Job Discussion Forums

[Alien abductee]

Good stuff Markness. Flexibility is the key here. Once you've got the ole residence permit stamped in passport the skys the limit.

[Markness]

[PittsburghSound]

Thank you for the information, Markness. I have been looking solely at universities thus far. I do like the idea of low hours + free accommodation and weekends off. I haven't even considered training schools yet, but I might if I don't get a decent uni offer.

The problem is that one rarely hears about the good jobs. Most of the time, you only hear about a training school when they don't treat their teachers well. That's one reason why I see a training school job as an even bigger question mark than uni jobs. This is what I have noticed, but maybe you have noticed something different.

Anyway, since I started this thread, I have done more research on air pollution. I really think that I will have to bypass the super large cities, especially in the north. Dalian may be an exception though. The pollution doesn't seem as bad there. I am also interested in jobs in Xiamen, Fuzhou, and Hangzhou. I think that I would just be miserable if I had to deal with the type of pollution in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, etc... Since this is the case, a good training school may be the ticket I need to get into the location I prefer. The trouble is finding a good one.

Cheers!

[Markness]

[Markness]

Also, the smaller cities activities are limited drinking beer and eating the same food everyday. There isn't much to do out there... like nothing. No western restaurants, no movie theaters, no malls, and the architecture is super depressing. It's also more dangerous there too. You get really bored/lonely not being around any other familiar faces. I used to think the same way but trust me, it's not worth being the only foreigner around unless you are a true warrior of culture. It's also more difficult to get a GF in the sticks (this may sound sleazy but it's the truth).

[PittsburghSound]

Indeed, all the cities I mentioned are Tier 2 cities along the coast. I very much enjoy the idea of living in a coastal city. These cities won't have perfectly clean air, but they may offer the best air we can find in China. Chengdu seems like a cool place, actually. But I think the combination of the pollution there and the isolation of it being a very interior city would turn me away from it. However, I have heard the cuisine in Chengdu waxes legendary, which is a huge factor to consider.

Anyway, I might have a job offer in Fuzhou. Seems like a nice city.

[Voyeur]

Fuzhou's okay. Weather is a bit obnoxious (but 'Welcome to Southern China!'), but it is big enough. Most importantly, pollution is manageable.

Where to work in China depends a lot on your goals. What is good for a one-year stint is sometimes different than what you want if you are trying to build up to the better jobs over years.

[wangdaning]

Markness forgot to bring his own cheese and bread.

[Markness]

[PittsburghSound]

I decided not to pursue that job further. They offer a housing allowance, but I'm looking for free accommodation. I don't really want to deal with paying for my own place. I was willing to give it a try at first, but I thought better of it and caught myself before agreeing to take the job.

[Voyeur]

Free accommodation has some advantages, even in China where there is no 'key money'. It does leave you freer to make an exit if things go badly, and there is less upfront cost (no two months rent in advance, less time in hotels at the beginning). On the other hand, in many cities getting a decent place for the allowance is no sweat. You can choose yourself and often make money off the allowance if you are frugal in your choice of apt.