Teaching in Shenzhen

I taught in China for a year 2016-17 following my graduation from Durham University. My degree is in Economics, and I had a clear idea of the career path I planned to take in Finance, however was keen to spend a period of time in China enhancing my CV and learning Mandarin.

Opportunity China were professional and helpful throughout the application process, and I felt like I received individual support when I bombarded them with questions about the visa process and more practical side of preparations!

I worked for a public Middle school in Shenzhen, and taught oral English. Although the role was challenging to start with, I soon relaxed and put into practise what my TEFL course had taught me - seeing the progress and development of my students spurred me on to make sure my lessons were engaging. Shenzhen is a really cool city with an international population and lots of ex-pats, and was great for going to Hong Kong for weekends. I lived in a modern apartment about 15 minutes from my school, and joined an ex-pat football team so never had an issue with socialising.

I now work in investment banking for JP Morgan, and liaise with colleagues across the globe, including in China, on a daily basis. My time in China allowed me to get a basic grasp of Mandarin, which comes in useful on the odd occasion, but more importantly I refined my cross-cultural communication skills and understanding of Chinese business culture. In addition, if you can cope with presenting to a group of 45 children every day, it's certainly less daunting to present to Senior Management! The experience has also been a good talking point at interviews or networking events!