Job Discussion Forums

[teacherfromca]

If I were to just show up to Shanghai and start looking for a job, can anyone recommend where to stay and any other things that can be done to spend less? There are guesthouses in other countries that offer 50% off if you stay over a month. I wonder if there are such places in Shanghai. I prefer to stay in a dormitory with wifi. Is it possible to get around Shanghai in a bicycle and is it worth it? Any cheap places to eat? I think there are some noodle places that are real cheap. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

[Trebek]

Plenty of cheap bunkhouse style youth hostels in Shangers. Can you find a job "Cheaply"? I guess you mean can you find a job that doesn't pay well?

Yes, many jobs out there do pay cheaply.

GL

[kungfuman]

Cheaply doesn't really apply to Shanghai. Your best bet is look on Craigslist for a shared apartment and even jobs.

But be careful - Shanghai has almost as many scammers as Nigeria and New York City.

But remember the visa issues and the perpetual crackdown - living in the Shanghai jail isn't very cheap or as comfy as the LA Jail

[sui jin]

It depends what you think is cheap; I stayed in a 150RMB per night hotel (green tree chain) in Hongqiao for over a month, while looking for a job. The nightly rate is cheap for SH, but for a month this works out expensive . Rooms were ok, with microwave and food prep area, but noisy (I could hear my neighbours arguing .... etc!).

Hongqiao hotels are cheaper than downtown and there are plenty of expat families around , if you need to 'network'. Hongmei Lu has the 'foreigners street' with many different western/non-Chinese restaurants .

I have never stayed in a dorm style hostel , but probably you could get somewhere for 80-90RMB per night.

Biking is a good option in Shanghai , and there is a 'city bike share scheme', but I think it uses the chinese ID card. I have never found anyone to ask about using it. Biking in the recent heatwave would have been tough.
You could possibly hire an electric bike for a month or so, from one of the roadside repairers who sell used bikes.

[teacherfromca]

Oh yeah. Craigslist.

[kungfuman]

[YAMARI]

Shanghai is a bad place to go to if you are broke. Better to go to a smaller place for a year and save up to make the move. Shanghai is an expensive city which I arrived in with a job that paid 20000 a month and I still found it hard because they wanted 3 months rent in advance. It was easy to spend all my pay as my apartment was 6500 a month and the remaining 13500 was easily spent on going out having a good time.

On 20000 I was the poorest amongst my friends and usually felt cheap as I couldn't afford to keep up with buying rounds and stuff. Esl jobs will usually pay less than 20000. Why not get a job before you show up and it's better to take one with free rent to start with.

Other than in summer you can drive down the price on month long stays in hotels but it is still not cheap. Plenty of cheap food to be found. No need for a bike just live close to a subway station.

Shanghai is international prices and inflation keeps driving prices up quickly. Not the best place for teaching English and having a good salary to cost ratio like the smaller towns. Free rent and a decent salary makes you feel rich in some places in China but not in Shanghai. Pollution is horrible these days.

[zactherat]

i agree with yamari - Shanghai is good for when you want to go pro. tefflers are generally more likely to thrive in a city where they are not surrounded by expat career professionals and 1st world living, because if those elements are present but out of reach it can be somewhat depressing, demotivating.

there are lots of great tier2 cities nearby (kunshan less than an hour) which would serve up a great tefl adventure.

my main worry would be your visa though, and I'm surprised nobody else has raised this - best case scenario is you will have to go to hk to get legal, very possibly you'll have to return to your home country though. have you factored in that time/money?

working on biz (f) or tourist (l) visa is not really tenable in that area - Shanghai municipality (and a lot of the surrounding jiangsu province) is at the forefront of the development cycle with all the bureaucratic adherence that entails. employers face (and do receive) huge fines, illegal workers face severe sanctions... we're way beyond the heady days of 2005.. at least the yuan has risen though : )

[teacherfromca]

I'm aware of the HK trip but I hope I don't have to go back to the US though.

[Big Worm]

[teacherfromca]

[kev7161]

[sui jin]

Sorry, no noodles in Shanghai
I think this is a sarcastic comment - there are noodle shops everywhere. Shanghai now has a hygiene rating system for restaurants (red/yellow/green faces) which is posted on the wall, but I don't know whether these small shops are included. If you ever see them 'washing-up' the crockery in filthy bowls of water, you might be put off ...
Even in expensive western-style restaurants , you sometimes see only the yellow, puzzled face of the middle rating, which makes you wonder how/why they missed the smiling happy, green face.

[Voyeur]

[teacherfromca]

Does being in your late 30s make finding a job more difficult? In other words, do employers prefer younger workers, in their 20s and more malleable, or 30s and up with more experience?