Our Story
Sharing the Experience
If you have ever lived in a foreign country, you will know that urge you get about a month after leaving home — that craving to have the people you know and love come visit you and get a taste of what you are experiencing.
The catch is, it is no easy task to ask friends, particularly those just out of college and looking for their first job, to buy a plane ticket half way around the world; especially — in the case of China — if they think they can achieve a comparable experience by simply walking through Chinatown.
When we did ask the question, “Would you be willing to come to China?”, the reply was almost always, “Well, how much is a ticket?” Most people know it is cheap once you get to China, but there is no denying it: a plane ticket to China is not easy to come by.
How Could You Say No?
After living in China, however, we were convinced that our friends would not be able to help but fall in love with China, just as we had. All they had to do was experience the country for themselves.
This got us thinking — what would convince people to foot that initial cost? And ultimately, it always came to one simple conclusion: with the sheer diversity of opportunity and the ability to live in China comfortably on a few hundred U.S. dollars per month, China is the perfect place for people still deciding what they want to do with their lives.
The Appeal
In China, you have the chance to try your hand at virtually any profession, and it barely costs a thing! Moreover, because of the incredibly high demand for English instruction among Chinese urban residents, you can recover the cost of a plane ticket within a month by simply tutoring a few hours a day.
So we started working on our pitch, which typically went something like this: “I’ve got the perfect plan. If you can rustle up the money for your plane ticket, I can help you find a place to stay and get you a gig teaching English. You’ll make enough money doing this in 1-2 months to cover your expenses and pay back the cost of your plane ticket! In fact, depending on how much you are willing to teach, you will even have enough left over in your pocket to travel around the country. It’s like a free trip to another country, and what’s more, this happens to be fastest developing country in the world. Talk about an opportunity!”
This really was a pitch in every sense, and we found ourselves repeating it every time we returned to the U.S. But it was worth repeating because we knew it was true. We knew it was true because we had done it ourselves. This truth formed the basic premise of The China Step.
The Idea is Born
The China Step is, at its core, a vehicle to make accessible what too many people deem inaccessible. It offers what so many of us ultimately crave: opportunity, adventure, and discovery. Beijing, Shanghai, and many other cities in China are focal points for thousands of curious and motivated minds from around the globe — all of whom are seeking to test their mettle on the frontier of economic growth, energized by the prospect of exploring uncharted territory.
Beijing in particular offers access to a wonderful confluence of culture, ideas, and history. It is at the very center of China’s explosive growth, and the thrum of energy is palpable. Moreover, in Beijing you are surrounded by like-minded people who are as excited as you to find out what China has in store for them, and they plan to have fun in the process. Our program facilitates your experience by offering you support while you take your step into China. We offer guidance but the nature of the experience remains entirely in your hands.
Our motto? Your experience. Our Support.
To learn more about the people behind The China Step, click to visit the TCS Team page.
Think this is an experience that might appeal to you? Click below to compare our available plans and get started today!
