Hey guys. By chance, is there anyone who surfs Lowyat forum who work in China, specifically Guangzhou?
Looking to hang out with fellow Malaysians if there's anyone here.

Just to share a couple of pics I took in Guangzhou

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Just to list a few benefits and drawbacks - Bear in mind that this is entirely based upon my own opinion.

LIKES
@Work
- My job requires me to travel alot and I am extremely grateful for that.

@Life
- Near to Hong Kong and Macao. You can travel there on the weekends for a break (2-4 hour ride)
- Plenty of parks around. If you're into nature and like strolling in the parks this is for you.
- Super impressive transportation system. You will never get lost in GZ as long as you can locate your nearest bus/train station.
- Online shopping is FUN! Buy anything/everything you need/want on Taobao!
- Chicks.

DISLIKES
@Work
- A little Chinaman style some of the time. So far still bearable.
- Below expectation salary (if you're not in an MNC)

@Life
- Overcrowded/populated country means ques for buses, food, toilet is LOOOOOONNNGGGGGG.
- Some people here are rude even when you talk to them nicely. People push and shove their way up buses and trains even when it arrives empty. It's a hustle to be the first on board the bus!
- Food still can't compare to Malaysia. Go Nasi Lemak!

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Work-related Questions
Disclaimer: I only live in Guangzhou and can't speak the same for other cities in China.

1. If you're looking for a job, the first thing you'll need is a visa. If you're transferring in from a local company/MNC, the company will apply for and get the working visa ready for you. If you plan to hunt for a job on your own, try to get a business visa as working on a tourist visa is a huge NO-NO.

2. You can try searching for jobs on the following apps: 51 Job, 58 Tong Cheng, Zhilian Zhaopin (quick and easy). The best way however is to apply from a company's website itself. Note that if you apply for jobs on the abovementioned apps, it would help if you have a Chinese number as they don't usually call foreigners.

3. OK let's say you're feeling adventurous, have got your visa, and wanna start hunting. How much would you need to survive per month? Let me break it down to you. I used to survive on RMB3000 per month. Of course, you can definitely live better if you can burn RMB4000 per month.
(a) Rent + Utility = RMB1200
(b) Phone = RMB150
© Transport = RMB100
(d) Food = RMB50/day

4. For salary ranges, I can only speak for non-MNCs. Starting for fresh grad is about RMB3K (admin/HR/accounting). Add RMB1k per year of experience. Maybe more. This is just a ROUGH estimate. Different companies will have different rates.

All in all, it's not that easy to get into China if you're doing it on your own. The best way would be if your company allows for a transfer. And that is also IF and only IF your company has a subsidiary in China. However, if you're willing to take the risk, I must say the experience is really out of this world and would be no less of an eye opener for the risk taker be it good or bad.


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My take after all these years:

China is a beautiful place. Yes, there are still many who spit on streets, talk rudely, pee in bushes, etc. However, these people do not speak for the majority of the country. China is expanding and getting more advanced day by day. The people who still have these habits are usually the older generation who come from the "kampungs".

If you put these aside and just take in what the country has to offer, you'll find that it is a place filled with vibrant cultures, beautiful parks, megacities, 4 seasons (who doesn't like winter?!), nice people, great food and more! There are so many places for you to visit from within the country itself. This may sound cliche but the world is huge and you only live once. Go out. See more. Do more. I'm not saying you can't do the same in MY. I miss MY, love MY and will return to MY. But for now, I'm still gonna stick here for a bit to find out more about this intriguing place I call my second home!



This post has been edited by evilbun: Jul 15 2016, 12:00 AM

Yeah I've been here for almost 3 years now. I barely see any Malaysians around (but I know there are definitely Malaysians here).

I'm now in a gaming hardware company. Let me know if you're interested to find out more on the job/lifestyle/culture here. Won't mind sharing for sure

You'll need a working visa or if you know a company there who is willing to work you on a business visa, you can do it too
Let me know what exactly would you like to know about working here.

IT job I think easy. But your IT level have to be quite high. Cuz the people here are very tech savvy.

In terms of salary wise:

I have a friend here working as UI design. She's getting RMB6k/month.
Fresh grads who go into banking/accounting/admin may start off with RMB2.5k/month.
I personally am in event management and am at RMB5k/month. (1 year exp)
My brother is in HSBC. 2 years exp. RMB10k/month.

Don't expect salaries here to be very high. Unless of course, you work with MNCs, then it's a different story.

Work wise, it really depends.

Life wise, pretty fun. Cuz from Guangzhou, you can visit many surrounding places.
I visit Hong Kong and Macau on alternative months.
During the weekends, I go up the Baiyun Mountain and bicycling at Dafu Mountain.
If I have longer holidays, I go to other provinces like Chongqing and Hangzhou just to see what its like there.
Shopping? Everything can be bought on Taobao at a fraction of the price sold in Malaysia. Everyday you get parcels which is super exciting.
Food? Macam macam ada. If you miss Malaysian food, there are many Malaysian restaurants opened by Malaysians.
Not to mention, there's 4 seasons here. So you get to experience winter too. Winter is not very cold so that's also a good thing.
Very interesting lifestyle. Been here for so long and the main reason why I am not going back is cuz I like visiting.

OH and just FYI, no point hiding my salary and how I spend it.
So it goes like this:

(RMB)
Salary = 5,000

Rent + Electric + Utlity + Internet = 900
Transport Card = 100
Call and Data Plan (1GB) = 30
Food = 60/day = 1,800
Toiletries = 100
Hair cut = 30
Shopping = 500

Total = 3,460

Balance (Saving) = 1,540 which is approx. MYR970

Of course, this is just based on my 5K salary. Thing is, with 5K RMB salary, I am able to save RM970 a month. You can definitely stretch that based on your lifestyle. Some of my friends who earn RM4K don't even save RM500 per month.

Shanghai is really way more expensive bro.
For me I'm living in a so-so area.
If I wanna stay in a more acceptable area, the best would be to rent an apartment with 3 rooms.
An apartment with 3 rooms in the heart of Guangzhou's city @ Zhujiang New Town can go for about 5000 RMB/month. If split it by 3, it will be more reasonable. Too bad I don't have good friends who all happen to wanna look for a new place

Honestly speaking, I went there straight after graduation to help out at a friend's place. So I can't really say what the minimum requirement is to work in Guangzhou is.
But for what its worth, it doesn't matter what skills/background you come in with. Just being able to understand English is already a major plus. So if you're in a specific field, and understand both Chinese and English, chances for you being accepted is pretty high.
Give me a call if you're in town next month. I can help show you around if you want

Over here there are alot of Lanzhou Noodle shops who are Halal. But then again, you can't be eating noodles everyday.

Being a Malaysian Chinese, people didn't see me as a foreigner as they think you're from China. If you're a westerner then it's a different story altogether.
When I was there, I had English as an upper hand so people still think I am at least good at something.
The people here are friendly. Those stories where you hear China man shouting and all are those uncles and aunties from the 80s who came from small towns.
The next gen people, or people around my age (i'm 26) are pretty normal just like you and me
Hope that answers your questions.

I came in to Guangzhou with only primary school level Chinese. It took me awhile to understand and speak Chinese like the locals.
Now, when I go back to Malaysia and speak Chinese, people think I'm from China. lol.

Back to the question, it sure helps if you can read and write in Chinese as it'll help you a lot not just at work, but in daily life in general as well.

Haha let's just say I'm in a company heavily invested in virtual reality

How long will you be here for? If it's just a couple of months then no need to worry too much.
If it's long term, no need to worry also cuz you'll eventually get used to the lifestyle.
Think positive

It is fun cuz we get to go to a lot of shows. Shows that you only read on magazines like CES, GDC, E3, etc.
Plus we travel the world very often.
Downside? Salary still only 5K lol.

I don't think you will be bored. Boredom should be the least of your worries! Haha.
Never once in my life had I felt bored in China.

Honestly speaking, I still am trying to answer that question myself.
I would expect searching at job postings from MNC companies that have a huge presence here in China - HSBC, Standard Chartered, Huawei, etc.

In my case, I just got myself a visa, a ticket to Guangzhou, and the rest is history.
I went on Zhilian Zhaopin and applied for every single dam job on the classified and waited for calls to come in.
Thankfully, I'm now in a super awesome company and am enjoying life here in China.

This post has been edited by evilbun: Apr 3 2016, 10:47 PM

Business visa is easy. You can apply it yourself
http://www.visarite.com/china_business_visa.htm

Which part of China are you gonna be stationed at?
I'm in Guangzhou and can't speak the same for other cities

If you're gonna be based in Guangzhou roger me! Haha.
Life in Guangzhou in terms of living costs is similar to Malaysia.

I'm not sure if I mentioned this before but for comparison, take a McDonald's lunch set for instance:
Spicy Chicken McDeluxe is RMB22 which is about RM11.
500ml Bottled Water is RMB2 which is about RM1.
Rent for single room depending on location but I would say RMB2000 would bag you a nice single room apartment with good environment.
Transport wise, 1000x better than Malaysia. You have buses and trains that connect you throughout the ENTIRE city. People tend to say that you'll never ever get lost in Guangzhou as long as you can locate the nearest bus/train station. Rides are cheap as hell too. Buses are RMB2 whilst trains can go up to RMB10 if you take it to the airport.

This post has been edited by evilbun: Apr 7 2016, 07:48 PM

Oops. Just saw this.
Costs should be the same in terms of food (see previous post).
Rent may be more expensive in Dongguan and less expensive in Zhongshan.
I've never been to Dongguan. As for Zhongshan, it's a nice little city that isn't as hectic as Guangzhou.
20K HKD is pretty good IMO. I'm only on 5K RMB lol