Stay in Canada or move back to China?

[noidea]

I just turned 23, still not being able to complete my certificate in college because I just suck in school, and don't have the heart for it. Probably won't be able to finish it unless my life depends on it. I really ain't a books guy.


I found a full time job recently paying $17 an hr , position as Fleet coordinator for a car rental company. It's pretty much data entry work, go out 1-2 hours a day to scan cars, sometimes check out cars. All in all, a chill job, not much pressure. I have the opportunity to apply for Management trainee position, but thats the front line customer service work which I do not like. Also, I might not even get hired for it because they require you to have some sort of completed post secondary which I don't. It seems like I will have to work in this position until my manager quits/retires and even then I might not get his position because I am young. Not like his position is any better, only thing better is he doesn't have to go outside everyday to scan 300 cars.

Then this opportunity arises, my family owns a metal ware factory in China, it gets by ok , isn't any big money making machine.They're offering me around 3k a month Canadian to go back to work. Since no other siblings are going back to help, I will be the only one of my generation helping there. However, there is language barrier, my mandarin isn't fluent at all and I would need to learn as I go if I return. There's a place for me to stay there as well, so I don't need to pay rent. If I don't go back now, there might not be this chance to go back in 5 years due to the company "might" close down due to my evil uncle taking company's money and feeding his 5 wives with it. Maybe if I work hard enough and learn everything, I can take over the company eventually? If it lives till that long that is...

I have a girlfriend that I've been with for 5 years, she won't be able to move to China with me due to her parents living locally in Canada. Who knows if shes able to in 2 years after shes done her law school? I like her, I would wanna marry her, but it seems like fate has put me to the test on this one. I have a couple close friends here as well, if I leave, I'm gonna feel so miserable and lonely at first when I work in China, but I guess thats inevitable.

I have asked lots of people opinions, seems like most would suggest moving back and trying it out due to the economical rise there. More opportunities etc, but is it really worth potentially sacrificing my loved one, a simple chill life here?

Please any opinions,advice, thoughts would be appreciated.

[Soundy]

So let's break it down: you have a life here, you have a decent job with chance for advancement, you have a girl... and you want to know if you should blow it all up to go halfway around the world to a job that's really no better, with a language you're iffy in, to work at a company that in all likelihood will die in under five years?

Let's be honest, you don't sound like the aggressive, driven, ruthless type that would be necessary to "save" this company. From the way you paint him, it's more likely your "evil uncle" would steamroll right over you to reach his goals (whatever they are) long before you even have the knowledge, experience, contacts, networking, and respect to be able to take over the company.

So that would leave you stuck in China, without the girl you would marry, without a job, without much of a resume, and quite possibly having been made the fall guy for your uncle's shenanigans...

I dunno, doesn't sound like a difficult choice to me. All that effort you would put into learning what you need to run that company, would probably be a lot better spent learning the people skills that would let you advance in your current company... because let's face it, without those skills, you won't be prepared for running your family's company either.

[Xu.Vi]

Originally Posted by Soundy

Let's be honest, you don't sound like the aggressive, driven, ruthless type that would be necessary to "save" this company. From the way you paint him, it's more likely your "evil uncle" would steamroll right over you to reach his goals (whatever they are) long before you even have the knowledge, experience, contacts, networking, and respect to be able to take over the company.

These traits highlighted by Soundy are absolutely true. I have personal experience and also witnessed a tonne of bullshit go down just because of how business is done in China.
But if your business is already established, that itself will take off a huge amount of weight off your mind.

[twitchyzero]

$3K/mo, no security and you're not fluent in Mandarin? Forget it.

What are you studying now? Not everyone's cut out for school, which is okay. No one is forcing you to take difficult university level courses but you should still complete some sort of vocational training/certificate. You're severely limiting yourself with just a high school diploma.

[quasi]

I'm assuming (maybe I'm wrong) your immediate family is in Canada? You have a girlfriend here and you have an opportunity to work here as well? I would not relocate for that kind of money, it would have to be money that would aggressively improve my lifestyle. I think you'd be nuts to go work in China for $3,000 a month.

[ilovebacon]

if I were you, ill stay here with everything I have right now.

[Gucci Mane]

i'd also stay here. no fucking way i'd trust an uncle to hand down a business to me like that. if it was your parents or grandparents that owned the business and they were willing to hand it down to you, then its all good..

[NKC ONE]

At the age of 23, I went back for less than $1k a month with zero opportunity to take over any business. I too had a long term gf in Van but she decided to move back with me and now we're happily married with a son. I'd give myself a 1/10 in the mandarin department back then but I slowly learned and can now communicate easily with anyone in a technical manner regarding my field.

The tough road is never easy but taking risks in life (especially at your age) is what growing up and finding yourself is all about. If you feel like its a dead end right now, try something new as I don't see how this opportunity can be bad for you. If you fail, you can simply move back. Living/working in China will open your eyes to how business is done. Don't think of it as relocating for money, think of it as a relocation for a chance of a better future. You may be able to save the family business or you may not but I guarantee that you'll learn a lot and even find more opportunities that may cater more to your style while you're there.

You can chill when you're older but at least give yourself a better chance to succeed especially when an opportunity like this arises. Honestly, I'd take it in a heartbeat.

BTW, which part of China is the business in?

[ZN6]

The prospect does not sound promising. Greed of your evil uncle, it sounds like, is what is going to eat you alive.

If you aren't 100% determined to go over there with at least a solid plan with a few contingencies, it's going to be a rough, rough road. I would be very cautious especially since your uncle sounds like he's got a bad case of greed. From your brief synopsis of the situation, I would not count on the factory going into your hands. If your uncle has 5 wives as you say, I guarantee you won't be the first in line to milk this business for whatever it's worth, and by that time, you may end up with nothing or even out of employment.

I guess since you're still young enough to recover if any shit hits the fan, but do not go unless you are determined to get up after you get your ass kicked at least until you get a hang of the language. You will be a complete foreigner and they will treat you as such.

My brother is currently over there in Shanghai and got his ass kicked initially but had a MASc. and a few connections to get him going. He had a plan but even then it was still a rough couple of years.

[ZN6]

PS: finish school like your life depended on it. It may be hard now, but it will only get harder as time goes on and when you look back, you might say, "wow, should have done this a long time ago, why didn't I when I had the chance?" You don't want to be at that point.

[Mr.HappySilp]

Let's get one thing straight. China will eat your alive. Only the strongest the must smartest (both in book smart and street smart) and also good at making connections will make it.

From the sound of it you are better off in Canada.

[ae101]

trying looking at it this way, is the company worth it, how is the market gonna be like in your field in a few years (if u can foresee it)

i sell red wine in china & the red wine market is starting to get very very messy in the coming year, thats why my family has started a trading company in china with a help of a friend

china is not bad depending on where u are & its all about how u feel about the business, if u period (im sure your uncle is the least of your problems if u have enough weight under your belt to ellbow him out in the future)

honestly, u have to come to china & stay for bit to fully understand what life is like over here, that way u can have a clearer vision of what u really want

[Mining]

I don't know all the details and what you're personal priorities are but from what you've given us, I would suggest you to stay, like everyone else says.

You sound like the kind of person who will crumble under China's work conditions and maybe even consider suicide years down the road if you're still there. From bro to bro, don't do it man. You have the love of your life here.

Also, you aren't going to be stuck with that position or the company forever. $17/hour is not bad man. There are families who are living with minimum wage and work much harder for it. In Canada you can work minimum wage and still get by. What if your family's company goes to shit, then what will you have?

[SoNaRWaVe]

sorry to sound like a douche here, but it sounds like you are not willing to put any effort into what is required of you to do any of the options you provided.

you said you're not a school type of person but moving to china you would need to learn the language and take courses on how to run the company. you can stay here but you probably don't want to go back to school to take the classes you need to get the promo.

it sounds like you are just trying to ride something out and have no real intentions of anything.

it would be a hard decision indeed. but none the less, you need to finish schooling of some sort. you should concentrate on that.

[dared3vil0]

Keep your current job- from your post you don't seem like you want to claw your way to the top, you honestly sound comfortable where you are.

[haymura]

I had the same situation as you 3 years ago. I had a choice to stay here or move back to philippines and manage my father's business. I chose to go back and manage the family business. It was the worst decision i ever made!
Mr Happysilp is right on the dot by saying China (or any third world country) will eat you alive when it comes to business related field. You gotta know people, learn some corruption, know how far to take your "power", rub shoulders with the right people and not step the wrong people's foot. You have to be very aggressive and sharp because its very cutthroat. The way China runs their daily life is way too different here in Canada and you will not survive long if you try to apply canadian standards there.
Ive been there and done that and i ended up coming back here to Vancouver. The only positive thing that came out of my experience is I appreciated Vancouver a lot more than i used to. Heck, even the idiot drivers in richmond dont get under my skin anymore after what ive experienced driving in the philippines.

[bcrdukes]

I think OP should go to China.

He needs a lesson in being humbled so he'd smarten up. In your case, haymura, you came back knowing what it's like over there but to say that it was "the worst decision you ever made" I feel is a far cry. If you had just stayed here, you would have never known and now you can confidently say and move on with your life.

All too often, kids here grow up being comfortable and when a wrench is thrown their way, they give up on life rather than take on the problem head-on then post their stupid ramblings in the "Speak It Out" thread in the Relationships Forum. Fuck that shit.

In life, there are no such thing as poor decisions. Just uninformed ones.

[haymura]

Originally Posted by bcrdukes

I think OP should go to China.

He needs a lesson in being humbled so he'd smarten up. In your case, haymura, you came back knowing what it's like over there but to say that it was "the worst decision you ever made" I feel is a far cry. If you had just stayed here, you would have never known and now you can confidently say and move on with your life.

All too often, kids here grow up being comfortable and when a wrench is thrown their way, they give up on life rather than take on the problem head-on then post their stupid ramblings in the "Speak It Out" thread in the Relationships Forum. Fuck that shit.

In life, there are no such thing as poor decisions. Just uninformed ones.

well said and good point. I definitely would not have known how much i have it better here without going there in the first place. I actually agree with dukes here. I say OP should try it out and see if its something he will like or not. You dont really know something unless you give it a try. Its easy for us to throw suggestions without really knowing what the pros and cons are. Only way for OP to really find out is to experience it himself.

[SkinnyPupp]

Move to china, rape the earth of every last bit of resources you can, and become a millionaire. Thousands have done the same, and all you need is a connection. You have that connection, so wtf are you waiting for? Go get that money. Girlfriends, wives, lifestyle, none of that matters. Go get that money!

[6793026]

easy decision.

move to china
1) you suck in school, BUT what you have is a gold opportunity with you are being chosen to work in China for family business.
2) people with 60k - 120 k jobs in Van already would easily fluff off mom and dad for family business. You have no choice and you have a much better future in China.

the only reason I couldn't go back was due to rent and i don't have family with a business. Sersiously, run with it, gf come and go you're 23; gfs can be found in China with 1.37 billion people, guys are rare.

enjoy my man, very excited for you and jealous you have such a golden opportunity.

[Drow]

Go back to the philipines.