Job Discussion Forums

[Shiggy]

Where are they?

I have a BA in English and am considering relocating to China. The plan is to sell a few things, purchase a one-way ticket to Beijing, and find a job once I arrive.

How does that sound? Personally, I think it sounds a little crazy.

[Sinobear]

Sooooooooo, no money and no experience and you want to come to an already over-saturated market? Hahaha. Good luck!

[johntpartee]

[mike w]

Find the job first then you should be able to get the correct visa, have legal employment, and reduce the risk of you falling foul of some of the horror stories.

Arriving on a tourist visa with no job will leave open to abuse by underhand schools and recruiters, and could give you major headaches regarding visas and Residence permit.

[cormac]

[Shiggy]

I never said I didn't have any experience.

I also don't want to be locked into anything prior to arriving in China. I want to acclimate and relax before I start working.

If nothing happens, then I'll just purchase a return ticket.

I've always wanted to experience China before I die. If not now, when?

I know what I'm "supposed" to do, but I don't want to do that. I guess what I want to know is if it's possible to find work after arriving.

[cormac]

[Shiggy]

The first guy (Bear) said I didn't have any experience.

Okay, I accept the advice. Thank you.

I'm assuming the flight to China will cost, roughly, $1,000 USD. That means I will have about $2,000 USD left over.

For some reason, I don't think I'll have any difficulty finding a job. I will, however, be careful of the "sketchy" employers a poster mentioned.

Thanks, again.

[johntpartee]

[cormac]

Typically, I would bring a spending budget of �1000 for the first month of living in China. The return flight money and emergency fund would be separate to that. I tend to have about 3k euro backup whenever I go abroad for an extended amount of time.

Learned from living in Australia and Asia, that firstly you never know when you might need some expensive dental or health procedure, and secondly, you never know if you might need funds quickly for something else.

Better to err on the side of caution.

[Zero]

[Lobster]

I guess it's ok if you just consider it a vacation with all the related expenses. If you figure that $2,000 is roughly 12,000 rmb, well that's a fair amount of spending money. Most ppl just think it sounds like all your cash (selling things) but you didn't really say why you were selling them.

So, you get to Beijing and you need accommodations. You'll have to stay in a hotel. Cheap hotels often can't/won't acept foreign guests, so let's say 300 rmb per night, then throw in food and transportation etc at 100 per day. You have enough money for 1 month.

Renting an apartment. Well, you need to register with the cops and often pay minimum 3 months rent, 1 month deposit and and half a month's agent's fee and sign a 1-year lease (which of course you could bail on). Beijing isn't cheap, but I don't live there, so let's say it's a dive for 2,000 per month (Beijingers may confirm but I'm using Shangers as a reference). You'd be good for about 3 months. But how you're going to rent an apartment without a work visa and resident's permit and registering with the PSB is beyond me.

Now, you probably can't legally get an apartment, and you have enough cash to stay in a hotel for a month. Let's say you find a job in the first week. You still won't get paid before your money runs out, so you need a job with accommodations. I hope you're getting the picture here.

Look, it's easy enough to get a solid, legal entry-level position with a uni or established mill here. Why not just go that route like other experienced posters advise, keep your cash for enjoyment and have peace of mind?

RED