Employment & Professional Development

So, I read on Middle Kingdom Life that most universities will start reviewing applications for the following academic year around 1-2 weeks after the end of the Lunar New Year holidays. I've already applied for a large number of jobs over the past few weeks (31 different schools) and I haven't really had a great response (I haven't had any interviews and I don't have a job). I feel like it is perhaps too early to be applying for jobs, or that perhaps there's something else I'm simply not doing right. A little more detail about my qualifications and about how I apply for jobs:

About my qualifications: I am currently working at a Teacher's College in China and have been in China for around 7 months. I have a BS in Computer Science and a BA in English Literature from a mid-level American University. No TEFL. Not that this should matter, but I am American, fairly young, and white.

So I've been applying for University jobs for the 2010-2011 academic year. Basically, I've been applying for a large number of positions by finding a university website, getting the appropriate contact information for the FAO (either from a foreign employment section on the website, or just finding the FAO's email address on another section of the website), and emailing them my intro letter, a passport scan, my resume, a color photo, my diplomas, and a reference letter from my current boss. I've applied to a large number of jobs in this fashion (31 different schools over the course of about 2 weeks). I haven't really been thrilled with the response (only 2 good replies, both requested my phone number, neither has called yet).

So I have a few questions, if anyone could share some info that would be great:

(1) Is now the right time to be applying for university teaching jobs that start in September? One of the places replied to my email by saying I should re-apply in August (not going to happen) and another one specifically stated on the website that they start hiring teachers starting in May (I applied anyway).

(2) If I haven't gotten any replies from a school X after a week or so, is it safe to assume they have looked at my credentials and are not interested? Or could they just be waiting awhile to make hiring decisions?

(3) By what point do the majority of schools make their hiring decisions, in other words, by approximately what date should I start looking for future employment elsewhere if I'm still without a job?

I'm not really picky about where I work or salary, mainly as long as I get a decent apartment, enough money to eat, and work less than 20 hours per week.

I feel like with my qualifications I should be able to find something that fits the bill but I'm not really sure at this point whether or not I should apply to more places like I have been doing, wait for a few weeks then apply to more places, or change tactics altogether.

Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated.

Specifically, we recommend applying one to two weeks after the commencement of the spring semester, which is close enough to what you've done.

I don't think the problem is that you have applied too early. One problem I can think of is that you are sending out unsolicited job applications, i.e., it is very possible the schools you have selected aren't hiring.

For the schools that are hiring, while it is not too early for you to have applied, it may be a little too early for them to commit. As a rule, universities will usually stick with their incumbent foreign teachers unless there is a significant problem and most FAOs don't start putting out feelers for renewal commitments until April. You need to give this until the end of April before you start writing these schools off as a lost cause.

Hiring decisions for the fall semester will be made by the end of May, the latest. If you receive a job offer in June or July for an August start date, it means someone they had already offered the job to has reneged at the last minute.

The school that asked you to apply in August was hoping to use you as a fail-safe: if worse came to worst, they would have you to fall back on.

Finally, whether they need it or not (as a matter of function), all universities will give preference to applicants with advanced degrees. While I don't think this is a major factor, that combined with your relatively brief period of experience may be a contributing factor.

Start combing the various China EFL job sites for university ads. In this way, at least you will know for a fact that they are hiring. The manner in which you are applying is perfect.

Good luck with this.

Okay, thanks. That answered all my questions pretty well. I suppose I'll wait another two weeks or so and send out another wave of emails if I haven't gotten any promising responses. It's just with all the delays involved it sometimes feels like I'm just putting as much money as possible into a delayed slot machine hoping that when I get the results in two months I've won something (a job). It would be nice to know for certain right now if I had anything going, but I suppose I'll just have to send out more emails and hope for the best.

I know it's frustrating but the point is it's impossible to know exactly what the silence means in the context of sending out your application to schools that haven't specifically advertised for foreign teachers.

So I've finally made up my mind to teach in China. I'm wondering, is it to late now to apply to teach at a university for the spring semester?

Thanks again for your help,

Douglas

The issue isn't that you are too late to apply for a spring semester start date but, that, as a rule, universities do not hire for the spring semester barring surprises and last minute changes.

You could just broadcast your C.V. to as many universities as possible and hope for some unforeseen need or you could wait for the late spring and answer specific ads in search of foreign teachers for the fall.

Best of luck.

Hello again,

I've spent many hours trying to find FAO emails for various universities and have been totally unsuccessful. I actually have seen some ads for university jobs starting in February, but none of them give contact info for a school, only for a recruiter.

If I go to the school website, there is no contact info either (or perhaps it is too well hidden for me to find). Looking on websites like China TEFL Network, I run into the same problem: they only give email addresses at yahoo and gmail, which I assume aren't associated with a university.

Any ideas on what to do? Should I try calling the schools and hope that someone speaks English well enough to help? Are all recruiters really that evil? I really appreciate you taking the time to answer annoying questions for strangers, I don't know many people that generous.

Thanks.

The English language versions of Chinese university websites are notoriously poor or nonexistent. Universities that are competing for foreign students will have some information in English but employment opportunities are rarely translated. I would not suggest cold-calling universities long distance.

The e-mail contact information listed on the China TEFL Network university detail sheets are not for recruiters but for the actual foreign affair office personnel. The problem with that information is that it is often seriously outdated.

We don't specifically claim that all recruiters are evil. If you are going to use a recruiter you must make certain that at some point you will be dealing with the university and not entirely with the recruiter. If you do use a recruiter, under absolutely no circumstances should you arrive in China with anything other than a Z-visa. Keep in mind they will incorrectly tell you that there isn't enough time to process the Z-visa paperwork for a February start date and they will urge you to arrive at their mercy on a tourist visa. Don't do it, otherwise you can quickly find yourself working illegally for a recruiter who will send you out to a different employer each week, the highest bidder. As soon as you make it clear that you will only arrive in China on a Z-visa, 99 percent of all Chinese recruiters will drop you like a hot potato. However, if they agree to act as a mediator and hook you up directly with the employer, it could work out.

Short of using a recruiter or waiting for specific ads to be placed by schools, there isn't much else you can do if the university's website fails to list contact information in English (not unless you have access to a Chinese friend who reads Chinese characters). I know it's extremely frustrating and it's a just a small preview of what you're in store for once you're actually in China.