Hi, I recently received a 235K TC (including benefits) job offer in China (shanghai) EDIT: i think we have someone below that didn’t understand this is USD. 1.5Million RMB. I know China relatively well as i go there a lot for work and i can speak the language with 80% fluency. Can read a basic newspaper. Can type. Can do biz meetings. Can not explain product well nor do i know like academic or literary vocabulary. I’ll be working in media and taking on a much more senior role than i am in Microsoft. I’m an IC here at Microsoft but will be a leader at this company. It’s a very well known American brand and functionally similar to what i do now at Microsoft. At Microsoft I’m doing very well. Fast promo velocity. Great manager. Great team. Only reason I’m leaving is i want to manage a team and i want to live in China. The TC is also higher as it’s a very senior role and i will be he youngest person at that level at the China office. I’m very excited about this opp but I’m scared of leaving Microsoft. I love what i do right now. I feel I’m paid well. I’ve had 3 jobs since undergrad and this is my best job ever as great hours. Smart ppl. Interesting work. Great international travel when i want and where i want. Nice office. Manager awesome. Skip level visionary. I know I’m lucky. But this opportunity seems to good to turn down. A few warning signs as they’re not giving me all the niceties of an expat package that I’ve heard of but it’s good money. My parents and siblings are here in the us. I have friends there from bschool. Life is easy. Zero stress. Is there anything i should be careful of? Anything about working in China that has changed? I worked in China 4 years ago for 6 months but now am moving there long term. Any advice. Thoughts. Feedback. Musings. All helpful. Prefer no trolls as I really am excited and hopefully won’t be too many downers.
Congrats! How is the TC calculated? What benefits are included in that number / what would the TC calculated in a traditional base salary + stocks + bonus way be?
I think MSFT is if you want to coast. This other opportunity sounds like a chance to have impact, do something more unique. Maybe you end back at msft in higher level 5-10 years from now. Depends on your priorities. Gratz.
If you are single, congrats & best of luck; if you are married, best of luck for your marriage
So true
Why is that?
Are you Chinese? If not, I find it hard to progress. Not trying to be racist and maybe that's my limited experience.
Are you kidding? Most head Of China’s or ceo of China for American companies are American. If you’re american you climb the fastest. People that come back from China stints are usually promoted the fastest? This is not for a Chinese company ... do you feel Chinese people at American companies at get promoted faster than their white ppl counterparts. I certainly didn’t feel this way at Microsoft.
I believe he meant if you are Chinese you'll have better chance in China then if you are not. Not in the US. But I think that's anedoctal data based on single experience. I was in Shanghai for a short while for an American company and got the opposite impression.
Are you white? We really don't need more colonizers there 😁
I’m asian american. Some ppl may call it abc.
Okay you're approved then
Been there as expat. Life in China is really bad, you will be suffering and regret about your move. How are you going to survive with this salary in Shanghai? I would not return back for any money.
Really? 235K is a lot of money everywhere in the world no? Can you talk a little bit about why ?
It's just $3000 per month. Shanghai is expensive city. First is housing. All partment buildings are very dense to each other, no green area at all, usually far from subway. To have flexibility in choice and not live with cockroaches you need at least 10000 RMB per month only for rental. Cheaper services/labor but cost of products is not cheaper at all. Very bad selection of food in supermarkets (no good meat, fancy cheese, etc.). If you need something fancy - you can get it only in a few upscale supermarkets in downtown and be ready to pay the price of Whole Foods. Coffeeshops/restaurants are same expensive as in US. It's very dirty. Everyone spit, pee and shit on road. Everyone smoking everywhere. Stupid uncivilized people with stupid loud kids. Shitty internet. Even via VPN, it's really slow and unreliable. Chinese festivals. All country decides to travel at the same days. Be prepared to pay over $1000 for flight ticket in one direction just to escape to a neighboring country like Thailand or Japan for vacation.
How is 235k 3k per month?? Are you forgetting a 0?
I’m sorry - 235K is US dollars. 235K rmb is poverty line. Why on earth would you assume i would accept 235K rmb? The offer is 1.5Million rmb. I work for Microsoft now. Which leadership position at which American company would pay 40K a year? Why on earth would i go from 200K usd to 40K usd. For what? I feel like based on that assumption alone you don’t really understand how big companies work. Do you work at Microsoft? Do you not know what Microsoft pays?
If you think 1.5M RMB is a lot of money, you are wrong.
Why not? It’s a good life. Nice 2 BR. Buy most of what you like. A lot to save. I mean, what’s not to like ? I’m not buying a house / car
Even if you don't buy a house or car how much can you save? Still less than you working in US earning more money. While you don't have a house nor a car, what a miserable life.
Nice! You’re going to get so much 💃🏻👯♀️🐱