Hi Everyone,

I am interested to hear your opinions on how hard (or easy) it is to start working in SH. I will be visiting for a few weeks, but would love to stay for a few years. I am a native English speaker, but have no teaching certificates. Can I easily find work with these qualifications (or lack therof?). I have seen everything from 100RMB to 500 RMB, as far as salary is concerned. What range could I expect? (ps- do have a college degree btw).

I would also like to look into non-teaching types of employment, but do not know how long the 'negotiation' process lasts when interviewing. Do employers offer positions right away if they like the candidate, or are there a series of interviews, lasting many weeks. In other words, does one have to first meet with HR, then a mid-level, and then the senior level before even being offered a position?

Work Visas:
Do long do these take? Do you need one for teaching English as well?

I am trying to see how long it would take me to secure some type og employment if, once I arrive, I am completely in love with SH, and want nothging more than to stay!

All suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.

Also, I have seen monthly salary wages for teaching English starting at 1,000RMB. In what type of non-teaching industry would this be equivilant to? i.e. an entry level position in a corporation, a waitress, a sales assistant in a retail clothing store, a cashier in a grocery store, etc...

Check out this article on the site
http://shanghaiexpat.com/Article89.phtml

You do not say what you know how to do. You could probably find work quickly at local rates, but for expat level pay, English teaching is about the best you can do without a technical specialty or upper management experience. Alot of the entry level jobs you mentioned are usually filled by locals. If you decide you will teach until you network yourself into a better job, you really should get your TESL certificate.

How long it takes depends on the company and the need. Some positions ( especially english teaching ) come and go very quickly because there is high turnover. In general, I would say the more money the position pays the longer the time it will take to fill.

You also do not say if you speak Chinese. That would be critical to many good jobs. Reading and writing would be even better.

"Alot of the entry level jobs you mentioned are usually filled by locals. If you decide you will teach until you network yourself into a better job, you really should get your TESL certificate. "


hi- thanks for your reply. Those entry level jobs I listed was just to see where that certain salary fell into various other jobs of varying levels of difficulty.

Do you know what are some good programs in SH to look into getting a TESL certificate? How long it usually takes? And, what the cost of obtaining one is?

Thanks

It's not easy - put yourself in an employers' shoes - why employ a foreigner with (comparatively) inflated salary expectations, and who invariably doesn't speak any Mandarin or Shanghainese, and in your case doesn't really have much experience, when you can employ a qualified local who will work for fairly low pay? (the salaries still shock me - they are way below western levels- around 5000RMB would be considered very good for your level).

Seems to me foreigners are employed nowadays only if they have specific technical or managerial skills, to teach English (the better schools will want experience) or for the grey area of 'Business Development' (try real estate companies) - who wish to exploit the western connections you have here.

A good English language website for local jobs is www.shanghai.asiaxpat.com - go to careers section

Good luck!