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blondejon
Lurker
Joined: Aug 27, 2008
Posts: 20
Status: Offline
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 Posted:
Sep 01, 2008 - 10:36 PM |
 
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| Post subject: Advice before I take the plunge |
Hi all. It looks like the move to Shanghai is 100% on the cards now, and I'm coming over from London for 2 week taster to 'meet the team - clients and rest of the office' in just over a week. This 2 week period is to find out whether I'm right for the role and visa versa. The role is senior digital project manager in an advertising agency, with the client being a major bank.
Any advice for what I should cover off in the 2 weeks I'm over? What should I be asking? What should I look to get out of the experience whilst I'm there - both from a professional and personal point of view - to make my mind up? I'm from London, am 35 and single.
Any help much appreciated!
Exciting times! |
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Lordlunchalot
SuperStar
Joined: Apr 23, 2007
Posts: 1379
Status: Offline
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Sep 01, 2008 - 11:03 PM |
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Welcome to lifestyle asia, it will be the best and worst decision you ever made in your life.
Run with it, make it work, and you will love it. What you should ask for depends on too much to answer here, who are you, what do you want?
Get housing allowance if you can, ask for medical, you have kids ask for schooling. So much more info needed. Go for as much as you can. |
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UndrUrSkin
Raver
Joined: Aug 26, 2008
Posts: 494
Location: between your sandy cheeks and crab-filled pineapple
Status: Offline
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Sep 01, 2008 - 11:12 PM |
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Get yourself a 2 hour oil massage. That should seal-the-deal. |
_________________
You're an Ass-Half, it takes 2 of you to make an Ass-wHole |
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blondejon
Lurker
Joined: Aug 27, 2008
Posts: 20
Status: Offline
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Sep 02, 2008 - 12:26 AM |
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Thanks a lot for the answers. What do I want? I suppose I want a massive step up in my career – I know no-one can judge this one for me - an opportunity to travel and experience new cultures, and make new friends and hopefully enjoy a complete life changing experience. I don’t want much do I! |
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crivens200
Raver
Joined: Nov 05, 2007
Posts: 435
Status: Offline
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Sep 02, 2008 - 12:43 AM |
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| Post subject: Re: Advice before I take the plunge |
| blondejon wrote: |
| I'm . . . . . . . single. |
Learn a little Chinese. Join up to jiayuan.com. Welcome to heaven |
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p1atl10
Board Royalty
Joined: Mar 18, 2005
Posts: 6338
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Sep 02, 2008 - 07:47 AM |
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Get the paperwork for your Z Visa and Work Permit started.
Take the Medical exam.
Results take about 30 days...
That way when you get back in on the Z, the wait for the Work Permit and Resident Visa are done. |
_________________
Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer.....Dave Barry |
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barrel
Barker
Joined: May 16, 2008
Posts: 161
Status: Offline
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Sep 02, 2008 - 10:13 PM |
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Do it, dive in....welcome to heaven and hell......you won't regret it. |
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blondejon
Lurker
Joined: Aug 27, 2008
Posts: 20
Status: Offline
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Sep 02, 2008 - 10:50 PM |
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| barrel wrote: |
| ....welcome to heaven and hell....... |
| barrel wrote: |
| It'll be the best and the worst thing you've ever done. |
Anyone care to elaborate on the heaven and hell parts? |
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p1atl10
Board Royalty
Joined: Mar 18, 2005
Posts: 6338
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Sep 02, 2008 - 11:05 PM |
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And ruin the surprise? |
_________________
Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer.....Dave Barry |
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barrel
Barker
Joined: May 16, 2008
Posts: 161
Status: Offline
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| Posted:
Sep 03, 2008 - 11:24 AM |
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| blondejon wrote: |
| barrel wrote: |
| ....welcome to heaven and hell....... |
| barrel wrote: |
| It'll be the best and the worst thing you've ever done. |
Anyone care to elaborate on the heaven and hell parts? |
I love working and living in China. I originally came here with the plan to stay for 1 year but 3 years on I am still here and enjoying it.
Heaven and hell........I guess livng in china there are definitely things that start to get on you tits after a while, totally diferent culture and in most cases totally different way of doing things almost a different logic that sometimes is hard to understand, but thats also a big part of the fun ad the challenge!!! What with the economies of the America and the UK crumbling China is definitely the right place to be right now......also the girls are incredibly fit!! |
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Red_Jewels
Seeker
Joined: Apr 03, 2006
Posts: 41
Status: Offline
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Sep 03, 2008 - 12:07 PM |
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Here are a few things you might want to ask or consider during your taster trip:
What housing allowance are you entitled to? Will the company provide you with an estate agent to help you find a place? Either way, try and set up at least a day where you can visit a number of different complexes. Ask the agent to pick a variety of places so that you get a feel for what is available. When you are here try and ask other expats where they live and what are the pros and cons of their place.
Find out if you have a transportation allowance or even a car/driver included in your package. Local transport can be difficult to commute, the metro is nothing like the tube in london. Not that well connected. Taxis are relatively cheap but not always easy to find in rush hour or bad weather.
Ask if the HR department will take care of all your visa issues and make sure you are on the full employment visa/permit. It will be much easier than other ways of working and entering the country.
Make sure you find out the full details of your expat package. Try and stay on your home salary and have it pegged to the UK market, that way you stay competitive for when you return and the pound goes quite a long way in China. Ask about cost of living allowance, hardship allowance, holiday entitlement, medical etc. Make sure you understand what relocation package you've got. Will you have a hotel in the first few days. Will they ship your stuff here and back home again.
Check out some bars and try and meet some people. Go to the Shanghai Expat mixer on a wednesday night. I went there when I first arrived and met some good people and got some useful tips.
Don't listen to everything your local colleagues will tell you. They really don't understand how an expat lives.
Be realistic. This is China and not everything works the way you would expect. Sometimes the small things can be impossible and the big things are easy. Strange world but it's a fun place.
That's about all for now - have fun and keep an open mind. Ask lots of questions.
I'm heading back to London at the end of this year, maybe you can give me tips on what I should expect back home! |
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Swiss-James
Fire-eater
Joined: Jan 05, 2007
Posts: 2517
Status: Offline
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Sep 03, 2008 - 12:54 PM |
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Live in Puxi- Pudong is the suburbs.
(sorry Pudong people) |
_________________
My blog is working again now- which I'm sure is an enormous relief to everyone. |
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clairiz
Talker
Joined: Aug 20, 2006
Posts: 96
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Sep 03, 2008 - 01:09 PM |
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| Swiss-James wrote: |
| Live in Puxi- Pudong is the suburbs. |
of course! He's single. There are more hookers in Puxi. |
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Juan_Tamad
Board Royalty
Joined: Jan 29, 2007
Posts: 6280
Location: Smoky Mountain
Status: Offline
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Sep 03, 2008 - 01:10 PM |
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.....also the girls are incredibly fit!!
What does this got to do with moving? |
_________________
what is moral is what you feel good after, and what is immoral is what you feel bad after |
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kuldaen
Veejay
Joined: June 06, 2005
Posts: 2064
Location: Somewhere in Shanghai
Status: Offline
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| Posted:
Sep 03, 2008 - 02:55 PM |
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| blondejon wrote: |
| barrel wrote: |
| ....welcome to heaven and hell....... |
| barrel wrote: |
| It'll be the best and the worst thing you've ever done. |
Anyone care to elaborate on the heaven and hell parts? |
I think most of us here have a Love-Hate relationship with this City. Its the same with nearly every large international city I've live in. there are things that you'll really love and enjoy and there are things that really get on your nerves and absolutely hate. The trick is to balance these things and once you start hating it more than you love it, its time to get out of Dodge. As for what is heaven and what is hell, others are right, it will spoil the surprise when you get here  (though as others also say 2-hour massages are definitely on the heaven side) |
_________________
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; I'm not sure about the universe |
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