Job Discussion Forums

[NorthofAmerica]

Okay, so finally I am beginning the process of applying for jobs in China.
I have 2 years experience in Japan teaching everything from corporate training to 3 year olds. I have my TESOL certificate as well. As always, at this stage I am sorting through mounds of info and trying to make a somewhat educated jump in.

Here's my thought process about the positions and cities I have looked at.

1) Shanghai, originally my number 1 choice but I have dropped it off the list because I am eager to improve my Putonghua and Shanghainese might interfere. Is that right? Also, cost of living vs. salary seems tighter. Culturally, is this city more than just bright lights and new money?

so with the language in mind I began to look more at jobs in the North and North-east. Also, kinda second tier cities began to look better for quality of life.

1) Beijing, not a second tier I know but I was there last year and it kinda grew on me. The language seemed standard (I learned the weird "err" they throw on things like Sanlitun) and it seemed nice if a little bland compared to large cities in Japan.

2) Dalian, This city keeps looking better and better to me. A relatively large Japanese business presence (I speak Japanese), clean, and fairly cosmopolitan. I just worry it is too far out there and too COLD! This has become my first choice but I just don't know enough about how other cities stack up to it. How's the cost of living vis a vis Beijing?

3) Shenyang, I was just offered a job there today but had not considered it. Also COLD. Any opinions on this place?


Finally, I keep hearing people say "Don't take anything below XXXX" but the pay rates seem all over the place. My current bottom figure is about 7000 PLUS housing and good contract details. Is that about right? Can I play hardball and get more?


Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

[Eyrick3]

[Lorean]

[Sly22]

[bearcanada]

OP, you've been given some advice that is too far off the mark and you may make a decision about location that you will regret later.

First of all, Shanghai is one of the most interesting and exciting cities in the world, and for sure it is much more international than many others. It is one of the easiest places for a foreigner to become acclimatised and to adjust. You would indeed find other places interesting, but the culture change might also shock the hell out of you. Shanghai is a great deal more than bright lights and new money, just as New York is. Don't offend a great city by trying to categorise it.

Second, Shanghainese is not a language you would want to learn, but except for shopkeepers most people speak good Putonghua. And there is another advantage here - you will meet people from every province in China and can get coaching from those with the best pronunciation and the cleanest accents. You won't find that in most other cities. And some of the Beijing accent - the nasal twang, the 'r' they add to words, and the manner of making sounds in the back of their throat -is really annoying to me. You might find it the same. And going to Dalian because people speak Japanese is not sensible; that isn't a useful reason for living there.

Also, many Shanghainese speak excellent English and they will welcome you. Someone made a comment about how it's difficult to avoid ending up with foreigners in this city because the locals leave you out of the picture. I've lived in Shanghai for years, and I have almost no foreign friends - I spend all my time with my Chinese friends, local or otherwise. We travel together, we do everything together. With foreigners, I have lunch. With my Chinese friends, I live my life. If I want to live with foreigners, I can go home.

Third, the money in Shanghai is probably the best in China. Yes the cost of living will be higher than in the second-tier cities, but so is the income. The people who complain about money in Shanghai are those who would have reason to complain about money in every other city. Forget about the cost of living and just choose a place where you want to live. The income takes care of the living cost, no matter where you are.

It's not difficult to earn 20,000 or 25,000 a month here. Corporate training is easy and profitable here - 250 RMB per hour is easy to find, and if you are better than average you can do better than that. You said that your bottom line for income is 7,000 RMB per month. You might want to raise your sights. In Shanghai, I pay more than that for rent each month, and I save more than 100,000 each year. You won't do that in many other places.

Fourth, someone told you that English teachers are a dime a dozen here. I think you should consider that some kinds of people are a dime a dozen everywhere, and others are rare everywhere.

Next, many of the places you are considering are COLD. It won't kill you, but being warm may be more enjoyable for you.

Finally, I would tell you that I've travelled through much of China and I do enjoy almost every place I've been. But I am content to live in Shanghai and visit those other places. I cannot conceive of a finer or better home base here, and the attractions of other ciites and smaller centers may not be sufficient to compensate.

I don't want to push you into Shanghai if you have other interests, but it seems to me that your first impression of a city of choice may have been the correct one and you let your doubts put you off. Shanghai is a very liveable city.

Good Luck to you.

.

[Laurence]

Hi NoA

[Voldermort]

[Sly22]

[Sonnibarger]

have you considered Qingdao? The speak fairly standard chinese in Shangdong... the city is clean with lots of Japanese living there.

[daveups]

You'll have lots of choices with your credentials and experience. If you're serious about studying Mandarin, choose somewhere in the NE.