Job Discussion Forums

cfaulkner · Joined: 01 Jun 2012 Posts: 42

Thanks all. It's good to get great info from a forum like this. I appreciate it. I've already begun applying. Actually, I've been applying off and on since I started the process with this job that just fell through, as I suspected it may. And now it has, surprise, surprise. I have two solid leads that may get me to a job by the end of August. If I run into any time lag, I'll tell the new gig to put me on a freshman class.

It's ironic I've had this experience. The recruiter I was dealing with wanted me to go to China (paying my own way) and he'd set me up quickly at a job in-country. That is easy. But doing it from the USA is supposedly time-consuming.

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

A cautionary tale.
You should always have two or three alternative jobs on the go until ALL the paperwork is completed.
They string you along and your only defense is stringing others along.

cfaulkner · Joined: 01 Jun 2012 Posts: 42

Thanks, Non Seq. I try to maintain that practice, but it's hard to do when the jobs in a country pay such paltry amounts as most in China do. I'll stay home before I'll go to any country that has a genuine winter if the offer is less than about the equivalent of 2000 USD.

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

Well - under 2K US pm is just about all the China state sector!
If you want to 'lifestyle it' in the tropics then Guangzhou or even better Hainan (Sanya) would do it but Hainan jobs seem to be sought after and someone commented recently it was difficult to pick up work in GZ. May be just too late in the season.
To my mind China is a lifestyle option as I could never work out a way of getting an halfway OK salary without a punishing workload including privates and the commute.
My suggestion as others have noted Laughing

is Qingdao. It definitely has a winter but with a good summer and beach-type stuff. By which I mean checking out the talent it their itsy bitsies. Nice seaside restaurants down at the old German end of town etc

cfaulkner · Joined: 01 Jun 2012 Posts: 42

Thanks, Non. I'll be sure to focus on Qingdao.

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

Go for it!

The Edge · Joined: 04 Sep 2010 Posts: 455 Location: China

cfaulkner · Joined: 01 Jun 2012 Posts: 42

The big question now is why they didn't want me after stringing me along for 2 1/2 months. I will assume I was a reserve possibility in case somebody decided not to choose that school or another teacher there decided to move on. Any ideas as to why they decided to give me this BS story?

The way you all are talking about China makes me wonder if I want to go there. What are the advantages? What I'm really asking is why you guys are there and haven't given the place the middle finger if it's a den of deceit, con games, and what-not.

chinadad · Joined: 29 Nov 2011 Posts: 291 Location: chengdu

the availability of women or no prospects back home

The Edge · Joined: 04 Sep 2010 Posts: 455 Location: China

dogUNLEASHED · Joined: 07 May 2008 Posts: 42

wangdaning · Joined: 22 Jan 2008 Posts: 3154

kungfuman · Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 6:39 am Post subject:

dogUNLEASHED · Joined: 07 May 2008 Posts: 42

Ok, thanks for the replies, guys.

cfaulkner · Joined: 01 Jun 2012 Posts: 42

I want to thank all of those who posted in this thread. It was very helpful. I've decided to pass on going to China, at least for now. Maybe I'll wait a few years until the salary situation improves. There are more attractive places that pay what China does, and some of the threads in the China forum are downright scary, with all the rip-offs and con games. I'm not going there to relive somebody else's nightmare. The weather isn't good enough, for one, and pollution is too bad, for another. Thailand still looks superior.

Take care.