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How to conduct formal job interviews with Chinese employers

Do's and Don'ts

Interviews are the most important aspect – by far – of the job application process. Having teaching credentials obviously helps but impressing schools with your personality during the interview is downright critical. Ultimately, failing an interview could mean the difference between landing a good job in a decent location or a great job in an amazing location!

Here’s something to think about; quality schools located in great locations such as Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, etc. are quite aware that teachers are interested in working at their institutions. Due to this factor, the hiring managers at these schools are much more ‘selective’ in their hiring practices. In short, they’re looking for candidates with the best personalities (from a Chinese perspective) for teaching English as a foreign language.

ESL Teacher Interview Questions

Interview questions for English teachers (questions you’ll be asked to answer during formal interviews with Chinese schools and programs) are generally the same. How the questions are presented may differ from school to school but their queries will be comparable. Here are some of the questions you can expect to receive during the formal interviewing process.

Can you describe your personality?

▪ What are your key strengths and weaknesses?

▪ How do you handle stress and criticism?

▪ Why do you want to teach English in China?

▪ What are your key strengths for working in the English teaching field?

▪ What are your expectations for living and working in China?

▪ Is TEFL teaching a short or long term goal for you?

▪ How would you handle problematic students in the classroom?

▪ What are the most important deciding factors (student age, location, salary, etc.) to you?

Passion and Enthusiasm

Showing a genuine passion and enthusiasm for teaching is imperative. Many Chinese schools are reluctant to offer job contracts to foreigners who place too much emphasis on the travel and adventure aspects of the job (over the teaching aspect). If your interviewer senses that you’re applying for a working holiday, they won’t make a job offer. It’s extremely important to let the interviewer know you have a sincere interest in TEACHING and working with kids. Don’t leave the interviewer with any doubts about your interest and enthusiasm for teaching English!

Communication Abilities

It goes without saying that demonstrating strong communication skills is a key factor to a successful interview. The interviewers will pay keen attention to your pronunciation, speaking speed (do you talk too fast or too slow?) and your overall ability to communicate effectively. Don’t focus on being overly articulate, how you speak and communicate is more important to the interviewer than fancy words. Most importantly, don’t answer questions with one line responses. Talkative candidates who speak clearly tend to have the best outcomes.

Overall Personality

Keeping Chinese students engaged in their English classes on a day to day basis is more difficult than many first-time ESL teachers assume. From a Chinese employers point of view, they feel that friendly and outgoing foreigners are well suited to work in the English teaching field. Therefore, when you’re speaking with schools make sure to present yourself as a friendly and outgoing person. Displaying confidence can also help.