In regards to my advice regarding private schools I'd like to clarify one thing.
Raoul, inadvertantly, I hope, misrepresented my advice by offering the following:

"I wouldn't go so far as KJ's advice to avoid private schools altogether...although if you can handle the lower pay of public schools it's not completely terrible advice. I do advise, however, staying away from the CHAIN schools. There's a huge body of unhappiness out there trailing them."

Well, thanks Raoul for stating that my advice wasn't "completely terrible;" meaning I guess that it was only partially terrible - lol. But as for the clarification - paraphrased - I stated that one should learn the landscape of EFL in China before venturing into the murky waters of private school teaching. Furthermore, I suggested that one should begin with a public college. Yeah, generally they pay less, but not always. And regardless whether they pay less or not, they are definitely more dependable than private organizations; moreover, they are a good starting point. As for myself, I've experienced pretty much the whole EFL scene in China.....ranging from an international school and private business college to public middle schools and private schools, and at this point I'm fairly content teaching for a public college at a reputable university for a higher than the average salary.

And so, my advice remains the same for first time China EFL teachers; begin with a public college. I will however add the caveat - research it well before making the leap. Perhaps the particular city or province won't suit your needs. For example: I wouldn't teach in Harbin - too damn cold. I wouldn't teach in Shanghai - too damn much of everything and if I wanted the cosmopolitan experience it would probably be somewhere else besides China. I wouldn't teach anywhere near Beijing (again) even if my life depended on it - too many Westerners (200,000 at last count), too much pollution and traffic, and too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer and, oh, I just love those sandstorms in the spring. And how about Qingdao? Yeah, so many people in China, especially recruiters, will tell you how great it is. Bah! Just another big city that happens to have a few so-so beaches and colder than an iceberg winter winds that blow for about six months out of the year. (Laoshan is great- one of the neatest places I've been in China actually - but you can visit there without living in Qingdao.)

Well, you get the picture. Now that there has been so many teachers who've taught here or who are teaching here, not to mention a huge ex-pat community, there's a wealth of information available. Check it out carefully. Save yourself a headache.

And, as always, good luck!