saraha Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 My daughter asked me to ask what kinds of jobs people who are not originally from China have held in China. She is very interested in China right now and is daydreaming about the future. She is 9. Thanks! As an aside, I had a hard time with the title of this thread. Americans who have worked in China- too limiting, she just wants to know the kinds of jobs people have traveled to China and worked Non-Chinese who have worked in China- too restricting, she doesn't care about nationality she just wants to know what kind of job you had Not native to China who have worked in China-very awkward sounding... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmiraGulch Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 My niece spent a year in Shanghai as a teacher. She actually worked for Disney while she was there. They apparently have schools. All the instruction is in English, and you have to be a certified teacher in your home country to qualify. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 Teaching English is a huge field. You only need a college degree and a certificate, although an MA is TESOL is required for some jobs. I have an MA in TESOL and have been asked to come to several different areas in Asia. But my DH is an accountant and his firm has offices all over the world, including China. She could also be a missionary if she is so inclined.. My father was born and raised in China as a missionary kid. His father was a seminary professor and his mom was a nurse. However, you can't quite go in the same capacity as a missionary these days. You need a career of some sort to get your foot in the door. My father's stories of them getting kicked out of China when he was a teenager are fascinating…... Anyway, there are many opportunities! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 I've known people who teach English, teach at universities as regular professors with PhDs, open branches of Wal-Mart, run cooking schools for foreigners, "volunteer" (as illegal missionaries), work in the US Embassy or consulates, work for various US tech firms, work for US law firms, and lots more. You can't just show up in China and expect to sort out a job and visas with no previous planning or training (even to teach English, you really ought to have some training, although there are programs out there who skip that, unfortunately), but it's perfectly possible to find work in China if you want to live there. Also, China is a huge and diverse country. Learning about different regions of the country and what part of China she'd like to live in could be interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 My sister has worked in many Asian countries in a large manufacturing company's factories. She is the quality control person. She has had such travel/living opportunities it is amazing. Pay is extremely good. She has truly loved living in some of them. China is not one of those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saraha Posted February 15, 2014 Author Share Posted February 15, 2014 Thank you everybody. She is enjoying coming back to check on this thread! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 Check w/ Laura Corbin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 Husband was working as a consultant, writing reports for overseas firms that wanted to invest in Chinese companies. He would turn up, make sure that the factory existed, it was producing what they said, etc. He spotted the likelihood of a dairy scandal before the baby milk horror. In south west China, there were quite a lot of people in the flower industry: European companies setting up flower growing for Asian distribution. Apart from that, it was mostly English teachers and some charity workers (medical/social), a large proportion of whom were undercover missionaries. Oh, and my brother-in-law (UK trained lawyer) moved to China, spent two years developing extraordinary Chinese, and is now the only foreigner in a Beijing law firm. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomOfOneFunOne Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 AMDG My aunt taught English, cousin is a lawyer, a friend wks in a bank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 My friend work as a volunteer TOEFL teacher there while her husband was outstation there. She has worked as a software developer there as outstation status. My cousin is working there, he was relocated to the China office. He is a mechanical engineer there. Hubby's friend husband and my ex-classmate are relocated there as software project managers. All of them are multilingual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 My neighbor worked for Microsoft in China for a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 I taught English for a year at a private elementary school more than a decade ago. It's... not exactly an experience I would recommend to most people. I enjoyed being there. I was just a couple of hours from Hong Kong, so whenever I couldn't stand to speak Chinese and be stared at for another day, I could hop a bus and go speak English and eat cheese and bread and be anonymous for a weekend. People I met were wonderful and giving. But... the pollution was a genuine difficulty and I understand it has gotten worse. Also, there were a lot of cultural clashes about work that just aren't always fun for an American - very different expectations about privacy and working hours and so forth. I had a recurring issue with the school kids breaking into my apartment, for example. At least when I was there, the discrimination and attitudes weren't always very nice once you scratched the surface. And the money is the pits. I made far and above what any other English teacher I met made at that time and it was still very little. Cost of living isn't that cheap in China. Though, obviously, if one was in business, the money might be great. I have very mixed feelings about my time there. If I knew someone who wanted to go live abroad in Asia, I wouldn't suggest China immediately. But if someone has a genuine interest in China, then that's different. And presumably business opportunities, especially for Americans who speak Chinese, are just going to continue to expand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebot Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 My family lived in China for seven years. My husband is an engineering manager for one of the big three auto companies. While we were there, I taught in an international school for a bit and also tutored English to Korean students. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadeOrchidSong Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 My dh worked in China for two years more than a decade ago teaching English at a college. He has lots of time and self studied Chinese for two hours a day. He never took Chinese before that. He became very fluent in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, a very high achievement. He didn't like to be stared at and being an inttrovert, he was tired of the stereotype Chinese have about Americans: loud, outgoing, talkative, tall, blond...... Since he was only two hours away from Hong Kong, he often traveled there for some McDonald's food for a change. If your dd is an extrovert, it might be easier for her because usually many Chinese she gets to know would like to take her out to dinner, be her friend, give her gifts, show her around, invite her to their homes for dinner, practice English with her. Many people would pay lots of money an hour for her to teach oral English. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saraha Posted February 15, 2014 Author Share Posted February 15, 2014 Right now she is only 9, but has had an affinity for all things China for a while. She is a definite extrovert and all of that would sound fabulous to her! I appreciate everyone chiming in on this thread. She has enjoyed reading the responses and seeing that there is more than just teaching English. Maybe looking for employment at companies with international offices would be something she could do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 Right now she is only 9, but has had an affinity for all things China for a while. She is a definite extrovert and all of that would sound fabulous to her! I appreciate everyone chiming in on this thread. She has enjoyed reading the responses and seeing that there is more than just teaching English. Maybe looking for employment at companies with international offices would be something she could do. The only thing that I would say is that one is at the mercy of company policy in those situations. Husband joined two firms in succession, both of which promised to send him to China (his degree was in Chinese philosophy and he spoke Mandarin). In both cases, company policy changed. In the end, he quit his job and went independently. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 Right now she is only 9, but has had an affinity for all things China for a while. She is a definite extrovert and all of that would sound fabulous to her! I appreciate everyone chiming in on this thread. She has enjoyed reading the responses and seeing that there is more than just teaching English. Maybe looking for employment at companies with international offices would be something she could do. Is she taking Chinese (Mandarin)? My neighbor is fluent in both Chinese and English and that is what opened up jobs there for her. She's also skilled in her profession - which is also a must for working in a private company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 Right now she is only 9, but has had an affinity for all things China for a while. She is a definite extrovert and all of that would sound fabulous to her! I appreciate everyone chiming in on this thread. She has enjoyed reading the responses and seeing that there is more than just teaching English. Maybe looking for employment at companies with international offices would be something she could do. Yep. Sis never really had it in mind; but she was available and open to international travel. Most of the other employees have families they don't like to be away from for extended periods of time. It is not an assignment many want. If they do, they tend to change their minds after being away from family for one extended period of time. She did not speak the languages (she spends time in many different countries), but is always provided with a driver and translator. she is provided with a place to stay more in line with what she would be used to in America than what is standard locally. She has learned enough to somewhat manage on her own. This is after over 20 years. She has recently started declining the assignments because they have become more focused in China. Before she was mostly in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. She loves being in Japan and TAiwan. She despises China. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer132 Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 My dad and uncle work in China (but not full time). They run an electronics company that uses a plant in China for manufacturing. My uncle lives there about half the time. You can always teach or work in an embassy. I also know someone who worked for a major car company who worked in China. I had some friends who were program directors for American students who spend semesters in China, and the directors basically planned their trips for them and traveled with the students. Missionary work is an option (humanitarian aid). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 My ex worked in China for six months last year. He is a certified welder and was working on building a US Embassy building, which required him to have government security clearance. He really enjoyed his time there and is hoping to do work for the same company building in other countries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 The person I know who moved to China was with an oil company. I'm not sure what he did, but expat oil employees include (amongst others) engineers, geologists, environmental scientists and health and safety officers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 I know two teachers who lived in China for several years and taught English. I also know someone who taught English in Hong Kong for a year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotSoObvious Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Our friend works for Mattel in China and his wife teaches at an international school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 My half sister and BIL lived in China for several years. He's an engineer who was overseeing the building of a manufacturing facility for the American company he worked for. I think overall they enjoyed their time there, but as far as I know they have no desire to go back. They were provided a full-time translator and a driver. Without them to rely on, I don't think they would have felt very comfortable going outside of their own neighborhood very much (the neighborhood consisted mostly of Americans and Europeans who were working relatively long-term in China). But that may have been more due to their somewhat introverted personalities than a reflection on China. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berta Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 My son taught middle (high) school in China. He absolutely loved it. He became interested in China and Chinese culture after we adopted our youngest daughter from there. He is an extrovert and made tons of friends. He also had many marriage proposals from girls that want to come to America. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 OP, I know you said your daughter is an extrovert, and this isn't directed at you at all, but I just wanted to say that I don't think you have to be an extrovert to be a good expat, even in China. I am strongly introverted, but I love being an expat, and I loved traveling in China and would love to live there (except in a few select cities). There are many things that come into play in someone's ability to adapt to a new country, and I think that both introversion and extroversion can help or hurt in different ways. But simply being an extrovert doesn't mean you'll adjust better to expat life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saraha Posted February 18, 2014 Author Share Posted February 18, 2014 She was so encouraged by everyone's responses that she has started watching mandarin videos on youtube. Oh my gosh that looks so hard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 She was so encouraged by everyone's responses that she has started watching mandarin videos on youtube. Oh my gosh that looks so hard! I would highly recommend getting a real life native teacher, either IRL or by Skype, to get the pronunciation right from the beginning. It really is key to master the tones of the language, otherwise you are not saying the words you think you are saying. Western ears are just not attuned to them, so (in my case, even though Mandarin was the fourth foreign language I learned) you might need to be bullied into them a bit. Best of luck L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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