By Ted Salonek | China Jobs Daily
You’ve made the decision to seek employment as an English instructor in China? That’s excellent news! Teaching abroad is an amazing experience and and an awesome way to experience the ins-and-outs of a different culture. The time you spend in this foreign country will be filled with memories that will last forever, and stories that you will share with those you love. You’ll also have the opportunity to make friends from all around the globe, and possibly develop the business connections you need to take your career or business to the next level.
This all starts with one simple document that shares your education, experience, and expertise with those involved in the hiring process at the organizations within the country you plan to move to. This document is called a resume or a CV. Although you may already have a resume, you may need to make some minor adjustments in order to streamline your path to gainful employment in China. Here are a few things that you may not have emphasized in your current resume, the one you use to apply for position in your home country:
1. TEFL/CELTA/TESOL Certification
Although it may serve as only a preferred requirement for many of the positions in China, for some schools these certificates may be presented in lieu of two years of post-graduate work experience. Having one of these certificates can only help you make it to the top of a school’s list of applicants. If you have one, remember to highlight it in your application email, cover letter and resume!
2. Photos and Videos
Schools in China that are considering applicants often prefer to see a photo, or preferably a short self-intro video. The purpose for this is the fact that this entire application process occurs before the managers and administrators at the schools get to meet you. I suggest including a photo in your resume, along with a hyperlink that leads to your self-introduction video.
3. Nationality
China’s current work visa laws (for teachers) requires a passport from a native-speaking country. It is important that you make your nationality very apparent in your resume. This will likely be the first thing a school’s hiring officer will be trying to figure out, so it is a great idea to give them this information as quickly and easily as possible.
4. University Degree
In order to obtain a work visa in China, you need at least a BA/BSc degree. This is another piece of information that a potential employer will be trying to find on your resume. Be sure to make it obvious that you have acheived your degree, and when you graduated with it. Some schools may overlook your resume if they think you may be too young or lack the required experience for a visa application. Be sure to make this information as clear as possible.
5. Age
This is where there can be some controversy. Some schools in China have specific preferences regarding age in reference to who they are willing to consider for a position. It can be observed that training centers, or private learning centers, often prefer younger teachers, as their classes are usually with small children and require a great deal of energy to teach. Universities, on the other hand, prefer to hire older candidates and will often hire candidates who are in their 60’s. Although these hiring practices may different from what some may be used to in their home countries, it is a good idea to make this information apparent on your resume.
6. Education-Related Experience
Many job openings in China, particularly the high-paying or subject-teaching positions, require a certain amount of pertinent work experience. If you have the experience a given company or school requires, be sure to highlight it in a “Relevant Experience” section of your resume. If it is difficult for a hiring officer to locate and identify your work experience because it is buried in an extensive list of jobs you have had in the past, they may move on and hire a lesser-qualified candidate.
Making this information easily accessible to those who will be reading your resume and deciding on whether or not to move you forward in the application process will save both you and the hiring administrators you are communicating with a great deal of time. Beyond this basic information are a few extra tips you can use to optimize your resume and ensure that you will land a position that suits both your qualifications and your interests:
● If you have any level of foreign language proficiency, be sure to include that! Schools may hire you based on the fact that you speak the local language or will be able to teach an elective language course.
● Do you have any special skill sets or areas of knowledge that may be valuable to a specific group of learners? Schools in China are diversifying their schoolwide curriculum to include more elective courses that allow students to experience real-world work environments. Possible areas of knowledge include: healthcare, culinary arts, IT, hospitality, business, accounting, acting/theatre, etc.
● If you have all of the documents, authentication, and certifications to apply for and acquire a work visa in China, by all means include this information in your resume! Companies who are hiring urgently may consider you over a more qualified applicant based on this alone.
If you would like us to take a look at your resume and provide some feedback on how it could be improved, or you would like a list of jobs that suit your qualifications, please send your resume to ted@foreignhr.com.
(By Ted Salonek)
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