- This topic has 12 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 8 years ago by
.
-
Posts
-
I’m 27 years old and I don’t have a degree. For the past 8 years I’ve worked primarily in the service industry off tips, living primarily in Nevada. Recently I’ve been finding a lack of excitement or purpose in my life, so I thought, “why not move to China?” I’ve literally just started doing research over the past few days, creating a savings plan, listening to podcasts, reading articles, and getting genuinely thrilled with the idea of relocating!
Six months is the goal.
I would appreciate information on what it would look like for me getting a job teaching English with no formal education. Should I try and get a TESOL certification before I leave, or is it possible without? Is it true I don’t even need to speak Mandarin to teach? I read about the white monkey jobs, but I like the idea of stable work.
My goal is also to start studying Mandarin as much as I can now, I’ve considered purchasing Rosetta stone (someone is selling it on craigslist for 120 near me). I’ve already download Anki, and am part way through the podcast on learning Chinese. It sounds pretty serious…
So I’m up for an adventure before I settle down and decide on what the rest of my life will have in store for me, or maybe it’s going to decide for me…this is the most idea I’ve had in years, and I would be very grateful for any advice and direction anyone has to give me!
Thank you!
I would come to Chengdu. You don’t have much to lose. Not having a degree will make it more difficult for you to find teaching work, but not impossible by any means. Job opportunities available in Chengdu for expats are increasingly varied, depending on your skill set I think it’s likely that you can find other work if you’re interested. A lot of people come here teaching English and transition into other work.
You should check out our podcast with Johnny of Johnny 5 Donuts, he did something that sounds pretty similar to you: picked up and left from Las Vegas. He didn’t spend 6 months learning the language or making preparations.
Chinese is hard, it takes a long time. It is completely do-able though and when you speak Chinese and are in China, it is very gratifying and will open many doors for you.
I encourage you whole-heartedly to get over here to China and check it out. Chengdu would be a nice choice for various reasons. Here are some thoughts I’ve had based on your post:
Working in schools should be no problem, TESOL or not. Just decide whether you want to teach little children or middle-school and above. Night and day difference between those two jobs. Any TEFL site with the key word Chengdu will get you listings.
But I’d seriously recommend looking into service industry jobs here. Apply at international hotel websites for jobs in hotel kitchens/or service industry management (China-wide, for sure. Don’t be afraid to take a good job anywhere in the country). There are also a number of quality restaurants opening up in Chengdu like Element Fresh and Blue Frog. Check into these places because I’ve seen that they’ve been hiring people with experience. The Chinese are getting hungry for serious western food.
I don’t know which part of the service industry you’ve been working in, but Chengdu is the best place to take courses in Sichuan Cuisine. You’d be amazed at the technical depth of what “stir-fry” in Sichuan requires.
Chinese language courses are taught at many universities and colleges around the city. If you have cash, take 6-12 months to study full time (visa provided), while teaching/odd jobs part time. This will give you an excellent edge on handling the basics of the language.
Chengdu itself is a very average city. It’s flat, grey and a bit boring. If you put it in the national context though, it is comfortable, cheap with good salaries and the people are friendly, despite them being the worst drivers on the entire Asian continent. As in blind.
Chengdu is joining the club of cities with a touch of international flair. You can fly to nearly any Asian capital for cheap, plus a handful of european/american cities direct. You can get good western food/nightlife with ease here. If you’re looking for more of a raw China experience, I’d suggest looking into other cities. Chongqing, Lanzhou, Guiyang, Changsha, Wuhan, Shenyang and other places which don’t get foreign celebrity treatment and actually have parks, hills and rivers.
Cheers and good luck!
Thanks for the input! My enthusiasm is growing every day. I’m going to get my passport next week, and look into the different types of visas as well. It is comforting to think that finding a job shouldn’t be too difficult. I like the sound of teaching, it’s something new for me! I will look into the service industry jobs out here, I don’t know how to cook, but I’ve worked in the front of the house for years.
Thanks again!
I encourage you whole-heartedly to get over here to China and check it out. Chengdu would be a nice choice for various reasons.
There is a ton of good info in this post. Service industry jobs are a good thing to look into with the explosion of 5-star hotels in Chengdu that we’ve seen over the last 18 months. Restaurants as well, as you mention.
Chengdu itself is a very average city. It’s flat, grey and a bit boring. If you put it in the national context though, it is comfortable, cheap with good salaries and the people are friendly, despite them being the worst drivers on the entire Asian continent. As in blind. Chengdu is joining the club of cities with a touch of international flair. You can fly to nearly any Asian capital for cheap, plus a handful of european/american cities direct. You can get good western food/nightlife with ease here. If you’re looking for more of a raw China experience, I’d suggest looking into other cities. Chongqing, Lanzhou, Guiyang, Changsha, Wuhan, Shenyang and other places which don’t get foreign celebrity treatment and actually have parks, hills and rivers.
I sincerely believe that Chengdu blows away all of the other cities you mentioned there, having been to all of them (not for leisure, I should add – I don’t think anyone goes to Shenyang or Lanzhou for fun). Chengdu has recently been recognized by places like Condé Nast as one of the most underrated cities in Asia, and it remains one of the fastest growing cities in China (and by extension, the world). Although it is polluted, like nearly all provincial capitals in China, it has the combination of laid back local culture with big city opportunities. Chengdu does not have as many job opportunities as Shanghai, and it is not as laid back and comfortable as Kunming, but it has a combination of those two things which is unique. A significant downside of this development is that the cost of living has been steadily rising in Chengdu. Compared to Beijing or Shanghai, Chengdu is still very cheap, especially rent.
I just got back from Chongqing a few days ago, where I regularly go for weekend trips, and the quality of life in Chengdu is just much, much higher. Taking a trip to Chongqing is a great way to feel good about living in Chengdu, I find. It’s much more calm, civilized, and developed.
I like the sound of teaching, it’s something new for me!
Having an open mind for new things like this will take you far in China. Good luck in planning your trip, Stephen.
Just my two cens :
I would personaly not advise you to work here without having a proper visa.
There are indeed a degree requirements for the visa, and the English school can sometimes fake it to get the right visa or just apply for the wrong visa and you will be working illegaly.
Even if your chance having trouble are low they stille exists, if you plan to stay in China for an undetermined amount of time I really advise you to get a certificate, not only you will find better job but this will remove the stress of getting in trouble if you even have to get your papers checked.
You seem to be very motivated to get here which is great ! But don’t let that enthusiam fool you, and wait until you have a decent proposition ( with decent pay ), even if you can survive with very low salary here.
That being said best of luck for you I’ll hope things work out !
Come with an open mind, and realistic expectations. Not everyone loves it here; a buddy of mine visited and hated it. A 3 month visa is a good length of time to get some idea of this place. Without a degree a full-time legit teaching gig will be hard to get. Surprisingly, the authorities seem to be serious about enforcing this requirement. But lotsa part-time gigs available and most employers will not even ask you what visa you have.Bring a sense of humor with you…..
Come with an open mind, and realistic expectations. Not everyone loves it here; a buddy of mine visited and hated it. A 3 month visa is a good length of time to get some idea of this place. Without a degree a full-time legit teaching gig will be hard to get. Surprisingly, the authorities seem to be serious about enforcing this requirement. But lotsa part-time gigs available and most employers will not even ask you what visa you have.Bring a sense of humor with you…..
I 100% co-sign this post. As much as I love it here, I recognize that not everyone has the same experience here. As fun and leisurely as it can be here, there are difficulties specific to the China experience that require a large degree of patience and understanding.
Not having a degree may prove troublesome. However – and I don’t endorse this *ahem* – I know a few people who have forged certificates, made up universities, and created fake diplomas to land positions. It’s not unheard of, it’s not ethical, but it’s also kinda par for the course in China. I guess what I’m saying is, there’s more than one way to skin a cat.
I’d rather not forge a degree, or get in any trouble! I’m looking into the different programs right now. I’m on the TEFL site at the moment. I looked through the job listings on the forum for teaching jobs, and it seems to be flooded by two users and they both require degrees!
So without a degree I can’t get a work visa for teaching? That makes sense…what are your thoughts on coming on a travel visa, then applying for a work visa once I have found work? Is that something that’s doable?
As far as staying, if I don’t like it I’ll always leave. I’m thinking about putting my return ticket as far out as I can, or getting an open ended ticket if that’s possible. I still haven’t spoken to any airlines, just looked at a few prices on googles list for round trip tickets.
I would be a bit careful.
Thinking about the English teacher career without complying with the basic requirements (at the moment it looks to be bachelor degree and 2 years teaching experience) is sort of gamble.
If your employer forges the degree and references so you may get Z visa but you are always in potential risk of being deported (by the way there are cases that the employer does that without letting the candidate/employee know – but the employee is still working illegally …).
If then I would try to consult some schools in ‘unpopular areas’ like Xinjiang and try to approach it absolutely legally – either they can do for you Z visa even without degree or they cannot – if cannot so tough luck.
In places like Shanghai, Shenzhen I would say no chance without faking it and then you do not know the day the troubles come …
Coming here on tourist visa can be advantage for talking to potential employers but no way for changing tourist visa into Z visa – that must be applied outside of China (should be your residence/home country).
What concerns of Chengdu so I would agree more with Goatboy rather than with Charlie – I also find Chengdu very average and in comparison to its biggest ‘rival’ Chongqing, Chengdu is losing on all fronts (food in Chongqing is better, more places to go to have fun, cheaper, faster life etc.). But Chengdu is still OK as the Sichuan people are in average quite friendly and direct.
Definitely get your use out of the 3-month visa. The legality of teaching/working in this country has always been a grey area (a polluted, gassy, grey ether). Different provinces have different rules and attitudes at the visa bureau. Sichuan is considered one of the better places for attaining work visas – but hey, this is China. Could change tomorrow. If you can find a decent employer within the three months, and they like your style and (key point) you like theirs, they’ll get you a work visa. It may take one or two trips to Hong Kong, but you’ll be on the right path.
Like Miro said, be a bit careful. There are a number of shady schools who don’t care what your legal status is as long as you’re putting rich parents’ money into the boss man’s bank account. This is why on your 3-month visa, don’t be afraid to walk away from anyone at the first sign of monkey business. Be tough with them. They need you more than you need them. Don’t give them your passport, just photocopies. Mum is the word on your visa.
Ray’s advice above is priceless. “Come with an open mind and realistic expectations… Bring a sense of humor…” All three will be tested. Personally, I think I lost my sense of humor in this country.
@Charlie: But I go to Lanzhou for fun! ;D Trust me I’ll have the first ticket on the new train when it opens in 2027.Sounds to me like I would be better of finding other work. As far as a travel visa is concerned, I was planning on getting at least a year travel visa. I’m not planning on leaving anything at home, my goal is to throw myself into this and make the best of it. That makes me even more willing to try and attain a work permit and job legally…I don’t want to end up back in the states with nothing. It sounds like quite a few people get away with all kinda of shady business here though eh?
I go to Lanzhou for fun! ;D Trust me I’ll have the first ticket on the new train when it opens in 2027.
I’ve been there a few times and I don’t think I have found anything that’s really fun or different about Lanzhou. It has tasty noodles, large muslim population, interesting landscape (which you see a lot of on the long drive to/from the city from the airport), but otherwise it feels generic like most other forgettable provincial capitals in China: Zhengzhou, Changchun, Jinan, Taiyuan, Fuzhou, Hefei, etc.
I’m not planning on leaving anything at home, my goal is to throw myself into this and make the best of it. That makes me even more willing to try and attain a work permit and job legally…I don’t want to end up back in the states with nothing. It sounds like quite a few people get away with all kinda of shady business here though eh?
Yeah. Shady business is very common in China. In a lot of ways it’s like the wild west.
- The forum ‘General Discussion’ is closed to new topics and replies.