Chinese Teacher Resume

A growing number of people are choosing to teach English as a second language (ESL) in China. Putting together a résumé (or CV) for an English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching position may be difficult, especially for those just starting out. It might be difficult to decipher China employers' expectations from among your job history, talents, and education. Some first-time ESL teacher resume advice for the People's Republic of China is provided below.

Focus on the fundamentals

Your name, age, and date of birth are the very first things included on a resume. Employers also want current contact information in order to set up an interview with a potential candidate. Including a WeChat contact here will demonstrate, at the very least, that you understand Chinese culture and technology.

In China, it is customary for job seekers to include a picture of themselves at the top of their resumes. If you decide to go this route, it's important to use a high-quality headshot rather than a drunken selfie.

Any resume has to be proofread for spelling and grammatical issues, but an ESL teacher candidate's resume needs to be proofread even more thoroughly. They will look very poorly on your abilities to accomplish the job if the employer notices any faults!

Shatter the introductory sentence

An employer will look at your introductory paragraph immediately after your contact information and other prerequisites. Therefore, it must be impactful, well-written, and interesting.

Do not list every job you've ever had. Instead, in a single paragraph of no more than 100 words, highlight your most valuable and applicable talents and experiences.

Consider your background and the ways in which it could serve you well as an ESL instructor. For instance, if you're applying for a teaching post but have no prior teaching experience, you may highlight the transferrable abilities you've gained in previous roles (more details on this below).

It's important to remember that the individual reviewing your CV could not be fluent in English. So, it's ideal to use short, easy-to-understand sentences.

Select relevant keywords and focus on your transferrable talents.

Even if you have no prior teaching experience, you still may be able to get a job as an ESL instructor because of your transferrable talents. In this respect, I may rely on my prior experience applying for an English teaching post in China.

Although I had never taught in a classroom before, I had coached middle schoolers on the field hockey team and worked at university summer camps. The interviewer had reviewed my resume and questioned me about it, so I explained how the experience I had gained in those positions had prepared me for teaching.

Let's imagine you want to become a high school or middle school teacher. Include the terms "young learners" and "teenagers" in your resume's keyword section to show that you have expertise working with this age group.

Maybe you want to teach adults Business English, and you're seeking for a job. Your ESL resume should highlight your proficiency in "Business English" or a related term. Again, even if you don't have direct experience teaching adults business English, you may prove that you're qualified by highlighting talents you've developed in other settings. You could have picked up some useful business jargon during your internship.

It is worth noting that many China-based companies and recruitment agencies now utilize keyword scanning software to select and choose candidates.

Put an emphasis on your exposure to foreign cultures and time spent living abroad.

The process of relocating to China is fraught with bureaucratic hurdles and the challenges of learning a new culture. Potential to teach English as a Second Language is a must in China. After all, no matter how good a candidate is, an employer will have little interest if they believe the employee would quit two months into the contract.

It is important for an ESL teacher CV for China to demonstrate a passion for travel and an openness to diverse cultures. Perhaps you participated in a language exchange program or went overseas to college. Outline the obstacles you encountered, your strategies for overcoming them, and why you came to enjoy the event despite them.

My second ESL interviewer spent much time discussing this topic with me. This is because the position required travel to China's remote Xinjiang region, where the majority of the population is Muslim members of the Uyghur ethnic minority. He needed assurance that I could adjust to my new environment and remain with the company for the full term of my contract.