Job Discussion Forums

mykrobb · Joined: 18 Oct 2005 Posts: 13

Hello to all,

I'm a former EFL teaching considering moving to Beijing or Shanghai with the intention of learning Mandarin and finding work either teaching English or working for a company or ngo. I was wondering if anyone had experience with other expats who made the move and successfully found work for doing something other than teaching. I've read articles about how young people are making the move to China in order to find internships or legitimate paying jobs. I'm curious as to how easy/difficult is it to find work. Sorry if my question isn't exactly focused on teaching, but I know from experience that expat teachers usually have a good understanding of the lay of the land. Thanks.

Mike

Zero · Joined: 08 Sep 2004 Posts: 1402

If I don't say this, someone else will. So I'll go ahead.

The answer to your question depends on your own interests, abilities and qualifications. Are you trained to do something beside teach ESL?

Project managers, senior managers, engineers, IT people -- I've heard of people doing all of those roles in China.

Asking what non-teaching job you can do in China is almost like someone saying, "What non-teaching job could I do in the United States?" There are lots, depending on what you want to do and can do. The range of fields open to China may be more limited than in your native country, but it's still somewhat broad.

Maybe you could look at some of the job boards like matchdragon to see what sorts of positions are being advertised.

A'Moo · Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2009 9:46 pm Post subject:

This question is asked frequently on this forum...
As an EFL teacher, you are paid a mediocre salary for supplying something that isnt indigenous or in supply in China-a white face...However much of a pittance this renumeration seems, it is still, at the minimum, 3 times what those chinese teachers/aides are paid...
Wanting to come to one of Chinas two biggest cities, without speaking the language, and find decent paying work?...Hmm...How much success would you find, say, moving to Paris to look for work, and not speaking French and not having a European passport?
The way that 99.9% of westerners working in China (ESL and NON ESL) make a living is by making someone Chinese even MORE money than they themselves are receiving in compensation...

mykrobb · Joined: 18 Oct 2005 Posts: 13

I understand that it's better to have a degree or experience in something applicable like business or computer science. Sadly, I only have a BS in biology which doesn't count for much in the US. However, I do know that China's standards are lower for white faced, English speakers as I've read articles about college grads finding work. I'm just wondering if anyone has had these experiences. I realize that top paying salaries aren't to be expected. I'm really looking for the work experience more than anything.

Zero · Joined: 08 Sep 2004 Posts: 1402

How's your writing/editing? Some Chinese firms hire editors/proofreaders/writers to work on company documents. You might look for a position with a biotechnology firm that is targeting English-speaking markets and needs a helping hand with promotional or regulatory documents. I doubt the pay would be very high, but it would be "non-English-teaching."

LanGuTou · Joined: 23 Mar 2009 Posts: 621 Location: Shandong

To the OP:

There are, of course, career opportunities to be had in China but there are far more pitfalls. To have any prospect of success, you will have to be systematic and detailed in your approach.

You should firstly map out a detailed career plan with milestones and targets. Work out a method of evaluating when each target is reached. Look at your strengths and weaknesses. Then look at Chinese business and culture to see where you fit in.

If you come here on a wing and a prayer, you will either fail and return home or end up teaching English!

You might be wise to take the plunge. Look at various internships that are available and maybe even pay to work for a while. Look at it as an investment and a chance to show your future potential. Look for cities with a high number of foreigners and foreign investment/joint venture companies. This is where your best opportunities will lie.

A word of warning! Working for people of East Asian descent is gruelling. I am not aiming this criticism solely at the Chinese. I am lead to believe that Koreans and Japanese are worse. It doesn't matter how much effort you put in, they will want more. And they will want their money's worth out of you even if you are working for free. Patience and tolerance are a virtue but East Asian people have little or none.

ESL salaries are low but the working environment can be largely stress free. Maybe I will get shouted down on this board for making that statement but, compared with life in industry and commerce in China, it's a cakewalk.

I am sure that, if you are focussed and determined, you can realize your objective. Very Happy

alter ego · Joined: 24 Mar 2009 Posts: 209

cormac · Joined: 04 Nov 2008 Posts: 768 Location: Xi'an (XTU)

To put it quite simply, unless you're an expat from a foreign company, there's no reason to work in a non-teaching job. Without mandarin, you will be passed over time and time again, for either Chinese bilinguals or other people with the language. Sure you can get work, but you're likely to be earning less than most EFL teachers.

I've been looking into this for the last 6 months while I complete my Honors degree. I have plenty of experience in Business, well traveled, etc. but without Mandarin I'm stuck with crap entry level jobs earning in the region of 1500-2500rmb. And thats jobs in Beijing. Smaller cities are even worse.

However, if you can speak, & write basic Chinese, it gets easier. For me, learning chinese has been a nightmare, and the only real way I've found useful has been doing it while in China. So I'll have to come back to china to learn the language. And the best thing to be doing while learning the language, is... teaching. In Xi'an I was earning RMB5k and free apartment, and managed a great lifestyle. Others here will consider that amount rather low, but I found it fine.

So.. unless you're particularly gifted in some qualification or experience... teaching is the best way to get yourself established in China. [On a side note, seek to make as many contacts as possible.. A lot of employment is passed as favors, which they'll dish out to people they like. Jump on that bandwagon]

Teatime of Soul · Joined: 12 Apr 2007 Posts: 905

Consider identifying a company that does business in China, leaving China, getting hired by that company, and then returning as an expat.

Companies will often only send those abroad whom they have hired, trained and know.

As a new employee, your language ability, knowledge of the culture are often only a plus to the other skills you were hired to perform.

If you are a junior accountant, for example, who wants to return to China, your China experience may get you that position abroad from within the company.

But you will need some skills that the company wants, usually well above a little Chinese and knowledge of the Country.

Best of luck.

auchtermuchty · Joined: 05 Dec 2009 Posts: 344 Location: Beijing

I think you really need to network to land a non-teaching job here. There are opportunities, but they aren't advertised in my experience. Smaller and medium sized foreign companies setting up operations here sometimes want a foreigner with local knowledge to help; I know of two people who got offered jobs after getting to know people in bars. I also know a guy who got offered a sales job (they needed a native English speaker) with a Korean company in China after teaching private lessons to Korean kids.