Advice on where should i start to search for a job

Hello

Greetings of the day!

I am Sasha Koh from Malaysia. I met my boyfriend at Guangzhou two years ago and we decided to get married this year. As he is living and working at Guangzhou, so i will move to Guangzhou this year too.

My biggest concern now is whether i can find a proper job at Guangzhou or not. I have my bachelor Degree in Education for TESL (Teaching English As Second Language) and i am currently teaching at a secondary school as an English teacher at my hometown. But as far as i know,in order to get a teaching working visa, one must be a native speaker and unfortunately i am not.

So, I hope i can get advice on where should i start to search for a job and which job i can apply to work in Guangzhou. Thank you.

Hi Sasha and welcome to the forum.

Feel free to browse through the offers posted in the Jobs in Guangzhou section of the website and contact the posters. You may even drop your own advert along with your cv in the jobs section, it could be of interest to employers.

Furthermore, there are some jobs specialised websites indicated in the Finding work in Guangzhou article, they are worth a visit.

All the very best,
Bhavna

Good for you.  I am happy for you!  I hope you a wonderful new life.

Getting married to a Chinese man will grant you a Q2 visa, but to work you will need a Z visa. Choose wisely.  A Q2 will probably last for ten years.  A Z visa will only last as long as you are employed.

You will not have any trouble finding work.  English teachers are a hot commodity. Make sure that you have two years of prior work experience and your ESL diploma.  The school will help you get a Z-visa.

I think that you will love China.  It is like your home nation, only a little different. You will be quite comfortable here.  Great luck and happiness in the year of the dog.

Hai Bhavna, thank you for the reply, i will go and have a look at the article. 😁😁😁

Hai Vanrrox, thank you for the wishes. I want to ask you about the visa, it means i cannot have Q2 visa and Z visa at the same time is it?

A lot of people saying that only those who are native speaker can have the Z visa, so i am quite worried since working with other visa in China is stictly against the law.

Yeah, i went to Guangzhou for a few times and i totally fall in love with China. I hope i can visit the other region of China when i have the time.

Have a nice day,
Sasha

Hi Sasha,

Let me put your concerns to bed. No, the advice to you was FALSE. You do NOT need to be able to speak Chinese to get a Z-visa.  There are no language requirements.

I have had both a Z and a Q2 visa.  I now have a ten-year Q2 visa that I got in Thailand. To get it is easy.  Just go to the consulate with your husband and show your passport and marriage documentation.

The Z-visa is more work, but your employer will process it for you. You will need a ESL or equivalent, and university degree, two years of teaching experience, a passport, some photos and the contract from the Chinese company that hired you.

You can have one or the other visa.  You cannot have both at the same time. Don't worry. This is China.  Things are done in a Chinese manner.  So you need not worry.  Your fears will probably not manifest.  I sincerely wish you the best.

Hi Vannrox,

What i meant about native speaker are those who are from European country or have a degree from a native country or a degree in English from a West European country, then they are qualified to teach english in china and get a z visa. But i only have my degree in education at Malaysia, so i am having difficulties in finding a teaching job at China, since they cannot provide me a Z visa. That's my only concern since i want to work and earn money so i will not burden my other half.

By the way, what is the procedure of applying a Q2 visa? Are they any rules and regulations to apply for the visa?

Thank you for all your infos. I really appreciate it.

Hi Sasha,

You do not HAVE to be from one of the dominant English speaking nations to teach English in China.  Just because you are not from the USA, Canada, Australia or the UK will NOT exclude you. You can teach if your English skill is decent and you have the proper documentation. There are teachers from Poland, South Africa, and Zambia that teach in China.  True their rate is usually low to start with.  However, if they persist and are popular they then increase their rate substantially. 

It is not uncommon. I once knew a girl from Lithuania who started at a low rate and ended up as one of the most popular teachers.  She then asked for a rate increase, and threatened to take all of her students with her if they didn't give it to her.  They did. It happens quite often in fact.

You problem, probably is not that you are not from one of the major English speaking nations.  It is probably because you look Chinese. You probably look darker skinned Asian.  It's a Guangdong thing, and you will need to overcome that.  As you well know, China is all about impressions. You will need to look like you are FOB (Fresh off the Boat)...

http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/352/8/4/american_born_chinese_pg_4_by_oba_san-d354i6v.jpg

You will need to overcome this liability.  As, I guess, you probably could easily pass for an ABC (American Born Chinese) or something similar. One thing that you can do is promote your non-Chinese background.  I would suggest that you promote the idea that you are from SINGAPORE. That is Chinese, but also non-mainland. It would be similar to you saying that you were from Hong Kong or Taiwan.  It's an angle.

All you need is an angle.  Right?

Getting a Q2 is so easy. You will have to get married, if you aren't already, and go with your husband to the embassy. Take your marriage certificate and fill out the paperwork with your passport.  It's pretty darn easy.

Good Luck, and stop fretting.  You will be amazed how easy things are in China. Just embrace the stereotype of a expat-Chinese. I think that that will help you a lot. (I could be wrong. It is all how good you are able to adapt to the image.)

http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/352/a/1/american_born_chinese_pg_5_by_oba_san-d354iak.jpg

Hello, I am a native Chinese live in Guangzhou. In fact , many training organizations especially for kids need foreign teachers, without strict request. They post enrollment  informations on the Internet, you'd better let your boyfriend to be aware of   them, it is not difficult to find a job in Guangzhou , an opening city of China.

hello Zskzsc,thank you for your reply,currently my bf is also searching jobs for me, and your words really helps me a lot. Hope  can find a job as soon as possible. ✌

Hi Sasha,

Do not be afraid.
A life lived in fear is a life half-lived.

You will be happy to discover how open and friendly China is. You will be able to find work quickly. You will do just fine. I promise.

Where do they post job offers???

Guangzhou is a beautiful city. I believe you will soon integrate into life here. I have lived in Guangzhou for more than five years. ***

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