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finding work

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commando
Board Royalty

Joined: July 07, 2004
Posts: 7117

Posted: July 07, 2004 - 02:42 AM
Post subject: finding work

my wife will be starting work in shanghai from the fisrt of sept 2004. I will also be going along, but with no job, what are my chances of finding work, i am an air craft mechanic, and also a pipefitter (heating and ventilation), interested in doing just about anything, can anybody help me. would also like to know more about accomadation, any and all advice would be gratefully received.

Michael

Moderator

Joined: Mar 22, 2002
Posts: 5292

Status: Offline

Posted: July 07, 2004 - 09:15 AM

Its a good question. Probably your best bet is teaching english. You should take the time to get a TESL certification ( which is not difficult and in some place can be done in a few weeks). The types of jobs you mention are primarily local and you probably would not work for what they make.

WHen you land, get into an intensive chinese class and make yourself stick it out until you have at least a working knowledge ( if you want to find other work than teaching..you will need Chinese).

The other approach is to do something entrepreunerial. There is a lot of room for good ideas here that can be started with a little capital.

As someone who has experience this kind of situation, it is really important to make supporting your wife a primary concern. Its really tough on the male ego to take a domestic rolle and you both will go through your bumps about that. Just keep reminding your self to be kind to each other and work out the problems together.

commando
Board Royalty

Joined: July 07, 2004
Posts: 7117

Posted: July 07, 2004 - 02:33 PM

thank´s for the quick response, i had a strong feeling that teaching would be my best bet,thanks for the information you have given me, where or how would i go about getting a TESL certificate, sorry for sounding thick, and again many thanks

Occult

Barker

Joined: May 29, 2004
Posts: 158

Status: Offline

Posted: July 09, 2004 - 02:02 AM

TRY WWW.TEFL.COM
website for information on tefl training centres in various locations.

AlvinShi

Seeker

Joined: July 03, 2004
Posts: 41
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: July 11, 2004 - 12:22 AM

Yes, probably being a language teacher is the easiest option. Yet, maybe you are also able to find suitable positions regarding your technical background.

Try www.51job.com, www.zhaopin.com or www.jobchina.net
local recruitment websites.
Maybe you'll get chances! GOOD LUCK IN Shanghai

deweylee

Squeeker

Joined: Feb 26, 2004
Posts: 11

Status: Offline

Posted: July 11, 2004 - 04:23 AM

Commando - I am in much the same situation as yours and I'm going the English teaching route. I'm getting my certification at a place callled The Boland School in Su Zhou, about an hour from Shanghai. They offer the TEFL certificate plus a Chinese specialization certificate, paid internships and post-graduate job placement. The whole thing takes four weeks and costs about 1500 USD with room & board. You can check them out at www.boland-china.com. Good luck!

abc

Talker

Joined: July 05, 2004
Posts: 104

Status: Offline

Posted: July 11, 2004 - 05:36 AM

Commando, while it certainly is better to have the teaching certificate, its definitely not necessary. You can find work here as long as you are a native English speaker, have some kind of university degree, and professional experience. Creativity, patience, and high energy are some of the keys to teaching. How old are you? Hell, they might just hire you if you're older than 30, caucasian, and married! Anything goes here! Being good with children is an advantage. If you don't mind kids and basically making an ass out of yourself then you will have no problem. In my experience Chinese children are very cute and manageable, they're great. You can also find a job teaching adults. Definitely try to hook up the job, accomodation, and anything else you may need before you arrive. Check out this website: www.emoo.net. They provide some good services. Good luck! P.S.:Hope you can use chopsticks!

PhatAV8r

Raver

Joined: May 31, 2003
Posts: 384
Location: Qingpu District, SHANGHAI
Status: Offline

Posted: July 12, 2004 - 12:53 PM

Uh, I have a little different advice. Have you considered parlaying your aircraft mechanic skills into a well paying job? what kind of aircraft mechanic are you? With United flying in and out of Pudong Intl daily (and now increasing flight per month by over 100 flights) you might find that UA would be willing to hire you to work out of Pudong as their maintenance supervisor or liason, if you agree to a basic salary fo like $45,000 per year paid in the US, and with no expat package. You might also try to work with any of the other airlines and see if you can help improve their maintenance programs (especially China Eastern who has probably the worst on-time record in China). You might not ever turn a wrench, but having worked in the industry, you definitely have some skills to offer even a local employer if you are any good.