Taiwan, but I'm not regretting my decision to move to China. I'm learning Chinese and making plans for my life here.

Website: [link]

Name: Dave's ESL Cafe

Purpose: Job search and posting job listings

Structure: The site has sections for resume posting, job searching, and country-specific listings. I've highlighted the most useful ones below, as they're the only ones you'll need for finding legitimate work in China.

Visual design: The site's design is super basic, but it doesn't hinder usability at all. Everything is intuitive, easy to navigate, and visually appealing. Plus, it loads quickly even on mobile internet, which is a definite plus.

Useful sections: I used two sections: the job listings in China to get a sense of what's out there, and the resume posting section to share my own info.

Overall impression: The site is essentially a basic job board. That's it. There are no guarantees about the honesty of employers or job seekers, because it's a free resource. That approach is a double-edged sword – on one hand, posting your resume doesn't obligate you to anything, but on the other hand, you can easily get scammed or end up in trouble.

Takeaways: I'm 100% satisfied with the site and would recommend it, but with a caveat: be super cautious.

Here's a step-by-step guide to finding a job, tried and tested by me:

1) Open the job listings section for China and read carefully. Skip any listings that look for native speakers or offer suspiciously high salaries (20,000+ yuan).

What to take away from this:

First off, different employers offer different numbers of hours per week. The standard is 40, with 25 of those being teaching hours and 15 being office hours. For those who aren't in the know, let me clarify that office hours refer to any work done for the school's benefit, excluding teaching. So, you might be asked to participate in a PR event or decorate the school for a holiday, or even clean the floors. It all depends on the employer, and you should ask about it upfront to avoid any misunderstandings or complaints about 'slave conditions.' After that, it's natural to think about looking for a job with no office hours. Such jobs do exist, but... the pay will be lower, and you won't have time to prepare for your lessons. Well, you'll have time, but it'll be your own, unpaid time. I know many people are looking for jobs with no office hours and are willing to sacrifice lesson prep... as a teacher, I don't agree with that, but it's your decision.

I chose to work 25 + 10 hours. A maximum of 5 lessons and 2 hours of office work per day. That's optimal for me. I don't clean the school floors, although all the Chinese staff, including the school director, do it every morning. But I do participate in PR events, and if I'm not teaching, I help decorate the school and do other small tasks voluntarily.

Secondly, I wanted to mention that not all employers offer accommodation. There are three options: a higher salary, but you're responsible for finding your own place. A lower salary, but the school provides accommodation. Or, they give you a choice - a certain amount of money per month for accommodation or they'll provide it for you.

I have the third option. I asked the director to find me an apartment. My requirements were simple: close to the school, internet, and a kitchen (yes, the Chinese almost never cook at home, and there are apartments without kitchens altogether). In the end, they found me a great apartment on the fifth floor of a 26-story new building adjacent to the school. The apartment is perfect, no complaints. Getting to work is a breeze - I just take the elevator down, walk around the building, and I'm there.

Thirdly, be sure to check the salary details. You're interested in the amount after tax deductions. If there's no mention of tax deductions - steer clear, as tax laws in China can be pretty harsh.

Fourthly, be wary of employers who don't provide information about the documents you'll need or claim that you'll handle the paperwork yourself. China has a lot of bureaucracy, and many places won't bother with foreign documents because they don't know how to handle them. If you don't speak Chinese, you'll have zero chance of getting everything sorted out on your own.

I have a fully legitimate work visa type Z and a work permit type B. When I scanned the code on my permit, it said I'm a teacher (to dispel rumors that it's impossible for a non-native to be a teacher legally).

All my interviews went like this: exchanging pleasantries, answering basic questions from the employer like 'do you like kids' and 'why do you want to work in China,' and then I directly asked about the documents. If I heard something like 'it takes a long time to get a work visa, but we can get a student visa right away,' I politely thanked them for their time and crossed that job off my list.

2) After you've browsed what's out there and made up your mind about what you're looking for, you've got two options: either reach out to potential employers or post your resume. I did both, but I landed my job through my resume.

Capitalize 'Non-Native' in your headline, and keep your resume straightforward – no frills. List your education, work experience, strengths, and weaknesses. For contact info, I recommend including Skype and WeChat. WeChat is basically a mix of WhatsApp, Facebook, and an e-wallet.

3) Time to dig through the spam in your inbox. I got over 150 emails in three days, but half of them were from middlemen or people looking for non-natives. Delete anything suspicious, pick out the decent offers, and respond to those.

They'll usually ask for a photo, often a full-body shot, since a foreign teacher in China is all about the visual. You'll probably be asked to record a simple video greeting so they can hear your accent and get copies of your passport and diplomas. These documents are for the initial assessment of your 'usefulness' to China. To get a work visa, you need to score a certain number of points on the rating system. Everything counts – age, education, work experience, marital status, and so on.

4) It's time for interviews. Since all of China is in the +8 time zone, my interviews were scheduled for 5-6 am, right before work.

The key is to smile, 80% of success is having a European look and a smile. English is not exactly fluent among the Chinese, so you'll need to listen carefully and often guess what they're trying to say. If they ask if you have any questions at the end, it means you're a contender. Don't be shy, ask about what interests you.

5) We get the contract and read it carefully. VERY carefully. If you sign the contract, you're agreeing to its terms, and trying to dispute it later is pointless.

I know people who signed the first contract that came their way, only to realize later that the terms were subpar and tried to negotiate with their boss. In the best case, they'll ignore you, and in the worst, they'll fire you and revoke your documents.

6) We get a list of required documents from the employer and start preparing them. You'll need a valid passport with at least four blank pages, a certificate of no criminal record, diplomas, a TEFL/TESOL/CELTA certificate, and a reference letter from your previous employer (I added a note – in some regions, they might ask for a notarized copy of your work experience, since a reference letter isn't legally binding, and getting one from your home country to China is even harder). You'll also need a full medical checkup with a blood test for syphilis and HIV. The certificate of no criminal record and diplomas need to be legalized at the Chinese embassy. Once you've got all that sorted, you send it to the employer via email, and they start the process of getting you a 'invitation' to work. The actual invitation is issued in two copies (English and Chinese), stamped with a red seal, and has a barcode in the top-right corner. Scanning that code and checking the government database will get you a Z-type visa.

7) I booked my flights to China and got ready for the adventure. Make sure to check the embassy numbers for your country in China before you go. Upon arrival, your employer has 24 hours to take you to the police station and register you as a resident. Then, they have 30 days to get you a residence permit and a work permit. If they don't meet the deadlines, you'll be charged a fine of around 1000 yuan for each day of delay.

The residence permit is stuck in your passport, just like a visa. But, your work permit is a separate card with your photo and a QR code that shows all your details. If you scroll down, the fourth and fifth lines from the bottom will have your job title and area of work. If the info is incorrect or misleading, you should ask your employer for clarification. Just having a work visa and a permit isn't enough - you also need to have the right to work in a specific field. If you have a permit for class D and it says you're a laborer, you'll end up in jail for teaching, while your employer will just get a fine.

Postscript:

I used to think it was impossible for non-natives to work as teachers in China legally. But, it's not entirely true.

There are some conditions, though. First, you can only work in a private kindergarten or private school (training school). Second, you need at least 2 years of teaching experience. Third, you need one of those certifications like tesol, tefl, or celta. For now, it's not required to legalize it, but the laws in China are changing all the time.

Also, keep in mind that the requirements for foreign teachers vary from province to province, and even city to city. In big cities like Shanghai and Beijing, it's almost impossible for non-natives to get a job legally. On the other hand, in provinces with fewer foreigners, it's not a problem at all.

Finally, if you're looking for a job without a middleman, you'll get better working conditions and a higher salary, but you'll also be fully responsible. Be careful, and maybe it's better to come with a good agent the first time around to avoid any trouble.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. I'm no expert, but I'm happy to share my personal experience =)