Salary expectations

[DocWatson]

Hi, I'm new here so I don't know if this is the right section, however I'm appying for a job as a language specialist in Beijing and it will be my first job. They ask me my salary expectation, how much should I ask? I don't want to look stupid by asking to much

Thank you

[ChTTay]

What is a "language specialist"?

What language do you specialize in?

Are you going to be teaching, translating... ?

[DocWatson]

I'm going to review documents, translate documents from chinese to italian and eglish to italian

[Friedrich]

maybe 10000 - 15000 if you have a special qualification for that kind of work. If not, maybe less if it is your first job

[DocWatson]

It would be my first job yes..

[tysond]

In my limited experience, interns in Beijing get around 4000+ a month at a multinational company, expectation of having a degree and speaking professional level English. Plus a meal allowance of 20-25 a day.

This is how they gain experience for their first real job, or (i find) before the go on and study a masters.

Since Italian is what they seem to need, and I guess not too many Chinese graduates have studies it to native level (and I am assuming you are a native speaker), my guess is you can probably aim a bit higher than this. But of course depends on the company's budget and your Chinese level.

At 10,000 - 15,000 people have 5+ years of working experience and demonstrated skills in particular areas - e.g. sales, marketing, whatever. Not sure if you can shoot this high straight out of the gate. Depends on location, company style, value of your language skills to them, competition, etc.

Good luck!

[icebear]

Many foreign firms' foreign interns make between 1-6k per month, depending on the outfit.

1 year experience about 10k.

2 years - 15-20k

3 years - 25+

3+ - tons of divergence

Of course you can go faster or slower. With zero experience you also have zero bargaining power. Usually speaking two languages is a requirement, not a perk, and is one of many expected skills once past the starter phase. Good luck!

[roddy]

DocWatson, any follow-up on this? Might be useful for others. 

[ZhangKaiRong]

Hello everybody,

 

I work for one of the big4 companies in Europe, My job is auditing key clients (including Chinese companies as well - I'm familiar with both the Chinese Accounting System and the IFRS), I'm specialised in the financial sector (=auditing banks and hedge funds), but due to the fact that I can speak Chinese I often help the firm's dedicated Chinese desk as well, which means that I also do some "sales" and consulting-kind of jobs. I would love to go back to China, the one year I spent there was the happiest and most inspiring time of my life, since I got back home I feel that I can't fully fit into Europe anymore, and decided to go back (Chongqing, Chengdu, Shanghai or Guangzhou are preferred), the earlier the merrier. The problem is that I don't really know when to go. First I planned to stay here and work for 6-7 years, then go back to Asia, but now I feel that I can only endure 3 or 4 years here before I totally burn out and become a fully depressed adult. But I don't know how much salary should I expect when I move there...

 

Anywhere in the world, the big4 is notorious for the stressful overtime work and the serious "life-work" inbalance, so most employee resign after 2-3 years and get a new job which pays more or doesn't require this kind of crazy work hours. In my country, after 2-3 years of big4 experience they can earn an amount equal to 20-23k RMB (gross value, of course) at a smaller consulting company or in the banking sector. I would be satisfied with this amount in China as a starting salary when I get back there. What do you think, how many years of experience do I need to get this amount of money? I know that it depends on a lot of things (e.g. what other perks can the company offer, do they provide a flat, the costs of living and the salaries in Sichuan-Chongqing and in Shanghai are not the same, etc.), but I would like to ask you to share your opinions.

My Chinese is at an HSK5 level (+ business language), I'm fluent in English, I can speak decent Spanish and understand a lot of things in German (but can't speak it). My mother tounge is not a competitive advantage, unfortunately.

 

Any replies are welcomed!

[gato]

RMB 20k/month is definitely doable for someone with Big 4 audit background. How long have you worked at a Big 4 already? You might want to start making inquiries in a year or two's time. It probably will be the easiest for you to go to a Big 4 in China, as they have more international clients, write more reports in English, and would be more likely to hire someone with less than native level Chinese. After a few years at a Big 4 in China, then it would be easier to move to jobs outside of Big 4.

[ChTTay]

A friend of mine, American, was sent to the UK on a 6 month task force type thing with...I believe PWC. After that, he spent time in China working on similar things for 6 months.

No idea what that wAs though. He didn't speak any Chinese at the time.

[icebear]

20k/month is pretty low for that industry - foreigners in NGOs probably make around 15-20k per month right out of a masters degree. Shoot for 30k+.

[ZhangKaiRong]

@gato

 

I've been here for six months now, so I'm still on my way to gain some big4 work experience. It's true that in normal Western European countries, after working two years at a big4 company (raising up to senior position) you can apply for an interoffice exchange program. But unfortunately, I don't live in Western Europe, this kind of interoffice programs are only available for managers and above positions, which means that I need to work here at least 8 years (including passing all ACCA modules and getting the national chartered auditor certificate as well). This is a ridiculously long time, and I'm afraid that after reaching 30 I won't be this mobile, thus I won't have a chance to work abroad anymore. I've just started to make a plan B, because I don't want to stay here forever.

 

@icebear

 

Some of my former classmates are doing their master's degree in Shanghai, but they're continously complaining that it is quite hard to find a well-paid job, they said that 10k would be a dream for freshly graduated international students. But 30k would be a dream for me as well, thx for the info!