Work Visa and Employment

Students wishing to seek part-time or full-time contracted employment from a Chinese work unit must apply for a work visa. However, the China Center may employ students for certain tasks or projects. For example, a student may be paid to organize the books and articles left out by other students, and qualified students may be hired to work with the Academic Director on special projects. Students in past semesters have worked at the China Center to catalogue new books, create a library database, and design and update the center website.

Many students do, however, find non-contractual employment with Chinese individuals or unregistered institutions. In recent semesters some students have worked as English teachers at many venues throughout the city, such as the Nova Language College, where most students can earn CNY 100 (approximately USD 12) per hour without a B.A., although CNY 150 per hour is not uncommon with a B.A., TESL/TEFL certification or substantial teaching experience. Time English, at CNY 80 per hour is also a good place for students without teaching experience or a B.A. and the center is conveniently located walking distance to Zhejiang University.

Some students have also worked recording English language radio programs for Zhejiang Radio, which can be fun work that pays quite well. The going rate is CNY 1,000 for 30 five-minute shows, which can be recorded in about four-five hours, or about 200-250 per hour (up to $30/hour). Other students have worked in clubs as a DJ or a dancer, a personal trainer at a gym, or a musician at a local bar, or a radio host on the air. Some students have even worked as models in the advertisement business and as actors and actresses in Chinese television and films. However, such non-contractual work does not protect the student's rights and is not officially sanctioned nor encouraged by the China Center or the host university. Students interested in securing contractual employment prior to arriving in China should consult local online human resource sites such as on Jobs East:
Working for China or contact the following organizations directly:

Nova Language College
Address: 5 Huanglong Road, Hangzhou
Name and Address in Chinese: 诺华语言培训中心, 杭州黄龙路5号黄龙恒励大厦三楼啊区
Phone: 571-87630030
Website

Time English
73 Shuguang Road
Located in the first-floor lobby of the Zhejiang Library across from Trust Mart
Name and Address in Chinese: 曙光路73号浙江图书馆时代英语
Director: Yang Yichun (John Yang)
Cell: 13082816848; 13819198287

Graduates of Friends World interested in continuing to live in Hangzhou may also consider teaching fulltime at the Shane English School, where the basic monthly salary for a candidate with a B.A. is CNY 6,600 (or more depending on qualifications) and flight reimbursement up to CNY 4,200.

Shane English School
Address: 9 Yaobei Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310007
Located on the corner of Tianmushan Road
Phone: 571-88801866
Cell: 13336002330
Fax: +86-571-88067077
Website
Contact: Liam Brady


Voice of the Tourist, Zhejiang Radio
Address: 111 Mogan Shan Road 莫干山路111号,浙江广播电视集团)
Contact: Zhou Hui
Cell: 13777868956

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