Ready to go to China? Now that everything has fallen into place and you are on your way you are probably wondering what happens next and how the arrival will go. We asked Shane Goulding to tell us about the process so he gave us the below.
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Making the move abroad can be quite daunting, especially if you have never been to the country before. You have had the interview, survived the visa process and packed your bags. What next? At ENREACH, we aim to make the transition to China as smooth as possible.
Air Ticket
Before your departure date, we will send you full details of your flight. Be sure to check the luggage allowance to see what is within your free limit. If you have a bit more, not to worry, remember, your job offer included a 3000 RMB luggage allowance. Just be sure to keep the original receipts and your boarding passes to be reimbursed after you arrive in China
Arrival – Day One
If your flight was delayed, don’t worry. We track all incoming flights and make adjustments as needed. If a flight is cancelled or you are bumped to a different flight, just email, text or call your recruiter the new information.
Now you are in China. You pass through immigration, collect your bags and enter the arrival hall. Now, please just keep your eye open for an ENREACH sign with your name on it! The person holding the sign will then drive you to your hotel. ENREACH provides a hotel stay for all new expat employees while you go through initial training and the apartment hunting process.
You only have one task on the day you arrive – recover from the flight. Depending on where you are coming from in the world, how jetlagged you are and how late you arrive, you might want to go out and explore or stay at the hotel and relax until tomorrow. It’s up to you.
Day Two – Taking Care of the Basics
Your first day in the office we will tell you a little more about ENREACH, go through your contract, look at the employee handbook, talk about the work and resident permit process, health insurance, make sure you have a nice meal and then finish up early. Many new employees are travelling across multiple time zones and will be pretty tired by 3pm so this is when we aim to finish.
Day Three and Four – Training
All teachers and counselors coming to ENREACH have a different level of experience, so we will go through a number of topics to make sure all staff have a basic level of training. We go through and try to let new staff know not only what we expect of ENREACH employees but what employees can expect from ENREACH.
Day Five – on the road again
Most of the time, our first three days of training is in Shanghai. This is where our head office is located. You will get to meet key HR staff including the recruitment team, our Academic Operations Managers who look after teachers all over China and possibly our most important team, payroll. We make all the plane and train arrangements for you. Once you arrive in your home city, someone will again be there to help meet you and take you to a hotel. Now you are in your home city, our staff can help you get a SIM for your phone, open a bank account for you and then start that apartment hunt! If you are staying in Shanghai, there is no need to travel but we will also help you get a SIM, bank account and apartment hunt. Everyone had some time to then move from the hotel to their new home and get it set up before really getting started.
Conclusion
So, before you are on a regular schedule we make sure to take a few days to ensure you:
- Arrive and are met at the airport
- Have an initial place to stay (hotel)
- Experience an authentic Chinese meal
- Find out more about the company and your role in it
- Have all your questions answered about your contract
- Meet key staff
- Have basic training to support you being as successful in your new job
- Have help getting connected with a SIM for your phone
- Open a bank account to receive salary
- Have any burning questions you have answered
So, as you can see, it is a big move but we are here to support you.
