Employment & Prof. Development

I'm 21-years-old, living in the U.S. and I have two associate's degrees: one in network engineering and another in general education. I've been accepted into several good technical universities but am putting further formal education on hold for various reasons.

My question is, is there any remote chance of there being a market or niche I could fit into? I have several industry standard network engineering and Linux certifications as well as three years of experience in a corporate environment as a network engineer with pretty decent pay and a good track record. I'm still employed but I've always had an itch to move to China ever since I visited my brother in Shanghai for several weeks.

I like to think I'm relatively diverse. I believe I would thoroughly enjoy teaching (although it appears that wouldn't be an option for me as competition grows and I'm young). I'm most definitely a social butterfly and I've no problem with not making a lot of money.

Based on the obvious job market limitations we foreigners are posed with, I've gathered that the majority of jobs where my skills are strongest are reserved for nationals. I've tried searching for international companies hiring Westerners but--as some have commented--they are exceedingly scarce and are only found on sketchy websites.

Are there any options for me?

As you alluded to in your question, Chinese labor law prohibits the hiring of foreigners for positions that can be filled by nationals. The Ministry of Education’s requirement that all Chinese students of the English language be exposed to a native speaker creates a job market for foreign “English teachers” that would not otherwise exist. This is why it is unusual for even highly skilled and licensed English teachers from Western countries to be teaching anything other than “oral English” outside of Western-accredited international schools. They are simply not allowed.

If you are determined to find work in China, your only real option here—without destroying your future career options down the road—is to find employment in the United States in your field with a company that has a presence in China and that could possibly transfer you there in the future. Take a look at Nike and BMW for example: they would certainly need computer support staff who can communicate natively in English.

I would strongly advise against abandoning a good paying job as a network administrator to teach oral English at a private school (such that decent university positions would not be available to you) for a fraction of the salary with substandard housing in a cold water flat. Once you grew tired of the adventure—as you most likely will—you might find it extremely difficult to impossible to return home on your terms.

For more information about working in fields other than English, see the Guide’s chapter Outside Work and Other Careers.

Best of luck to you.

Thanks for the reply

This site is indeed a wonderful resource.

I had another inquiry. Are there any additional pros or cons to doing a short term (year or less) contract at a school? Are there differences in pay or anything? It seems like if I'm after adventure and a new experience, rather than money and a "way out," then committing to a contract with plenty of money kept safe in the bank at home sounds safe. SOUNDS safe.

Additionally, I have several web sites I've been managing for several years that actually bring in some half decent income and I've since put up a few personal proxy servers in the US. Do you know of anyone who uses this as a method for supplemental income?

I'm fully aware of the issues some have with the Internet in China but I'm confident that wouldn't be an issue in the administration of my web sites. Considering the exchange rate it seems like a pretty efficient way to ensure I'm not withdrawing from my savings accounts.

I agree with your post about my current career but I think (and hope) I'm in a decent enough position to be able to do a short contract without much hindrance.

The issue for you is not income but, rather, how much time you can you take off from your career back home without it adversely affecting you. I'm guessing six months to a year but you would know better than I. If you can afford to take a year off from your regular job and are able to return to the same or similar position in a year, then go for it. It will be a great experience if you can do this on your terms.

Your chances of finding a decent position will be better if you can commit to a one-year contract. If you're looking for fun, I'd focus on international cities like Shanghai, Shenzhen, and, to a lesser degree, Beijing. If your looking for culture and history, then other cities would be a better choice.

Overseas Internet access from China is spotty at best. There were some mornings I could conduct administrative tasks on this site with ease and others when it would take up to a minute (literally) to connect (and there were infrequent times I wouldn't be able to connect at all). China Telecom is in the process of upgrading its domestic network to fiber optic cable but, like everything else in China, it is slow going. Don't plan on any more bandwidth than 4mb/s (down) and 512kb/s (up) and that's on a good morning. That's the rub because website administrators need decent bandwidth in both directions.

If you'd like to communicate with website administrators already in China, just conduct a search on "expat websites in China" and that will give you plenty of leads.