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Posts: 1

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Q: How to survive in Shanghai?

Right now I am doing an unpaid internship and in three month I would like to find a full-time job, but matching my teeny-tiny work experience job's fee is not more than 3000-4000 rmb. And what is worst to get an apartment I need to pay for 2 month in advance, so it's around  5000-6000 rmb. Where do I get it from? I apologize if my question is not that clear, I just want to know how others survive in Shanghai city, thank you!

8 years 25 weeks ago in  Housing - Shanghai

 
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Emperor

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Hmmmmm, I have no money so let me take an unpaid job in the most expensive city in mainland China. That is where you have to go back to and do it smarter.

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8 years 25 weeks ago
 
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Posts: 1098

Shifu

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This is an expat forum so I doubt you'll get much helpful advice. No one here will likely be able to relate to your situation. I'd suggest talking to Chinese who survive on low Chinese salaries in Shanghai.

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8 years 25 weeks ago
 
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From your user name I'd guess you're foreign, not Chinese. First thing is actually getting a work permit. Do you have a bachelors degree and 2 years work experience? If not you won't get a work permit. 

 

Interesting that you say you can only get a Chinese entry level salary.  Where will you get an apartment deposit money from? Maybe you should have thought about that before taking an unpaid internship? What are you living off now if unpaid? You'd need an advance on your salary but doubtful any employer would advance you when you just started working for them. Maybe they could give you dormitory accommodation until you've saved for a deposit?

 

To be honest your post sounds fishy....you've come to a foreign country to take an unpaid internship with no thought about how you would finance yourself after?

 

 

bat22:

after i read this answer from hotwater i was wondering what crackerjack box he got his degree from

8 years 25 weeks ago
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Hotwater:

I haven't got a degree so no cracker box involved. 

 

I see you've been sending me abusive PM's again batty boy. Are you that immature to take to sending private insults? 

8 years 25 weeks ago
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8 years 25 weeks ago
 
Posts: 2878

Shifu

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As my attempt to give a helpful answer, You'll need to find roommates, expect a long commute time if your office is downtown. I suspect you are czech, so see if there are any czech expat groups who can help you directly or anybody looking for a roommate. Best of luck

bill8899:

Like 26 said, roommates are the answer unless you can spend saved or other money on rent. Eat local foods, make some Chinese friends who can help you find the inexpensive things like clothes, or just do not buy anything for awhile. Cheers. 

8 years 25 weeks ago
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expatlife26:

yeah if you're picturing yourself renting a place by yourself in shanghai earning <5000/mth you're wrong.

 

but you can rent a room. That way no need for a big deposit. Learn to eat cheap food. 

 

You'll be fine. best of luck, hope the internship is productive

8 years 25 weeks ago
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Hotwater:

The OP will still need. Deposit even with roommates though at least it will be a lot less than a full apartment deposit. 

8 years 25 weeks ago
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expatlife26:

I guess you have a point. I've never had roommates so I never knew the deposit ettiquite.

8 years 25 weeks ago
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Hotwater:

The deposit is normally split between the roommates. As one moves out they get their share back and the new one pays in. At least that's my understanding. 

8 years 25 weeks ago
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8 years 25 weeks ago
 
Posts: 724

Shifu

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There's no point in staying in Shanghai for 3000-4000 rmb. You can't even make ends meet. If I were you, I'd go to sanya to do my intern. They will pay me less, but think about the blue sky and sandy beach, bbq by the sea and summer all year round. So I get a life and plus I get some work experience. Then I'll come back to Shanghai and get a highly paid job and earn that money back really fast. 

expatlife26:

What?

 

But what if the internship isn't in Sanya?

 

You advice is to wish it was in a different city?

8 years 25 weeks ago
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SpongeBob:

Or just get another internship

8 years 25 weeks ago
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xunliang:

Yeah they're screaming for interns in Sanya.....

8 years 24 weeks ago
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8 years 25 weeks ago
 
Posts: 724

Shifu

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Duplicated

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8 years 25 weeks ago
 
Posts: 724

Shifu

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Triple post.

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8 years 25 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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Others survive in Shanghai by getting paid lots of money. I have a friend who lives in Shanghai who gets an accommodation allowance of 24,000 RMB/month. That's how you survive in Shanghai - be highly qualified and get paid loads of money.

 

If you aren't highly qualified then you probably won't get paid loads of money. If you take an unpaid internship then you will have no money. In China money can be exchanged for goods and services - goods and services which will be unobtainable to you because you have no money.

 

I spend about 5,000 RMB a month and I have free accomodation and I live in a small city which has a much lower cost of living than Shanghai (at least cheaper by half, probably more). If I lived in Shanghai I would expect to spend about 8,000 a month.

 

You are screwed.

 

 

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8 years 25 weeks ago
 
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Dongbeiren's answer is probably the best - expats in Shanghai have much higher salaries, and so won't relate to this question - you should ask the mainlanders who have come in from the poorer provinces how they survive!

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8 years 25 weeks ago
 
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Hmmmmm, I have no money so let me take an unpaid job in the most expensive city in mainland China. That is where you have to go back to and do it smarter.

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8 years 25 weeks ago
 
Posts: 169

Governor

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I started off in Shanghai doing an internship, here's some tips:

 

DON"T TAKE AN UNPAID INTERNSHIP, this  practice is so stupid. What are you, a slave? Demand compensation or leave.

I found a paid internship at lindenbaum.asia.

 

Whatever internship you're doing, work hard and express early that you're interested in a full-time position.

 

Have savings. You seriously moved to China with nothing in the bank?

 

Hostels are cheaper than apartments. You can rent a bed in a hostel for about 1800 RMB a month, and that's a nice hostel. And no 2 month deposit. I liked City Central, near Caoyang Metro.

 

Get used to rice and eggs, or instant noodles. The little Muslim restaurants decorated in green are your best bet for a cheap meal.

 

Drink at the Chinese clubs. You're hangovers will be brutal, but the "alcohol" is free.

--Drink Soju, 18 rmb for a decent buzz.

 

Use credit cards (wisely).

 

Teach English on the side, or full-time. Your grammar seems decent, you could probably swing it.

 

Good luck, it's a lot of fun here once you get your feet underneath you.

 

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8 years 25 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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I think you guys are being too hard on poor katjia melnik.

 

First of all nobody takes an unpaid internship because they have better options but are too stupid to take a paying job with a future over slave labor paid in experience.

 

Of course an unpaid internship is less than ideal. But this is a less than ideal world.

 

It sucks ass that companies now realize they have workers by the throat and can demand things like this instead of just straight up offering entry level jobs.

 

But if that's the reality and Katjia here has a chance to get paid in experience  that might help her in the future, it does not help to say that unpaid internships suck. Of course they suck, but if they help you towards a REAL JOB and that's the way things are. You gotta suck it up and think about your future not your pride.

 

Who's the chump? The one who is too good for the unpaid internship and takes a dead end job? or the one that pays their dues and ends up closer to where they want to be?

 

Or maybe it's the one who pays their dues and still ends up nowhere. But at least they tried.

 

Haha, or katjia could be a troll. Who knows?

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8 years 24 weeks ago
 
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Governor

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I was a chump like you, I took an internship (biggest mistake of my life). Survived on 2,000 RMB for 3 months (was difficult, how the hell do locals do it?).

 

Managed to get a proper job, paying proper and decent money. Now... I live kinda like a King! indecision

 

Tell them if they don't give you a full time position you will leave. Get it written down and stuff in writing. I live in a smaller City and I make about 13,000 RMB a month (apartment and stuff is paid for). In Shanghai I'd expect at least 20,000 RMB a month.

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8 years 5 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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how do locals do it?

To types of locals

1. Shanghai locals: they live with their parents so they easily can live on 3000 RMB (really np)

2. Waidiren: They sleep with 5 people in a room. But most of the time the factory offers a dorm

 

Expats in Shanghai usually get paid more or at least housing is covered.

If housing is covered you COULD live on 1500 RMB per month (could, but dont want to)

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8 years 5 weeks ago
 
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