Jobs in China

[wilsbrough]

Sorry guy's if this has been asked already, i have searched the threads and am yet to find an answer.

Other than teaching jobs, what other opportunities are there for non-Mandarin speakers? I am a high end cabinet/furniture maker (not factory work) I make one off pieces for people, using wood, metal, veneers, laminates etc, I have basic CAD skills too. Is there this type of work for westerners in China? Any help or website links would be very grateful.

Cheers,
Andy

[JimB]

http://www.expatsinchina.com/new/links.html  There is a lot of info there.

[brett]

My lady uses AutoCAD, but I guess you would need to speak the language well to get a job in that field.

My grandfather was a joiner, he used to charge rich people fantastic amounts of money for bespoke wooden spiral staircases.

[Vince G]

Andy,  I've been in and around the cabinet and other carpentry projects for almost 40 years (since I was a kid). I have manually drew out or used CAD programs. So I know what the field is like. I keep it more of a hobby now. One day hoping to have a shop to make whatever I feel I want to.

I have seen a Korean outfit that had a cabinet production line. It was more of a assembly line then a skilled process. I would assume the chinese do the same.

I have a dresser that I believe was made in china... all fake... the top is made of pressed newspaper? sandwiched by some layers of a pressed cardboard ? some type of veneer? I didn't buy it so no loss, but it shows that they may use a CAD system but I'm not sure they have any shop skills?

Maybe hooking up with interior designers (I doing this myself right now) and get piece work on somethings wanted? This is something you'll have to do on the inside after your there.

[wilsbrough]

Cheers for the info and advise guy's, i have a few sites to look at now, but i am kinda feeling this kind of work would be hard for a non-Mandarin speaking westerner to get into in China, unless i find an ex-pat who has his own business out there, i'll have to see.

Oh, and Brett, i know what your saying, i kinda amazes me how much some of these people will pay for bespoke furniture, especially when you can find similar things in Ikea for a fraction of the price. (shh don't tell them:icon_cheesygrin:) I suppose the old saying 'more money than sense' is a true one eh? Good old rich folk eh? they're paying for my emf's....:icon_cheesygrin:.

Andy

[MLM]

Andy,
theres an other saying, " you get what you pay for " but I always use Ikea :icon_cheesygrin:, sorry mate.

[brett]

By the way, there's a guy in work with a Chinese wife. He tells me that if you want to work in China, teach english. Nothing else will be as lucrative (unless you get a decent expat job).

[JimB]

IF, I had decided to stay here, I would have looked at tutoring.  I understand that is the most lucrative.  Currently they charge 50 to 100 Yuan an hour for native speaking English tutors.  The only thing is you need contacts to start.  I was looking at my wife's English class.  the students that are not doing well would pay for tutoring.  Just a thought.  I read in the EX Pat blog that they are short 14,000 English teachers here.  So even without a certificate you can get a job.  Not as well paying I would think, but still.  There again with tutoring you do not need any kind of certificate.