I am a recent graduate from the University of Missouri, studying both business and Chinese. I wanted to find an opportunity to heighten my language skills for future employment, and discovered that teaching ESL was one of the fastest mean in which to gain employment in China. Little did I know that teaching English here at York would make me rethink my entire career. I am currently working as an English instructor at the Xihu branch, which is situated right beside one of the most beautiful tourist locations in all of Fuzhou, West Lake Park. I’m a relatively new teacher at York, wrapping up my first quarter, and completely new to the education field, but the support and inclusiveness of the staff allowed me to fit in much quicker than I could have ever expected.

When it comes to ESL, choosing a school isn’t easy, in fact it can be quite an exhausting process. This is especially true when you have no experience working overseas and must rely mostly on company’s self-acclimation and web presence. I had read numerous horror stories of misleading companies taking advantage of unwary teachers; therefore, I was extremely cautious about moving forward with those that were quick to hand me a contract. Prior to my decision to sign with York English I had interviewed with over a dozen schools, both public and private, but none of them stood out to me like York did. They were meticulous with their interviews, really taking the time to assess my skills and personality, and professional in their delivery, laying out their teaching philosophy, the details of the job, and their expectations in a comparatively thorough manner. After my first interview I knew that York was the right fit for me.

What stands out the most about York English is their apparent investment in their teacher’s human capital. This comes in many forms, including ongoing training, workshops, team building exercises, and constant constructive feedback. Even if you’ve come with little to no experience, as long as you keep an open mind and willingness to learn York can shape you into an effective, well rounded, and highly demanded teacher. The quality of training at York will surely put you miles ahead of the competition.

Along with the benefits of professional development come the lifestyle that a job at York English can afford you. The low cost of living, provided for high-quality housing, and a generous salary have allowed live a quality of life unattainable to most recent graduates back in the United States. I am about to save half of my salary each month, yet still live a lifestyle with little financial restrictions. Fuzhou is a wonderful place to live, boasting as on of the top five cleanest cities in China, and a combination of plentiful bus stations, a metro, and even a public bike sharing program, make traveling a breeze. As far as traveling outside of the city, York English provides us teachers with enough vacation time to travel parts of the world that are a once in a life time opportunity. Fuzhou is ideally located to allow for convenient travel to almost anywhere in East Asia.

In all I am very satisfied with my decision to work for York English, and am excited to see what the future holds for me here. They have done an outstanding job helping me assimilate both inside and outside of the workplace, and have helped me head down a career path in a direction I never expected to follow.