Hefei Expat - China
Living Here => Careers and Jobs => School Reviews => Topic started by: Ellie on January 28, 2015, 04:33:19 am
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Hi guys,
I've been living here for 8 yrs and worked at the same kindergarten for 5 yrs . I'm 30 now and recently received a " permanent residence card "
[green card]. That's why I started to think about other opportunities. I'd like to leave those " one-hour-come-teach-and-go home events " behind me and do something slightly different.
One of the jobs I've been thinking about is to work as a babysitter. 6m - 3yrs old kid to start with , morning till evening - until the parents get back from work , 250 yuan per day. It would include teaching the kid all day and a guarantee that the kid will be able to understand and speak English by 2 years.
Another job I'm thinking of is working at some kindergarten again - but now I'd like to stay there all day. You know...provide them English environment and do the stuff other Chinese teachers do - helping them to eat , get dressed , play ,etc....All for 300 yuan per day. 8)
Anyway...if there is anyone of you who wants to be a good fairy and help me to move on with my life - I would be so so so grateful.
:-*
[I'm sorry, I've tried to fix the second part that is all crossed out but nothing I do is working..... Still looking for everything I wrote about.] :)
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Hi Elli,
Contact me on 13866739353
I have some opportunities for you.
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Hi Mike,
if by "opportunities " you mean working as a tutor , language school teacher or any kind of "office" assistant - then it would be a big Nope !
It's important for me to love my job.
I'm really starting to be a little homesick because I don't know how to move on here and how to find the right job .Not just teaching and tutoring again and again. I really want some "normal" job - like a salesgirl , babysitting or nursing - the one you don't need a degree for. [ mostly because I don't have one - I'm a nurse. ] ;)
But I really see myself as a babysitter or maybe working at a store [mall] full of very expensive brand new imported shoes and purses..... Or anything that is not labeled "Made in China" 8)
I'm sure as a white girl I would bring more customers..... 8) ;D
So...Are there any other opportunities you had in mind left ?
Anyway...thanks a lot for helping the people living here to find everything they need. You're like the big "Daddy" of Hefei. :)
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Hi Mike,
if by "opportunities " you mean working as a tutor , language school teacher or any kind of "office" assistant - then it would be a big Nope !
It's important for me to love my job.
I'm really starting to get homesick because I don't know how to move on here and how to find the right job .Not just teaching and tutoring again and again. I really want some "normal" job - like a shop assistant , babysitting or nursing - the one you don't need a degree for. [ mostly because I don't have one - I'm a nurse. ] ;)
But I really see myself as a babysitter or maybe working at a store [mall] full of very expensive brand new imported shoes and purses..... Or anything that is not labeled "Made in China" 8)
I'm sure as a white girl I would bring more customers..... 8) ;D
So...Are there any other opportunities you had in mind left ?
Anyway...thanks a lot for helping the people living here to find everything they need. You're like the big "Daddy" of Hefei. :)
I think this is going to be pretty difficult (impossible?). Are you fluent in Chinese? And by fluent, I meant native speaker. Because that's going to be your only real asset in regard to working at a mall. Short of being a native speaker of Chinese, I highly doubt you'll be able to work at a mall in Hefei.
Being a baby sitter is much more practical in this regard, but it'll be easier in a bigger city. The best I found is:
http://www.greataupair.com/keywordsearch.cfm/q/Hefei
So, looks like two in Hefei and they haven't been very active.
There's also:
http://www.aupair.com/find_family.php
So yeah....
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What about a cafe? You could try a barista role? There are more nice places opening up that have foreign patrons.
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Hi xOvashOx,
sorry, that's the stupidest thought I've ever heard that you need fluent Chinese to sell a pair of shoes.... I know basic Chinese and I would certainly learn everything I would need for my job. You're not gonna talk about literature or history with a customer buying shoes so you really don't need to sound as a native speaker.
In my country there is a Chinese restaurant on every corner and countless Vietnamese guys selling clothes and shoes and I can assure you that most of them can say no more than several words and a couple of phrases and all that with a very bad accent.They just know what they need to be able to their job.
And as far as the babysitting is concerned - I don't need any aupair agency .... I just need to find the right family who would share the same thought I have - that instead of studying English at some expensive language schools for 9 years [and still the kid's English will not be fluent after these years] - the kid could spend a couple of years with me before he/she goes to school and actually be able to speak English as a mother tongue.
I know that because I saw my daughters. They knew nothing about Chinese when we moved here. And in 2 yrs - their Chinese was perfect .
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Hi humdinger,
could you be more specific about the Cafe? It sounds lovely. ;D
Was it you who wanted to know something about the permanent residence card ? I can't see that anymore.
Anyway - trust me . It's anything but easy. I spent several months gathering all they needed and then waiting for almost 2 years to get the card.
One of the rules is that you must be living here for at least 5 yrs , then have 100 000 yuan in your bank account and of course yhe stuff like papers from the local police ,marriage certificate [ birth certificate if you are not married ] , copy of a criminal record from your your country plus from China - all translated and verified here in China and all the documents musn't be older than 3 months when you apply for the permanent residence.
It doesn't sound that hard - but trust me - it's a hell . You will spend days or weeks just doing one thing.
And also the bad news is that they don't have to give you the card. I had a friend whose husband had lived and worked in China for 9 yrs before he applied for the permanent residence card. Then waited for more than a year only to learn that he'd been refused.
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Hi xOvashOx,
sorry, that's the stupidest thought I've ever heard that you need fluent Chinese to sell a pair of shoes.... I know basic Chinese and I would certainly learn everything I would need for my job. You're not gonna talk about literature or history with a customer buying shoes so you really don't need to sound as a native speaker.
In my country there is a Chinese restaurant on every corner and countless Vietnamese guys selling clothes and shoes and I can assure you that most of them can say no more than several words and a couple of phrases and all that with a very bad accent.They just know what they need to be able to their job.
I'm not saying you need it. I'm saying, as a business owner, why in the world would I hire you over a local Chinese? Just because you're white? Why would I hire you full time, why not just hire some Russian students 100RMB/Hr to draw customers to my store? I just don't see a manager hiring a foreigner for a full time position when native Chinese are a dime a dozen. Why add the additional complication? These are the questions you need to ask yourself.
And as far as the babysitting is concerned - I don't need any aupair agency .... I just need to find the right family who would share the same thought I have - that instead of studying English at some expensive language schools for 9 years [and still the kid's English will not be fluent after these years] - the kid could spend a couple of years with me before he/she goes to school and actually be able to speak English as a mother tongue.
I know that because I saw my daughters. They knew nothing about Chinese when we moved here. And in 2 yrs - their Chinese was perfect .
So... You want to be a long time tutor for a kid? How is that any different than the 'one-hour-come-teach-and-go home events' that you want to leave? I mean, it seems that you want to be a long term baby sitter which is basically an au pair. But in any case...
The point of those links wasn't to suggest you need an agency (although, how do you plan on finding a family if you don't take the time and money to invest in it?), only to tell you that its easier to find what you're looking for in other cities. I'm not saying you can't find it in Hefei, but you'll have better luck in Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, and so on.
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Ok...whatever you say ....
I just think it sucks that I have to live here and can't even find a plain job. I guess I will have to stick with the kindergarten then...
And just for your information I would be worth just 2 salesgirls - not a whole bunch. I would't like anyone to go bust because of me.. ;D
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How about looking after a set of 4 year old twins?
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That sounds great Mike,
What are the parents' demands ?
They're quite big and if the parents wanted them to be able to understand English - then they wouldn't be able to put them in a kindergarten. Which I think is quite important to socialize with other kids at least for one year before going to school.
But if the parents are good with that - then why not.
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They attend a childcare centre already but he wants English interaction for them as well.
Mostly games and activities.
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Thanks Mike , I will see...
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Hi xOvashOx,
sorry, that's the stupidest thought I've ever heard that you need fluent Chinese to sell a pair of shoes.... I know basic Chinese and I would certainly learn everything I would need for my job. You're not gonna talk about literature or history with a customer buying shoes so you really don't need to sound as a native speaker.
In my country there is a Chinese restaurant on every corner and countless Vietnamese guys selling clothes and shoes and I can assure you that most of them can say no more than several words and a couple of phrases and all that with a very bad accent.They just know what they need to be able to their job.
And as far as the babysitting is concerned - I don't need any aupair agency .... I just need to find the right family who would share the same thought I have - that instead of studying English at some expensive language schools for 9 years [and still the kid's English will not be fluent after these years] - the kid could spend a couple of years with me before he/she goes to school and actually be able to speak English as a mother tongue.
I know that because I saw my daughters. They knew nothing about Chinese when we moved here. And in 2 yrs - their Chinese was perfect .
as a chinese ,the nagtive speaker ,im totally agreed with Eliie's thought .i dont know where v0vash0x is from ,but honestly most chinese are curious about foreigners.so the want to talk to foreigners ,know them ,but they are shy ,they are afraid of making mistakes, they are afraid foreingers will laugh at them about the mistake.but they are much curious .i remember that one day ,Mike and i wen to Danda plaza for dinner ,but it was crowd ,so we were waiting outside of the restaurant,we were chatting ,all of sudden,there was a woman,stopped ,and stared at Mike for while.you know its not polite.but for her ,its just curious and no offense.
there is wealthy people in china and hefei does have many,they want their next generation to go out ,they put all their hope on them,and english is important,so they are willing to invest on education ,babysitter is developingand potential .
And you know there is lots of forreigner car modle in china,they are much popular and attractive .
well ,if you want to be a salle and get more customs ,easier, find local the most popopular website such as bbs.hefei.cc, take some pics and the store info,put it on the website,or put it on the chinese famous website tencent.com . you will be famous in a minte!
So you get the potential customers ,and the great way to make you famous.
i think its great idea! make a plan maybe you can try it .
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Ok...whatever you say ....
I just think it sucks that I have to live here and can't even find a plain job. I guess I will have to stick with the kindergarten then...
And just for your information I would be worth just 2 salesgirls - not a whole bunch. I would't like anyone to go bust because of me.. ;D
http://news.qq.com/a/20150130/062211.htm#p=1. a foreigner works in china as Auxiliary Police, nothin special but it was put on tencent news,it turns out that we are curious and acceptable.
so Ellie ,insist your ideas ,maybe it will make you different
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I would imagine with a little searching you could find people open to the idea of having a nanny, but why only charge 4000 RMB?
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I think you all misunderstood me. I never said it was impossible, what I said was: you have to make a very strong and compelling case as to why you are better (i.e. bring in more customers and money) than a Chinese at the same job. Unless you can do this, you aren't going to get a job.
And, think about it this way Bonnie: you found one case of a foreigner working within the Chinese bureaucracy. The trouble is, do you honestly think they got their jobs because they were qualified? It's a publicity stunt more than anything else:
"Foshan is touting the foreign bureaucrats as a demonstration of the city government’s ability to innovate. Zhou Zhitong, director general of the Foshan Bureau of Commerce, said he got the idea after speaking with international specialists and executives from foreign companies, of which Foshan has more than 7,000."
Source: http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2014/06/05/in-one-chinese-city-these-foreigners-are-working-as-government-bureaucrats/
I'm not saying it isn't possible, what I'm saying is simple: getting these jobs are few and far between, you're fighting a very uphill battle to get one, and even if you get one you'll probably be treated as an outside and a novelty rather than given any responsibility or respect.
For those reasons, it'll be MUCH easier and better to be a nanny. That was my point: being a nanny is much easier than getting a job at a Mall or a other 'typical' Chinese job.
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**Mounts Soapbox. Clears throat**
I actually thought x0vash0x had some good points. When Ellie said:
sorry, that's the stupidest thought I've ever heard that you need fluent Chinese to sell a pair of shoes.... I know basic Chinese and I would certainly learn everything I would need for my job. You're not gonna talk about literature or history with a customer buying shoes so you really don't need to sound as a native speaker.
In my country there is a Chinese restaurant on every corner and countless Vietnamese guys selling clothes and shoes and I can assure you that most of them can say no more than several words and a couple of phrases and all that with a very bad accent.They just know what they need to be able to their job.
I think she neglects the fact there is a still a market for unskilled immigrant labor in many western countries. And that, in those countries, when employers do a cost/benefit analysis of poor language skills (cost) vs low wages (benefit), the latter wins out. But not so in China, which already has a large pool of unskilled/semi-skilled labor from the countryside. In other words, employers here can get a win/win situation of good/decent languange skills (benifit) and low wages (benefit).
Ellie suggests that for certain jobs, such as that of salesgirl, having a white face could trump the above considerations. I appreciate that she probably spoke toungue-in-cheek, but this is an unpleasant fact of life in China that is in decline and deserves to die an ignominious death. It almost makes you want to say to locals who are so impressed by white faces as to drop all other considerations, 'How about showing a little self-respect?!' I think we can all agree that the job should go to the best qualified candidate, white or colored, foreigner or chinese. Within reasonable parameters, someone in China with basic chinese is unlikely to be the most qualified person to be a salesgirl.
As for the benefits of hiring a forgeign nanny or baby-sitter, obviously the parents should decide that one for themselves.
**Dismounts soapbox**
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Seeing you guys being cynical ........then why don't I just stay home...make another baby of my own to babysit ... or open a store of my own [or with a copartner ] so I won't need anyone to hire me .... ;D 8)
Now you can guys keep coming more pessimistic stuff... ;D
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Actually, opening your own store isn't a bad idea. I know quite a few foreigners who've done this very successfully in Hefei. Only thing you need is a Chinese partner.
I'm not trying to be pessimistic. I'm trying to be a realist.
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You can start your own business "on your own".
No requirement of Chinese partners for SOWOFE.
Solely Owned, Wholly Owned Foreign Enterprise.
You need to employ Chinese though.
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Well, you could also go into the 'Grey Market'....
Open a Daycare in your apartment. Tell those local in your community that you'll watch their preschool age children during the day. If anyone asks just say its 'private tutoring'.... Have these kids interact with your kids. Saves you the trouble of finding a family.
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Or what about being a western spokesperson for those sketchy Chinese baby formula companies? You know, the ones that include ground bicycle seats as part of the recipe.
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I'm curious whatever happened to Ellie. Did she manage to find her dream job? Did she flew the country because she couldn't find anything better?