Hutong School got back to me. Apparently my request for 3500 a month was too high and they don’t want me for that reason. I just gave them a number that would be useful to me, willing to take less, much less, the experience is worth the most and I have side jobs to earn real money. Would be nice if they reply with a number that works. 2000? That’s fine by me.
My interview today was with the Hutong School. They are more or less a headhunter company that works on getting foreigners internships in Chinese companies. I went in today, expecting them to find out more about me and whatnot for a suitable position. Well, I was wrong. They seem to like what I have to offer and are looking at me for an internship in their company instead. This could be cool. It’s a rather new company, still growing, lots of projects to work on, very flexible too. I should hear back before Friday about it. It’s a bit far, but not too bad really. 雍和宫 is on the subway, and I can get on at 西直门. The days here are weird again. Beijing does this strange thing where the season changes immediately, although the weather doesn’t. It has decided that it should get dark at 7:30ish now, instead of the normal 5:30ish darkness. I never noticed any gradual change, it just sorta happened.
So, with the interview today, I will either land a position at their place, or they will be able to hook me up with another company. I should have another interview later this week for a Service Manager position for a company which provides VIP services out of 王府酒店. Really, either or at this point. I just want to make some cash, be productive, and get some experience in the country that I can use.
Yea, took the HSK 初中等 test today. Was aiming at 8级 and with practice tests was getting a high 7级 result. I will say this though, all the preparation was worth while, very worth while. The 听力 was easy, so was the 语法. The 阅读 was a little annoying, but it was easy as well once it got to passages instead of “here’s a character that gives this sentence a certain meaning, what word can you replace it with”…. that was difficult, but mostly logical. The 综合填空 section however…. oh my god. This is the section I feared most, and the section I tried to prepare for. There is no real way to prepare for it though. HSK is an evil evil test, and it is well designed. I don’t care what I got, I hope that I passed it, I am taking it again in the summer for sure and am going to bust my ass studying for that section specifically. The practice tests and books I was using were good for everything except that section.
Ok, now I have to prepare for midterms next week, which are not really all that difficult. Tomorrow I have an interview for a headhunting company that wants to find me an internship at a good company that will help my professional career. I also have an interview sometime next week for a job at 王府酒店 as a Service Manager helping provide foreign VIP guests with um… services? They are very vague about what they need, but the pay is good and it fits into my schedule. Ok, I need to sleep now.
Had another one today, but it was a joke of a job. Customer Service. I hate customers, and I really don’t feel like working in an outsourced call center for a few hundred bucks a month simply because I can speak English. Sorry guys, but I’m not working for $4 an hour. If I want a job that I hate, I can teach English with my “oh so nice” English voice and get 5 times that without a problem.
Tomorrow I get another one… but I have actually forgotten what it’s for exactly. I send off so many of these damned resumes and cover letters. I need to find a way to keep track of it all better.
So, Exoweb… love you Exoweb, but you are too far and you didn’t want me in this run of expansion, too many applicants willing to work fulltime I guess. Ah well, life goes on, more jobs out there to hunt and find. The one tomorrow looks interesting and is Dubai-based. Researching right now as to what exactly the position was for. Ok, didn’t find it again, so I have no idea where it was from. Worst case scenerio is that I get to bullshit a lot about myself and am in way over my head. But, who cares, it’s just an interview and it’s good practice.
On the money-front, things are going ok. Ebay sales are starting to pick up and my suppliers are hooking me up with top-quality stuff. After shipping, fees, costs, etc. I look to turn a 100% profit on this batch and if it all sells, I am looking at around $600 cash in my pocket for a day’s worth of work.
Went to Silk Street to hunt for quality stuff. Found my supplier at long last. Decent price too. I’m set for some easy side-job money I guess. Should hear back from exoweb late tonight or tomorrow morning. Whatever.