Getting a job without a degree

[harold h]

Strange cause i see sooooo many jobs ads for China where no degree is necessary. How do you explain this? What about a TESL certificate? Some teachers can get a visa just with this paper?

I have visited the official Chinese visa site, and there is nothing mentioning a need for a degree.

[exported_kiwi]

Legally, to teach in China, you must have a degree, but as always, there are ways around this. I would, however, question the legality of any position that says this requirement isn't required. The CHinese Gov't requires all teachers to have a degree in order to work here and get legal status. The fact that the degree isn't present should indicate, at least it does to me, that the employer has few scruples about law so ergo, would have few scruples about screwing me too when it comes to upholding a contract! In saying this, there are still some decent jobs out there where a degree is preferred but not necessary. TEFL/TESOL etc isn't always required but once again, it's preferred. As native English speakers, one would think the candidate should know the difference between required and preferred. If you don't, maybe your skills are not of the level required to be here, or in this profession, in the first place!

Yes, being a native English speaker is a helluva bonus, but lets get real folks....would any of you hire an inexperienced person with no formal education over an experienced person, in country, available now and with the required degree etc? I doubt it and nor would I! I'm truly glad that some folks come here, folks who have no degree etc, and do an extremely creditable job in teaching our language, but really, at the end of the day, it's regulations that governs who can come here and where, or not they can work!

As for working in Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and Korea etc without a degree, I've heard it's near to impossible to do it in some places, easy to do in others. It kinda depends on you, your willingness to break laws, to constantly wonder if you're going to be found out and whether or not, an employer will employ you with little or no experience and no necessary documents. Sometimes, their penalties will be far worse than any imposed on us.

Just a few more thoughts, more as they occur to me!
A few more than 10 cents worth!

[datacruncher5000]

My advice to anyone who needs to get something done in China is befriend a native who speaks English. This will make things a lot easier.

For example, before I left the UK, I was under the impression that one tourist visa of 30 days was the usual limit, with the option to extend for up to one more month, reasons permitting. With the help of my friends whom I met in England at Uni, I went through 4 tourist visas and I'm now on a business visa.

So, you see, money and the right kind of persuasion is sometimes more effective than doing things by the book.

As for teaching in Shanghai, which is where I am now working, there are many jobs that require the applicant to have a degree. However, it all depends on where you go. My advice to anyone in Shanghai would be to check out thisshanghai.com for regular posts and just apply away, even if you don't have what they're asking for. Sometimes the prospect of having a native speaker will cause the school, company etc to overlook certain requirements.

Completing a tefl course is probably a good idea though. This tends to look good when applying for a teaching job

[Mikepass]

The E2 visa that is required to work legally in Korea requires a degree. If you are eligible for an F2 visa (married to a Korean, though there may be other ways to obtain one) that you don't need a degree to work but most schools are asking for one. Good luck.

[skydolphin]

It is funny how government sets the required standards of hiring people ie. needing a degree. Actually it is comical. This is the complaint citizens of every country have about their governments rules although they may not be able to say it. Another is high taxes. Nobody ever says the taxes are too low

I talked to a writer of a book on getting jobs in English overseas about the government requirements of needing a degree. He told me that the people making the rules may not be fully aware of the other choices of accredited schools other than university in the Industrialized English speaking countries.They may assume that universities are the only source of educated people.

Does anybody know if any of those 'junk degrees' from 'junk' universities could be used to satisfy the governments requirement of a degree? I am talking about University of Phoenix and others. There is one Excelsior college that awards degrees based previous academic and life experience and is respected in North America. There seems to be no consistent standard of accreditation in the states which makes it hard to evaluate a course.You study something and one place will honor the credentials and another not

[skydolphin]

Originally Posted by Mikepass

The E2 visa that is required to work legally in Korea requires a degree. If you are eligible for an F2 visa (married to a Korean, though there may be other ways to obtain one) that you don't need a degree to work but most schools are asking for one. Good luck.

I read that there is a very high number of unemployed degreed people in South Korea. I would assume it would be very challenging to get work unless you have a niche.

[skydolphin]

This need to have a degree is a f____n pain in the a__.

Workers should be hired if their skills match the job with something extra. Employment and governments demand degrees often even if the degree isn't relevant thus disqualifying teachers with other accredited credentials and experience.

Degees have their place but they aren't the answer to all job successes. Higher education may have a status symbol in some cultures and their hiring criteria and visa requirements may reflect this. In a free market a school would have a choice to hire a non degreed person at a lower price than a degreed person yet have the freedom to choose a teacher that could do a good job even though they don't have a degree. Some people want to teach because they like it and do have the skills and don't intend to get rich.

[cool ice]

Originally Posted by skydolphin

Does anybody know if any of those 'junk degrees' from 'junk' universities could be used to satisfy the governments requirement of a degree?

Well, I personally know of friends who hold such fake degrees, and they did get their visa issued to teach.

So are fake degrees ethically wrong or not? Well if they are fake, then yes, they are wrong. If they are legit, but with very low standards, then they are not wrong.

It's a grey area where we can go around in circles forever. Uni graduates with no idea about teaching getting jobs that should go to experienced teachers without a degree. Unfortunately that is the world we live in today.

[skydolphin]

Originally Posted by cool ice

Well, I personally know of friends who hold such fake degrees, and they did get their visa issued to teach.

So are fake degrees ethically wrong or not? Well if they are fake, then yes, they are wrong. If they are legit, but with very low standards, then they are not wrong.

It's a grey area where we can go around in circles forever. Uni graduates with no idea about teaching getting jobs that should go to experienced teachers without a degree. Unfortunately that is the world we live in today.

I was told a Bachelor degree in the Philippines is the equivalent to an American High School diploma. American high schools....
Have a fun and safe new year

[Mikepass]

Originally Posted by skydolphin

Does anybody know if any of those 'junk degrees' from 'junk' universities could be used to satisfy the governments requirement of a degree? I am talking about University of Phoenix and others. There is one Excelsior college that awards degrees based previous academic and life experience and is respected in North America. There seems to be no consistent standard of accreditation in the states which makes it hard to evaluate a course.You study something and one place will honor the credentials and another not

The Korean example again. For the E2 visa you need to send your original degree and sealed transcripts. To make things things more difficult, and please don't quote me on this, I believe that a new law has been passed that states that your degree must come from a University from your country of citizenship. If this is true an Australian with a Harvard or Cambridge degree could not get a job in Korea. As long as the University of Phoenix is a registered University, then an American could get a job. That's bureaucracy for you.