Korean Job Discussion Forums

[yingwenlaoshi]

I started my search for a teaching job in China and was wondering if anyone could give me any advice on how to go about it. Things like what websites to use, recruiters, locations, etc.

I did a google search and applied to some companies that I found that way and of course Dave's ESL Cafe.

I think that Shanghai is my desired location, but if anyone knows of any other good areas, please let me know.

[VanIslander]

Wasn't the plan to do Taiwan until your midnight runnin' work visa expired then back to Korea?

Shanghai has decent pay, working in a hagwon teaching Korean kids there! Seriously. Those jobs are advertised occasionally.

Good luck whatever.

[yingwenlaoshi]

How much are flights to China? I just checked online with Xanadu Travel and to Shanghai it's only 100,000 won. Is that right? Pretty cheap.

[Mr. Pink]

[yingwenlaoshi]

Thanks.

Does anyone have any good sites for job hunting?

[D.D.]

Ying I just suggest you fly to hk during the day and take the ferry to shekou and pick up a 90 day dual entry permit at the ferry dock or you can get a 30 day visa in korea and fly directly to shanghai ( remember don't clear customs in hk as you take the ferry before customs). It is best to just show up and find a job. Once you get a job then down to Hk to do a visa run. Read Shanghaiexpat.com for jobs and info.

[yingwenlaoshi]

[pugwall]

Just go to china and look for jobs. I think the best money is in Guangzhou and Shenzhen. You used to be able to come to China on a business visa and change to working visa. An agency in Seoul should be able to pull enough strings for a business visa for u with a bit of extra cash

[cheolsu]

Check out the Craigslist site for the Chinese city of your choice. They'll often mention jobs in regional or smaller cities as well.

How is it that you obviously speak at least a little Chinese but don't know much about working in China?

[Mr. Pink]

I also suggest register for the International Job Forums here at Dave's and ask in the China forums.

You will see though that as a new comer most of those entry jobs suck for pay.

Don't go taking those 4-6k RMB jobs. IMO its better to just stay in Korea if you are going to do that. You need a 12-15k RMB job to make the experience payoff like Korea does.

[pugwall]

Will say that you need to be on the ground to get the good jobs. I would choose a big city and hit the ground with a pile of resumes.

Also check out expat sites for the various cities. Here is a job from a Shenzhen expat site offering 17000 a monthhttp://www.shenzhenparty.com/classifieds/detail.php?catid=16&siteid=62975#axzz0fwPNkW0b

[chris_J2]

Preferred cities to live in China are Kunming, Nanjing, Dalian, Xiamen, Mianyang, Chengdu, Hangzhou, & Qingdao.

All of these have better air quality than Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. If you must work in these latter 3, do what my Canadian expat friends did, & live well outside the city, away from the worst of the pollution, traffic & noise. The subway in Shanghai is awful & there is no orderly queuing, more like a stampede. Shenzhen is disaffectionately known as China's right armpit, & Shenyang as the left, although, Nangchang is a hot contender, too!

Pay is generally low in China cf Korea, but you can subsidize income with extras & after school programs. Or seek work at a University.

I have not been to Dalian, Mianyang, or Qingdao yet, but I have been to all the other cities as a tourist. You also need to take into account other factors too, like earthquakes (eg, Sichuan), typhoons (south & central coastal China) & severe winters (Manchuria / Beijing).

[pugwall]

Those are all second cities though. While nice andI have taught in two of them if you are after the big bucks then SZ SH GZ or BJ are where the money is and you can earn and save much more money in these cities if you find cheap enough accomodation/share than you can in Korea.

[El Macho]

[pugwall]

pm sent.

If you want to make money in China you can teaching English. Wages are going up, cost of living is still low if you dont drink in western bars. China is fun but I think many whingers on here wont like it. seoul is pretty westernised but to some people on ESL cafe its a mixture of Mogadishu and Soweto. Go with an open mind and work hard at your contacts and studying Chinese and you will be ok. China has a LOT of problems and a LOT of stuff that can annoy you on a day to day basis but the people are friendly and they are generally interested in and like foreigners.

As I said before you need to be there on the ground with a pile of resumes running around schools and making contacts to land the good jobs.