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shanghai_hai
Newbie
Joined: Sep 01, 2008
Posts: 2
Status: Offline
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Sep 01, 2008 - 06:31 PM |
 
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| Post subject: Young potential expat needs advice/help... |
Hi everyone,
I'm a 21 year old who has just graduated from a pretty good British Uni with a 2:1. I'm thinking of moving over to China with my boyfriend, who already has a pretty swish job lined up because he did an internship with the company last year.
I was wondering if anyone knew/had any thoughts, on what the best thing to do would be regarding jobs. Looking on the internet shows that they are pretty desperate for teaching jobs, and with some it seems they'll waive the experience if you have a degree. They have loads of supposed benefits such as travel/housing allowances etc, but I'm a bit unsure- is it a feasible job option, or are some of them a bit of a scam?
I also was looking at internships, but these seem few and far between, and they want fluent chinese for many of them. My chinese is basic to none, despite a pretty wide knowledge of chinese culture.
I know you lot aren't employers, but does anyone know of anywhere to look/any companies that are particularly receptive to young expats? Are there any other young expats out there and if so, what are you doing?
Thanks |
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Adrienne
Rocker
Joined: Mar 01, 2003
Posts: 794
Location: Shanghai, China
Status: Offline
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Sep 02, 2008 - 12:22 AM |
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Welcome Shanghai_hai. As you mentioned, your boyfriend has a swisho job here so you will at least have some support upon your arrival here. I'd suggest you come here and do your own research with the schools and any companies that may have internship programs. I think it can be hard to guage this from where you are now. A few interviews will help you with your queries.
Good luck!
Adrienne
http://www.shanghaiprops.com |
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bootlace
Seeker
Joined: Oct 09, 2007
Posts: 48
Status: Offline
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Sep 02, 2008 - 10:12 AM |
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Get an English teaching job while you're here (pretty easy if you're from UK/US I've heard and pays well) , improve your mandarin in your free time, and look for some better career opportunities on the side. Don't expect to get paid above a local without extensive job experience or mandarin skills when you DO find a job.
Good luck |
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teezy123
Seeker
Joined: Mar 21, 2008
Posts: 73
Status: Offline
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Sep 02, 2008 - 11:20 AM |
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there are loads of posts almost identical to your own. look around and you will get a better idea of what goes on here. if you come as an english teacher, expect to be looked down upon, especially on this site. its often used as an insult.
as for me, i am also a young expat (22), but i grew up in hk/sin/jap as an even younger one, so my transition here was pretty easy. i work for a small US management consulting firm and i also run my own sourcing business on the side. it pays the bills, but if you are gonna go it on your own here, i would say you need to be bringing in at least rmb 20k a month if you want to have a comfortable life and go out on the weekends. hopefully your bf is making at least that much.
good luck. it will be less confusing, but probably not any easier once you get here. |
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860115huang
Barker
Joined: Mar 10, 2008
Posts: 159
Status: Offline
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Sep 02, 2008 - 01:15 PM |
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 You are so young. When studensts in China graduated from universities, they are often around 23 years old.
Anyway, good luck!! |
_________________
http://www.800chinabaskets.com Definitely a nice website!! |
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Misteral
Talker
Joined: July 24, 2008
Posts: 96
Status: Offline
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Sep 02, 2008 - 01:56 PM |
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If you come with your boyfriend without lining up a job beforehand you'll need to come over on a tourist visa (usually 90 days) and it will be illegal for you to work. However, I think that's your best option and if you find a job during that time it will be the employer's responsibility to obtain a residency permit for you. (If they find that difficult it means they do not have authority to hire foreigners). Obtaining the RP may mean you leaving mainland China (to HK or somewhere) and applying for a Z visa with the correct paperwork which if granted would mean returning to Shanghai and going through the procedure to obtain your RP here. It may be possible to 'convert' a tourist visa to a residency permit but that would depend on the relationship the employer has with the local governement offices.
Remember L visa (tourist) Enter China but no workee workeee allowed
F visa-Enter China. You no workee but you can do business
Z visa-Allows you enter China to work and obtain a Residency permit |
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shanghai_hai
Newbie
Joined: Sep 01, 2008
Posts: 2
Status: Offline
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Sep 02, 2008 - 05:39 PM |
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| teezy123 wrote: |
there are loads of posts almost identical to your own. look around and you will get a better idea of what goes on here. if you come as an english teacher, expect to be looked down upon, especially on this site. its often used as an insult.
. |
I actually tried my best to look for threads that were similar to mine, but didn't come across any. Maybe I should have tried harder.
Why is it so bad to be an English teacher? TEFL is pretty well thought of in the UK at least. Albeit, teaching is a last resource for me, I'd rather get work in an advertising or journalism, but if it comes to it, its definitely a possibility.
As for advice on visas- thanks everyone- but I'm pretty sure I'd only come over on a work visa not a tourist one. So if I don't get a job, I probably wouldn't come, hence the rather panicked looking!
On another note- expat life? Fun? Do people go to expat events and meet, or is it more through business/friends etc? |
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lababillarde
Rocker
Joined: May 26, 2005
Posts: 736
Status: Offline
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Sep 02, 2008 - 10:49 PM |
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| shanghai_hai wrote: |
| On another note- expat life? Fun? Do people go to expat events and meet, or is it more through business/friends etc? |
Both. I've met some great friends who share the same interest I do (which is in fact an odd and strange passion) but I'm able to find these folks in Shanghai! This is impossible back in my small hometown.
hey teezy123, you sound like an interesting person! Hahahaahah....People at your age in China are still asking their parents for money to go to cinemas with girlfriends  |
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