JEANETT LESUFI

Achiever of the week: Jeanett Lesufi

Jan 11, 2021 | By Nqobile Mdima

This week’s feature is Jeanett Lesufi. Jeanett is from South Africa. She holds a BSc. in Physical and Chemical Science as well as a B.Sc Honours degree in Chemistry. She obtained both degress from the North West University, Potchefstroom Campus. After graduating she gained work experience with three different companies. Before she moved abroad she was working as a Chemist at a global platinum mining company in South Africa. She loved and enjoyed what she was doing, but she believed that she couldn’t spend the rest of her life in a lab. Jeanett was interested to do something outside of her profession. As a result, she obtained her Level 5 (168 hrs) TEFL Certificate from The TEFL Academy and moved abroad to teach English.  Jeanett is an ESL teacher in China, Jiaxing city.  She has been working and living abroad for one year now. Jeanett is a nature lover, so she enjoys going to the park and having picnics and visiting farms nearby her city. And when she feels like socialising she travels to Shanghai city to hang out with other expats. 

Jeanett shares with us her motivation to move abroad, her survival hacks, what she does for fun in her city/prorvince, pros and cons of living abroad and lastly her future plans.  

What were doing before you moved to China? 

I was a chemist at a global platinum mining company.

What motivated you to move abroad and why China? 

I believed that I couldn’t spend the rest of my life in a lab, so I needed to do something outside my profession. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed what I was doing. I just didn’t like the amount of social time it consumed. My social life was lacking and I felt that I need to do something less time consuming so that I could have a work-life balance, with more time to myself. What also caught my attention is the working times at training centers; the fact that I could go to work in the afternoon felt like a dream to me. I felt like I’ve been waking up early for either school or work for my entire life and changing my entire life’s routine intrigued me. Lastly, I’d say I wanted to be alone and discover myself as an adult and moving abroad felt like a solution. I did my research on salary ranges between countries in demand for ESL teachers and found that China is one of the most paying with a low cost of living, that's when I decided to go for it.

How did you get your job? Which websites and agencies did you use?

1. I used the tefl academy website https://www.theteflacademy.com to find vacancies.
2. Agent referrals by friends. 
3. Facebook group- ESL jobs in China
4. WeChat agents. 

Was the visa application process easy or complicated? 

It was not as complicated as people make it seem. I have actually recorded a video explaining the entire process on my  Youtube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0JXWsC814w&t=60s

How much did you budget for your big move to China? 

I initially budgeted R40 000 but I ended up going over my budget because I only received my first full salary after 7 months  of being in China. I’ve also recorded a Youtube video with clear costs of everything I had to spend money on in the first few months before I got my first salary.

Do you pay rent or do you have free housing? 

I’m currently living in an apartment that the school provided me with. I only have to pay my utility bill, which is not more that 250RMB a month including WiFi and LP gas.

Did you move abroad alone?  If yes, how long did it take you to adjust to the new environment? 

I moved alone to a city wherein I knew no one; which is exactly what I wanted. I easily adjust to new situations and environments, so it didn’t take me a month to adjust.

Which Apps, websites, social media pages helped you and continue to help you with navigating life in China? 

I only rely on the following Apps:

1. Dear Translate
2. Didi
3. Baidu maps
4. Dianping
5. Meituan
6. Trip.com
7. WeChat
8. Alipay

9. Redbook

Do you speak Chinese and do you think it’s important to speak the local language? 

I haven’t taken time to learn chinese yet, so I only learn words on the go and that’s all I know. I just put words I know together and formulate my own sentence, or otherwise just use the translating app, which I am not proud of. Speaking chinese can either be important or not depending on your future plans and patience . The local language is definitely for those who would like to communicate with the elderly.

What do you miss the most about South Africa and what do you do to feel better during the days when you miss home and your family? 

I mostly miss waking up to my noisy family and feeding my cravings at any given time. I constantly keep in touch with my friends and family on Whatsapp and have video chats regularly, so I haven’t really felt homesick. It’s probably because I’ve been living far from home since my first year of University.

What do you do for fun in your city and how many cities have you visited in China so far? 

I’m a nature lover so I go to the park for picnics or farms nearby my city. I live 20 minutes away (by train) to Shanghai so I go there when I feel like being around other expats and socializing. I’ve been to Hangzhou, which is also 40 minutes away (by train). I’ve  also visited Guangzhou and Foshan.

What tips would you give to someone who would like to work and live abroad, especially in China?  

Do your research, have set goal/s, be financially, emotionally, spiritually and mentally prepared for anything. After all it’s a different continent.

What are your future plans?

I’ve considered last year null and void, so I will start exploring this country more this year, hopefully if things will get better. I plan to switch from training center to an international school, preferably a primary school in a bigger city which has a metro line.