Hi everyone, I have reached a bit of a dilemma and was wondering if anyone on the internship at the moment or in the know could give me any adivce.

Basically im pretty close to just booking myself onto the august internship last minute. Ive got just about the 850 and the money to book a flight. And by August should be able to save a couple of grand more. The only thing is i feel like im rushing into it a bit. Probably because the prospect of just finding a teaching job in china and going out there on my own is pretty daunting! However i must admit alot of the job adverts ive been looking at all want a year or two teaching experience. I have a degree and will have the TEFL cert but have no teaching expreince. So it does seem logical to go onto the internship to get some experience. I was going to pay £400 anyway for the TEFL cert so apart from the extra £400 for the intership and the flight it wont really cost me much more.

However, on the other hand this will only give me a little over a month to complete the whole course, whilst working full time to save before i go. I have no intention of coming home after the internship, i want to carry on teaching/earning/travelling as long as possible. So really i would have liked to save alot more money before i go. The internship looks great in terms of working alongside other people in the same boat aswel and the support you recieve. And im hoping that after completing it i would be able to get a much better TEFL job than i would if i went out there armed with nothing but a degree and a TEFL cert. Ive also considered the thailand internship, but was in thailand for around 6months last year and would rather see an new country. Also there is no way i could handle waiting until feb next year for the next china internship, ive had it with living in this country!

So would anyone whos on the internship now be able to say whether its definately worth dropping everything and doing it while i have this window, or if its not really worth it and going it alone? Does anyone think that once the internship has started and ive been put in my particualr school, will i be that much better off than if id just gone out there and found my own job? Are there many other people going on the internship who have degrees but agree its still essential to get some experience before going it alone?

Many thanks for reading, if you made it this far!

look forward to hearing from you

Yeah - I'm kind of in the same boat.

I've got a degree i education and teaching - so it's not that aspect that's making me wonder - I'm more concerned with facing difficulties in another country, especially on my own as a woman (if that makes any difference - I supose it depends where you are)

Any opinions greatly apprieciated!

Go it alone vs internship?!?

I think I'm more going for the internship just because in those first few months you've got people who are available if it goes really wrong! But open to suggestions please

Liz

Hey all, I'm currently on the internship and looking at staying a second semester which means I’ve been trawling through all the job opportunities in China.  I've seen lots of great ones, even teaching internships, most put you on a 'Z' working visa (which means higher pay) and many even subsidize your flights.  However most of them do require you to have teaching experience and the process of getting the job and obtaining the visa 'Z' is much lengthier and more difficult.

The thing about teaching in China is that everything can change in an instant.  You can be headed off to your placement only you have it cancelled last minute or you could arrive at your school only to find out the next day you have to leave because legally that school is not allowed a foreign teacher.  It's the nature of China that nothing ever seems to be set in stone! 

This is where the internship is great, you have an entire support network to back you up when things don’t go according to plan and best of all the staff speak English, which is more than you may get out of your school!!! If something does go wrong with your placement and suddenly find yourself without a job then they will sort out a new placement and your accommodation until you go to your new job. Speaking from experience my placement was cancelled suddenly just before I was due to leave for the school!  Although frustrating at least I didn’t have to worry about finding another job or where I would sleep because that as all sorted for me while I waited! If you go it alone you won’t have that support network plus you would have to sort out where u would live and find a new job if you’re initial job fell through, WHAT A NIGHTMARE!

And trust me in terms of the money you pay for the internship when you add up the cost of accommodation and meals that is provided during the orientation week and the ongoing support that is provided it really is money well spent!

Thanks for your replies, im definately leaning more towards the internship now. But need to make a descision asap before all the places are filled! The more i hear about the intership from people on it, the more appealling it seems. Considering ive never taught before and im going to be in a foreign country i think having the support at the beginning will be well worth it. However I would have much rather left later than august to save up some more and obviously wont be saving any money whilst on the internship. But as a first time teacher in china i wouldnt exactly be on mega bucks anyway if i found my own job. Also means craming in the course in quite a short space of time, alongside a full time job, but i reckon its doable, its gonna be a bit of a gamble but think this is just one of those chances in life you have to take!  

Hi Max,

I know you say you want to leave later than August, but the semester starts at the start of September, so, ideally thats the best time to be in China, for work etc. :)

I am having a great time on the Internship but I would definately look into going it alone. The "going it alone" phrase isn't strictly true as you will end up working in schools with many other foreign teachers and you will live with them and socialize with them just as you do on the internship,the bonus is you will get much more money. We have talked to many foreign teachers out here who got in contact with the schools directly and get paid triple and sometimes even four time what we get paid - I know its not all about the money but the advantages of both seem pretty similar; paid accomodation, bonus after contract completion, language lessons, paid utility bills, opportunity to mix with others etc. In Harbin alone their are 6 schools (there the only ones I know about, probably many more) with foreign teachers all working there and living in apartment blocks together. The schools act as your support networks and coordinators and sort out any problems you have and put you on an orientation. So, yeah basically definately look into contacting the schools directly.

The reasons I signed with the internship and not just directly with a school were all the ones mentioned above - but in terms of teaching experience - on the internship, you basically are the class teacher, not an 'intern'. You plan and teach the lessons, many of the Chinese teachers will be expected to learn new ideas from you! Therefore, lack of teaching experience is not a reason to not apply directly for a job out there. You will pick it up quickly and will be fine. I have been lucky as I've had an amazing placement and no problems, but I imagine if I had I would have really appreciated the support offered getting things sorted. If I remember rightly though, i-to-i offer a job placement service if you are signed up for the full TEFL course (which is what I initially signed up to do) and so they can help put you in touch with reputable schools. I was planning to do that but wasn't sure about aggreeing to a 12 month contract in a country I'd never visited, so when I heard about the internship it seemed perfect (for me). You do need to save up extra cash though as £200 per month is a struggle to live off alone, if you want to explore the area whilst here. I had NO money saved up and so I am living frugally! haha. Oh, and I signed up last minute too and managed to work hard to get it all done by deadline - you can do it!!! Good luck.

thanks again for the replies internship people! I was pretty much ready to get signed up on it, but now having second thoughts again and the clock is ticking! The main thing putting me off the 'going it alone' is whenever i look at jobs on www.eslcafe.com etc, most of the jobs seem to want at least one years teaching experience, which i certainly dont have! So are the placements ItoI sort out only for a year? I think i would be quite hesitant to commit to that having never been to the country either! It would also be pretty annoying to be working amongst loads of other teachers, doing pretty much the same job but getting paid four times more! But to be fair these might be guys who have been doing it for a while rather than first timers like myself? I guess the grass is always greener really, there are probably people who did go it alone who maybe think they should have done the internship first? 

A couple more things, would you say the internship is really more aimed at people without degrees so they can begin teaching? I have a degree so would be pretty frustrating to find out i wasnt putting it fully to use! Also, say if you were a couple of months into the internship, and you were doing really well, and you could see other jobs available, with proper salaries. Could you just quit the internship and go for the job? Obviously you wouldnt get your bonus at the end, but they couldnt stop you doing it could they?

I found I couldn't go on the internship as my schooling wasn't good enough. I would say it is aimed more towards people with a fairly high level of schooling.

If you found a job after 2 months and found you didn't need the internship. How could they stop you from quitting?

To be honest, from the experience I've had over the last six months looking for work and signing a contract, you don't need an internship. In some ways it seems to me like cheap labour, and it is awfully expensive for what it is. It is down to you if you feel you need the support network. Though from reading people on the internships blogs, the support hasn't been 100% anyway.

You said you were in Thailand for six months? You obviously have the guts to do it then! I say go for it on your own! :)

There is also the option of i-to-i's placement assistance. For the cost of the 120hr TEFL they help you find work. To be honest though, when I started looking, it only took a couple of weeks for the offers to start flooding in and I don't even have the degree.

Good luck! :)

EDIT: You may be able to commit to less time, 6 months, but the majority of schools I have come across want you to commit for two terms. I think the work visa/ residence permit is generally a year long. Maybe that's why.

Hi Rin, yeah i totally see what your saying, i know the internship isnt essential for finding work out there, i just see it as an initial foothold to get into some better jobs, and get some experience first as alot of job ads ive looked at seem to want experience. However if it really does just come down to getting paid alot less for 5months work, for the sake of a support network that i wont really need, then ill go it alone. But i guess there will always be a mixture of opinion as everyine has different viewpoints and experiences, was just wondering if any other internshipers out there could comment on this from experience? I guess its also to do with the thought of actually physically going out there by myself. Another thing pulling me towards the intership is being with loads of other people in the same boat etc. However if someone could convince me there are jobs out there where i wont find myself isolated in some crazy middleofnowhere chinese town then im all for it (thats probably my greatest fear!) maybe just need to man up!

You won't be in a middleofnowhere place if you are firm on where you want to go. I have been in touch with recruiters, I know you read some bad stuff, but these came highly recommended. If you say you want to teach in Guangzhou for example, and the school you want to teach in should be in the downtown area. If you say this and stick to it, you'll be fine.

Also don't think you won't get put on your own in the middle of nowhere on the internship. Some of these guys did!! So it is a possibility!

Just in reply to getting put on your own, I was placed on my own on the internship.  I'm the only foreign teacher in my City (that I know of) and there were a fair few others in the same boat.  The thing is there is always someone within an hour or so to hang out with on the weekends!  I spend many weekends visiting my other teacher friends or them visiting me. 

I think living alone as the only foreigner really isn't such a bad thing.  It forces you to become far more independent and I think as an individual it’s  much easier to immerse yourself into the culture without always using the excuse of familiarity (the comfort of other foreigners) to prevent you form doing so.  However being alone is obviously not for everyone, in fact many people were re placed or left the internship all together! 

hi shasheen, yeah i totally agree with what your saying, when i was travelling on my own before i had some of my best adventures and mixed with the culture alot more. I reckon as long as i research the job as much as possible and make sure ill be happy as possible out there it'll be all good. Did you say alot of people actualy left the internsip? not surprising if you realise you can be making alot more money doing the same job!

The guys working at the schools in Harbin mostly had no experience, only a TEFL certificate. Often if you get in touch with the school directly they will let you know other foreign teachers they are employing or will be employing in the near future so you can have a rough idea of any other foreigners that will be there. For support networks, many of the big schools now have recruiters which act as the people that help you sort everything out anyway. Theres a school in Harbin called the Joy school which employs about 20 foreign teachers at a time. It does all depend however, on how long you want to stay for - most contracts are a year long.

Hey Max, no a few left and went back home and some left the internship and got employed directly with their school.  Alot of jobs over here that pay really well require you to have teaching experience although I'm sure tehre are some that don't.  Just have to do your research, check out some other ESL forums aswell, there are a fair few floating around the net.

Hi everyone!

Just to let those of you who might be worried about being on your own during the internship know that due to some of our previous interns being placed alone, we now have a new policy for the August intake which ensures that no interns will be placed on their own. If you have any more questions or would like to talk more about the internship with our TEFL experts then please give them a call on 0800 093 3148 or feel free to write on my profile and i will do my best to help you out :)

Sam

thanks again everyone, starting to get a much clearer image of how this all works. I can definately see why the intership attracts people, i was literally inches away from booking it a couple of days ago, but i think i was rushing into it a bit. Think i need to take a bit more time, save some more, not rush the online course so i take it all in, and find myself the best job possible once im done. I feel a bit more confident knowing ill be able to find one where i wont be totally on my own in terms of being around other foreign teachers and having some sort of support from the school. Its always amazing to hear from you guys who are out there living the dream right now and i really appreciate the info you have given me, it has helped me make a more informed descision hearing how it works out there from people who are now actualy expreiencing it, thanks again! and dont think i wont keep hassling you all for more answers! cheers

PS, i know what you mean about having to sign up for a years contract, does seem pretty heavy considering its gonna be a year spent in a country youve never even been to before! Oh well, better than spending a year in england anyway! I suppose if you really did want to move on earlier you could but sacrifice flight reimbursement etc maybe ill see what kind of lengths the itoi placements are, think it depends on what time of year you want to start though?

Hi Max

I work for i-to-i's job placement service and I'd be happy to help you find a job abroad! The destinations we work with are

- China

- Japan

- Indonesia

- South Korea

- Czech Republic

- Ecuador

None of these positions require previous teaching experience and they're a great way to kick start you TEFL teaching career!

You can visit our website for more information and to check you meet all the minimum requirements via this link   http://www.onlinetefl.com/tefl-jobs-abroad/

If short term contracts are what you're after, then your best bets are China and Japan. The only problem with Japan is that it is so popular all the positions have been filled up until next year! Our next short term contracts start in August 2011 for 7 months, which you can start applying to now. Call me on 0113 205 4569 and we can discuss your options about any of the job placements we offer.

If you've decided against the China Internship because you want more time to finish your course and save some money, you might want to consider the Thailand Internship, going out in October/November for 4 months (dates to be confirmed). Follow this link to check it out   http://www.onlinetefl.com/teaching-internships/thailand/

I hope this helps some of your decision making. You wouldn't believe how envious I am that you have all these opportunities available to you! Take your time to have a think, and we'd be delighted to sort something out for you.

All the best

Laura

Hi laura, thanks for all the info. Yeah i was getting the impression it would be alot tougher to get a job in japan. i reckon i would be ready to leave around october this year, i will definately give you a call and see what sort of contracts id be able to get in china around this time. maybe could get all the expreince under my belt then see about japan. I have considered the thailand internship but i was there for almost 4 months last year, it was only as your average backpacker but id muuch rather be going to a country ive not been to yet!

Hey Max, I am so in the same boat as you, just trying to figure out what to do. I still have a fair bit of study to complete and I have a full time job which is about to get very demanding! I'm terrified of making the wrong decision and I've worked out that the TEFL internship will realistically cost me £1465 (and that's at a minimum!!) It's so hard knowing what to do....but it helps knowing others are in the same boat!

heya i was thinking the same, although i wanted the security of the internship 'or what they sold to me'... and i think ive made the correct decision, well im not brave enough to just find the job myself...so i booked up on tuesday and sent my application off today, i also have no teaching experience what so ever, i have fantastic GCSEs, A levels were a bit disappointing although i have nearly finished my BSc so i shall see what there reply is to that... although they only ask for the latest qualifications, so in my case that would be my less than impressive a levels... but we shall see what they say

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