North Americans working in China

[coldrider]

Hi,

I can't help but wonder after seeing so many threads by North Americans living and working in China, what type of work do you guys do?

Is there work available there for foreigners even if just for a year or so?

Thanks!

[Lao Jia Hou]

Is there work available there for foreigners even if just for a year or so?

Basically, there are three "types" available:

1) Your back-home company sends you here (the best, as it covers travel and living costs).
2) You come and work for a Chinese company (not really recommended, and you'd most probably need fluency in Chinese).
3) You come and teach English (requires high qualifications in top-tier cities, but not so much in rural China). Probably the most common, and frequently for a 1 year contract. Salaries are relatively low, but most schools provide accommodation, etc.

Like you, I am also Canadian (retired from my "Western" job). To put things in relative perspective, all of Calgary fits into the Beijing neighbourhood/district I live in. Canada's entire population is just over each of Beijing or Shanghai.

China is a worthwhile experience if you can swing it.

[coldrider]

Very interesting, Lao Jia

I would love to be able to experience it, but looks like will have to wait for a few more years to do so.

LP

[culcune]

The founder/owner of this site started this site while living and working in China ('Crazy Carl' aka Carl Parker). He moved to China from the US for a few years, and worked at a university teaching English.

[bikerdoc]

China is a huge country, and the most populous of all, with a very diverse range of ethnicities and cultures within it. Han is the biggest ethnic group though. The majority of 1 year employment gigs would likely centre around teaching English as a second language (TOFL, TOFEL, IELTS). Some of these "teachers" carry credentials with either undergraduate or even post graduate degrees in languages etc. These people tend to work in "better" Chinese universities or foreign universities or some international schools. The type of employment and so forth have a dramatic impact on earning potential, but tend to be signed to two-three year contracts. Formally credential and qualified foreign teachers earn far more than someone teaching "English" or "Oral English" (or other language) with a TOFL/TOFEL/IELTS or relevant language teaching "certificate", the latter tending to work on a twelve month contract (subsidised or provided accommodation, air ticket reimbursement up to a maximum amount, and contract completion bonus). There are others though that are employed on the basis of skin tone/colour irrespective of their ability and language acquisition.

There are however a varied number of types of employment situations here in China and a wide variety of backgrounds of those foreigners here.

[coldrider]

Thanks for the detailed info, Bikerdoc.

[bikerdoc]

Just one thing though I forgot to mention in my post above, is that oral English or language "teachers" of the type that are not really credentialed teachers in the true licensed sense earn anywhere between CNY5000-15000 /month. Some earn a little less but the average in my observations are around CNY7000 with added accommodation either provided or subsidised. The return airline reimbursement is around CNY6000 on average, and is usually payable on completion of a 1 year contract. If the employee fails to complete the contract they may get a one way fare or nothing at all. Government Universities and schools pay the lowest usually, but they have all the necessary formalities in place to deal with Visas, can offer real employment contracts, letters of "offers of employment" and so forth. The private sector usually don't have the systems and connections in place (there are some that do) and some use tricks to get a Visa and the required "Foreign Expert Certificate" and so on. Contracts with the private sector education providers may be less reliable.

If one has proper and formal qualifications aside from just a one month language teaching certificate then the whole situation can differ remarkably from the aforementioned, e.g. a PhD or Post Doctorate will be earning anywhere around a million CNY plus many inducements. In fact the central and provincial governments have policies and schemes in place to attract such high calibre candidates to key universities.