What do you think?
Rate this book
The China Option - A Guide for Millennials
Why move to China as a western expatriate without Chinese language skills? Because China is an extraordinarily interesting place to live and work right now. College-educated westerners with a variety of educational backgrounds are in high demand there and jobs pay well. How does one break in? This guide shows how. Written specifically for western men and women seeking to relocate, Sophia Erickson's book shows readers how to plan their move to China from finding a job from abroad, getting the right visas, insurances, and bank accounts, to deciding where to work and how find an apartment there. It's essential reading for anybody considering a move to China.
320 pages, Paperback
Published August 1, 2018
About the author
Sophia Erickson
1 book4 followersAfter graduating Oxford in 2014 with an honours degree in Modern History, Sophia Erickson returned home to the United States to contemplate her future. Faced with crippling student loan debts and after some anxious months waiting tables in her small Massachusetts town, she decided to do something different and took a one-way ticket to China.
Working in China allowed her to pay off most of her U.S. student loans while having fun exploring Asia, diving into different cultures, and learning conversational Mandarin. During her two years in Asia she had amazing experiences visiting China from Heilongjiang to Hainan, as well as Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore.
Sophia uncovered extraordinary international opportunities for liberal arts majors and others dreaming of living and working overseas. In her book she uses her own experiences as the basis for this fun and informative guide for anyone dreaming of living abroad. It's possible to break out of the student loan trap. Going to China can be a great way to do it.
The book covers a wide range of topics from the concept of “face” to coffee culture to racism to love to LGBT issues, as well as all of the practicalities readers need to know to get in and get a job. The China Option is a manifesto for recent college grads who want to take control of paying off debt while living stimulating, adventurous lives abroad.
Sophia attended high school outside of Boston, Massachusetts. She recently left China and now works for an international public relations firm in the Middle East, where she is researching a new book.
You can find out more about her at www.sophiaerickson.com, connect with her via LinkedIn at: https://bit.ly/2IqJxiO or contact her directly at writerickson[at] gmail.com
Working in China allowed her to pay off most of her U.S. student loans while having fun exploring Asia, diving into different cultures, and learning conversational Mandarin. During her two years in Asia she had amazing experiences visiting China from Heilongjiang to Hainan, as well as Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore.
Sophia uncovered extraordinary international opportunities for liberal arts majors and others dreaming of living and working overseas. In her book she uses her own experiences as the basis for this fun and informative guide for anyone dreaming of living abroad. It's possible to break out of the student loan trap. Going to China can be a great way to do it.
The book covers a wide range of topics from the concept of “face” to coffee culture to racism to love to LGBT issues, as well as all of the practicalities readers need to know to get in and get a job. The China Option is a manifesto for recent college grads who want to take control of paying off debt while living stimulating, adventurous lives abroad.
Sophia attended high school outside of Boston, Massachusetts. She recently left China and now works for an international public relations firm in the Middle East, where she is researching a new book.
You can find out more about her at www.sophiaerickson.com, connect with her via LinkedIn at: https://bit.ly/2IqJxiO or contact her directly at writerickson[at] gmail.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 8, 2018
Because of my work in Asia I recently saw an advance copy of this quirky guide and I was impressed and taken with it. I can honestly say that if I were to carry just one guidebook to China with me it would be this one. Moving to Asia, particularly Mainland China, can be daunting. Ms. Erickson, apparently a young American woman, does an extraordinary job demystifying what she calls "The China Option."
She talks about the pros and cons of trying to break in to working in China; she ably explains how to find a job, get a visa, and stay safe while you're there; and finally, she writes in a charming style that imparts the information in a light-hearted but fact-filled way. I found Ms. Erickson's take on moving to and working in China as a way to get control of U.S. student loan debt quite convincing, given her comparison of living costs and wages between the United States in China. Why work as a waitress in the U.S. when you can build a professional resumé in Beijing? Highly recommend this work to anybody considering moving abroad from the United States or other English-speaking places.
She talks about the pros and cons of trying to break in to working in China; she ably explains how to find a job, get a visa, and stay safe while you're there; and finally, she writes in a charming style that imparts the information in a light-hearted but fact-filled way. I found Ms. Erickson's take on moving to and working in China as a way to get control of U.S. student loan debt quite convincing, given her comparison of living costs and wages between the United States in China. Why work as a waitress in the U.S. when you can build a professional resumé in Beijing? Highly recommend this work to anybody considering moving abroad from the United States or other English-speaking places.
September 21, 2018
A really great and easily digestible book for the growing crowd of post-college grads moving to China for work, without necessarily having had much experience with the country or its history otherwise. It addresses the many quirks and oddities of living in China in a practical fashion, while maintaining good perspective on cultural nuances. Very current to the fast-changing environment that is Beijing. The book is witty, resourceful, and heart-felt as it navigates the uncertainty and adventure underlying the move to a foreign country, while balancing the reality of career and financial obligations.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews