Job Discussion Forums

[Sheep-Goats]

[This is a partial clone of a Tokyo/Kobe post in the Japan forum. I'm equally intersted in Shanghai.]

I'm entertaining the idea of coming to Shanghai and looking for work. I'm looking for specific help with my situation -- if anyone has the time for that I'd be most grateful. I've included what information I'd need to give someone this kind of advice, but if you need to know anything more I won't get upset if you ask.

Because I worked in China before I'm aware that most people line up the jobs before they go -- but from my experience in Thailand I can tell you that I can't imagine ever having better results doing it that way than this one. However, I'm willing to listen to people who say that this is, in fact, the case -- and any advice they have (as to where to look for real highschool or university jobs online, etc) would be appreciated.

I know answering these kinds of questions is tiresome, so thanks in advance to those with the energy to do it.

1) Ease of finding work

I have a BA in English, a CELTA, and two years EFL experience. None of those years were at a langauge school -- I was either employed directly by a high school or a university (here in Thailand and in China) and was either wholly responsible or took part in team based lesson planning, curriculum development/selection, test writing, and program development. Neither place had an active teacher development scheme, but I did what I could along those lines as well (reading development books and doing the exercizes in the back).

My experience in China was working an impossible array of different classes at different times and huge (60-70) class sizes. I (very undertandably) left that job before the end of the contract, and if I bump it off my resume I'll have about a year and a half of EFL experience (plus a Z visa in my passport...). Any advice about this would be welcome -- including any quitting-early legal problems you know about.

Is there an easy way to deal with the Z visa problem? What I mean is, is it possible to get a Z visa without a sponsor? Or some other kind of visa that can be transferred to a Z visa in China without the hassel/regulations involved with a tourist visa? There are a lot of ways to get around the visa problem here in Thailand -- I'm wondering what's available in that department in China.

I would want regular work at either a high school or a university, preferrably the latter but not to the exclusion of the former. How long would it take for me to find an acceptable job? If I arrive on April 1, how much does my arrival date hurt/help me as far as non-language school work goes (here in Thailand many schools have vacancies when the year starts and are desperate to fill them)? ?

Any general advice to make the work search easier would be appreciated.


2) Expenses

This section is quite a bit fatter on the Japan version of this post...

Salary: Once hired, what's a typical salary range for someone in Shanghai with my qualifications, working at a high school or university?

Rent: Where should I stay when looking for work? I assume there's something acceptable avaialble for 20USD a day or less. Once I get work, what percentage of my salary would go to rent (about)?

Transport: Are most of the schools I'd be looking at clear out in wonderland or are they near enough to the city that I could have a decent time at night and/or on the weekend? What do taxis run in Shanghai? Is there any way to being to figure out the bus system beyond asking for help from random Chinese?

Living: Where I lived in China before I could basically just consider everything as being free. What's a typical day of meals and a weekend of entertainment cost in a real city in China?


3) Practicalities

I'd want a cell phone asap. Where do I get a cheap one, and, are the buy-a-refill-card type of accounts available, or will I have to set up a month-by-month account?

What kind of cold-weather clothes would I need for Shanhai? Is a fleece jacket enough, or would I need something heavier? (My home's about 20 minutes by car from the Canadian border in America, and last winter a wool jacket, stocking hat and pair of gloves was enough).

Anything you'd want me to bring you from Thailand?

How integrated are foreigners into the Chinese community there? The Thais are so accepting and welcoming of foreigners that most of us just sneer at one another when we see eachother here -- any need for companionship or friends being already fully satisfied.

Thanks again...

[tradinup]

I found myself saying "it depends" about ten times reading your post. Mostly it depends on you.

I'm surprised you worked in China before and are asking some of the questions you did. I haven't worked in Shanghai before but I think you would know that there is a very high demand for English teaching in China and you are obviously very qualified.

How fast can you find work? It depends on how good you are at job-searching, doing interviews, guanxi...etc.! Regarding pay, one thing I have noticed in China is that there seems to be very little correlation between qualifications and how much you make per month. There are high-school grads here making a lot more than degree'd just because they are good at the job hunt.

Some of the rest of your post belongs in the SILLYNESS forum, ai ya!

[Roger]

...and I am surprised that someone could ask such a no-brainer of a question as "can I get a work visa without having an employer?"

If you still entertain such illusions I wonder why the heck you don't call China part of your own country, so that you don't need a visa at all.

[Old Dog]

The "truely" caring one wrote:

[Roger]

... in countries where THEY ("holiday work visas) ARE ISSUED.
Doggie, what's the matter with you today? Haven't you noticed this is the CHINA JOB FORUM - not the Australian or U.S. Job forum. I have never heard of such a work visa for China yet - if you have, why didn't you publicise the relevant facts here???
Another bowl of Kibble, doggie, perhaps...

[Sheep-Goats]

[Old Dog]

Don't be troubled Sheep-Goats by the rudeness of Roger's reply. He's notorious for this. You ask a question in good faith and he gives you the rounds of the kitchen because you don't know the answer. He likes to soften newcomers up, to let them know who is in charge here. If he nips your heels early, maybe you won't be inclined to tangle with some of the nonsense he peddles here in often broken English - and his record lately has not been good.

Most people will try to help where they can - without agro - so don't be daunted. Most people here are friendly.

I myself thought you may have wondered if working holiday visas were possible here. But the "truely" caring one or "Sir", as Talkdoc rightly suggests, has given you the answer on this in his latest diatribe - wherein he's attempted to lash me with his "wit".

[Sheep-Goats]

[Sheep-Goats]

[Voldermort]

This current semester will finish for the May 1st holiday, this is about 7 days. The next semester will then start and finish sometime mid to end July. Of course this always changes from school to school and province to province. But take it as a rough guidline.

[Roger]

[Sheep-Goats]