China Job Blog

By Elizabeth Garone

In a tight job market, building and maintaining an online presence is critical to networking and job hunting. Done right, it can be an important tool for present and future networking and useful for potential employers trying to get a sense of who you are, your talents and your experience. Done wrong, it can easily take you out of the running for most positions.

Here are five mistakes online job hunters make:

1. Forgetting Manners

If you use Twitter or you write a blog, you should assume that hiring managers and recruiters will read your updates and your posts. A December 2009 study by Microsoft Corp. found that 79% of hiring managers and job recruiters review online information about job applicants before making a hiring decision. Of those, 70% said that they have rejected candidates based on information that they found online. Top reasons listed? Concerns about lifestyle, inappropriate comments, and unsuitable photos and videos.

“Everything is indexed and able to be searched,” says Miriam Salpeter, an Atlanta-based job search and social media coach. “Even Facebook, which many people consider a more private network, can easily become a trap for job seekers who post things they would not want a prospective boss to see.”

Don’t be lulled into thinking your privacy settings are foolproof. “All it takes is one person sharing information you might not want shared, forwarding a post, or otherwise breaching a trust for the illusion of privacy in a closed network to be eliminated,” says Ms. Salpeter, who recommends not posting anything illegal (even if it’s a joke), criticism of a boss, coworker or client, information about an interviewer, or anything sexual or discriminatory. “Assume your future boss is reading everything you share online,” she says.

2. Overkill

Blanketing social media networks with half-done profiles accomplishes nothing except to annoy the exact people you want to impress: prospective employees trying to find out more about on you.

One online profile done well is far more effective than several unpolished and incomplete ones, says Sree Sreenivasan, dean of students at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He made the decision early on to limit himself to three social-networking sites: Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. “There is just not enough time,” he says. “Pick two or three, then cultivate a presence there.”

Many people make the mistake of joining LinkedIn and other social media sites and then just letting their profiles sit publicly unfinished, says Krista Canfield, a LinkedIn spokesperson. “Just signing up for an account simply isn’t enough,” she says. “At a bare minimum, make sure you’re connected to at least 35 people and make sure your profile is 100 percent complete. Members with complete profiles are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn.”

LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter are the three most popular social networking sites for human resources managers to use for recruiting, according to a survey released last month by JobVite, a maker of recruiting software.

3. Not Getting the Word Out

When accounting firm Dixon Hughes recently had an opening for a business development executive, Emily Bennington, the company’s director of marketing and development, posted a link to the opportunity on her Facebook page. “I immediately got private emails from a host of people in my network, none of whom I knew were in the market for a new job,” she says. ” I understand that there are privacy concerns when it comes to job hunting, but if no one knows you’re looking, that’s a problem, too.”

Changing this can be as simple as updating your status on LinkedIn and other social networking sites to let people know that you are open to new positions. If you’re currently employed and don’t want your boss to find out that you’re looking, you’ll need to be more subtle. One way to do this is to give prospective employers a sense of how you might fit in, says Dan Schawbel, author of “Me 2.0″ and founder of Millennial Branding. “I recommend a positioning, or personal brand statement, that depicts who you are, what you do, and what audience you serve, so that people get a feeling for how you can benefit their company.”

4. Quantity Over Quality

Choose connections wisely; only add people you actually know or with whom you’ve done business. Whether it’s on LinkedIn, Facebook or any other networking site, “it’s much more of a quality game than a quantity game,” says Ms. Canfield. A recruiter may choose to contact one of your connections to ask about you; make sure that person is someone you know and trust.

And there’s really no excuse for sending an automated, generic introduction, says Ms. Canfield. “Taking the extra five to 10 seconds to write a line or two about how you know the other person and why’d you’d like to connect to them can make the difference between them accepting or declining your connection request,” she says. “It also doesn’t hurt to mention that you’re more than willing to help them or introduce them to other people in your network.”

5. Online Exclusivity

Early last year, Washington’s Tacoma Public Utilities posted a water meter reader position on its website. The response? More than 1,600 people applied for the $17.76 an hour position.

With the larger number of people currently unemployed (and under-employed), many employers are being inundated with huge numbers of applications for any positions they post. In order to limit the applicant pool, some have stopped posting positions on their websites and job boards, says Tim Schoonover, chairman of career consulting firm OI Partners.

Scouring the Web for a position and doing nothing else is rarely the best way to go. “When job-seekers choose to search for jobs exclusively online — rather than also include in-person networking — they may be missing out on ‘hidden’ opportunities,” says Mr. Schoonover. “Higher-level jobs are not posted as often as lower-level jobs online. In-person networking may be needed to uncover these higher-level positions, which may be filled by executive recruiters.”

China’s booming economy has attracted people from across the world to work in the fastest-growing major economy.

Those with foreign employment permits working in China numbered 180,000 by the end of 2006, double the figure in 2003, according to statistics published by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

These people are mainly from the United States, South Korea, Japan, Britain, Germany and Canada. Many of them are working in large coastal cities such as Shanghai (54,608), Beijing (30,484) and Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province (6,800).

According to the statistics, foreign people working in Shanghai come from 130 countries. Included are 28.6 per cent from Japan, 12.3 per cent from the United States and 8.9 per cent from South Korea. Those working in Guangzhou come from 108 countries, with the number of people from Japan accounting for 29 per cent of the total.

Of foreigners working in Shanghai, 25.4 per cent are chairmen and vice chairmen, general managers and vice general managers, financial directors and human resources department directors; 6.1 per cent are senior technical officials and 3.1 per cent are chief representatives of foreign enterprises offices in China.

These people are mainly in the sectors of leasing and commercial service, manufacturing, information transmission, computer service and software, lodging and catering.

They have sound educational backgrounds; 2.6 per cent with PH.D diploma, 16.4 per cent with Master degree, and 69.4 per cent with bachelor degree.

According to the statistics, foreigners in Guangzhou are mainly working in companies and offices funded by investors from foreign countries as well as Hong Kong and Macao.

Do I need to speak Chinese to get a job?

Even until just a few years ago, there used to be some fundamental truths that you could rely on when it came to developing your career and attaining professional success in China. For foreigners, the ability to speak Chinese was almost a sure ticket for attracting opportunities with companies that were increasingly seeking international-trained, bi-lingual professionals. Many people start their introduction of them- selves in covering letter by saying, “I’m bilingual and have a deep understanding of both western and Chinese cultures and thinking. I can be an excellent bridge for an international company doing business in China.” But in China’s current talent market,
such statements are no longer viewed as offering a distinct competitive advantage. These days, there are so many who can make such a claim. Rather than a differentiator, it’s a mere prerequisite for an attractive opportunity with a leading company.

To get a job in China, it will also largely depend on your marketable skills, education, personal contacts, language ability (specifically Chinese language ability), luck and most importantly – expectations.
Most of the people who are getting expat salaries now are in senior management (like directors, project managers, technical specialties etc…). Many, if not most, if the managers hired into these positions get hired in their home country and relocated here. If you don’t have technical skills or senior experience, another highly effective way of entering the Chinese workforce is by working in China for a year or two as an English teacher, then applying for employment in other capacities.

What kind of job can I get?

In China, general mass market jobs (administrative, technician, retail, food service, hospitality etc…) are for locals who speak the language and who are willing to work for RMB 700 – 3000 per month – full time… six days a week.
If you can act, sing, perform, or model, there may be a place for you… particularly if you have some credits. So… you either decide to work for local salary… perhaps a little above local salary. Or you create your own work or company somehow with the skills / ideas you have.

A growing number of work opportunities exist in China, although some require language skills. These include English teaching, marketing, travel agents, creative English writers, editors, proofreaders, translators, bar staff and secretarial positions. Many industries in China are currently experiencing a skilled manpower shortage and middle-management executives and those who are multilingual, including construction and building, engineering, hotel and services, IT, shipbuilding and textiles.

Salary expectation

There is a great demand for skilled applicants, and foreigners with marketable talents and a command of Mandarin are well suited for employment. However salaries are very low compared to rich countries, even for graduates with an MBA.
In 2006, the salary of a Chinese student with a master’s degree or MBA from a top university but with no significant international management experience is somewhere between $ 600 and $1500 per month. So unless you are bringing rare and valuable expertise to the job market, you are not going to make as much money as at home.

On the other hand, living in China is inexpensive and you can often have a better quality of life for a lot less money. In any case, you better come with some cash saved up. You can live quite comfortably on 8000 RMB a month. Most of all, you should probably lower your expectations in terms of salary, if you really want to live and work in China.

Another thing to keep in mind is that when you gain experience and take on responsibility, your salary can go up quickly.

Economically speaking, China should be looked at as an investment opportunity – investment in yourself to gain valuable work experience, especially if you learn Chinese. And since there is so much investment in China’s growing market, it’s a place where many young people decide that they’d rather start a company instead of working for a salary.

Today, Shanghai is the fastest-growing place in China. It attracts mores and more foreigners who want to come live and work in Shanghai. Shanghai is home to more than 300,000 expats from 119 countries and regions. This population is expected to reach 800,000 over the next ten years. “As an increasing number of multinational companies set up branches in Shanghai, housing demand from expats will grow significantly,”Many feel the city has many opportunities for them to develop their careers. Indeed, as the country’s economic centre, Shanghai offers more vacancies requiring a high professional level.

Currently, there are more than 36,000 foreigners are now officially working (registered with a working visa) in the booming city.

Shanghai offers many work opportunities. However, the competition amongst foreigners and locals is fierce. Recently, the job market has been flooded with educated and experienced overseas and mainland Chinese – being attracted to the same thing other expats are attracted by China’s rapid economic growth.

Finding a position in China is similar to a job search anywhere. All you need is a resume, a positive attitude, and an organisation. Be prepared with these necessities and you will lose no time.

FIND AN INTERNSHIP

Many foreigners are looking for internship in China. Indeed, living and
working in China and taking part in its daily life is very exciting.
Many just come as students and then get internships at companies
or from embassies’ commercial sections.

Adding work on top of study experience in China demonstrates to employers
that one can function professionally in a foreign environment.

If you speak no Chinese and have no special skill, you will probably
find an internship in a service job, or teaching English.
If you are fulfilling a requirement for general work experience, you will probably find such an internship interesting. If you expect English to be enough to get you an internship managing a project in a famous company, you will probably be disappointed. These firms have very specific profiles that they look for and speaking at least some Chinese is almost always a requirement.

However, there can be some positions in multinational organizations in China that do not require a knowledge of the language.

Finally, let’s talk about money. If you do an internship at home or in a rich country, you can usually finance yourself with your internship salary. Not in China. The salary levels are low and you will want to maintain a quality lifestyle rather than living in a worker’s dormitory and taking the bus across town. Internships pay pocket money; they won’t usually pay for your housing. It is better to look at your internship as an investment: you get relevant industry experience which can add great value to your resume. Don’t forget: internships can often lead to good job offers…

WHERE TO LOOK FOR A JOB?

If you’re looking for a job, it’s best to turn up in Beijing and Shanghai and trawl around offices. Even foreign firms in China use the Chinese system of guanxi (connections) more than they would at home, and getting to know the right people is even more important here. If you want to write to companies, find out the name of the personnel manager – a letter without a name at the top won’t get opened.

Magazines and Newspapers

Consult the classified pages of the expat mags in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou for a listing of work opportunities.
In Shanghai, you should look for magazines like That’s Shanghai, SH, City Weekend, Shanghai Talk. These are free magazines that you can usually find in foreign restaurants, bars or Starbucks. Look also in the job classifieds section of English newspapers like Shanghai Daily or China Daily.

Foreign chambers of commerce

It is usually a good launching point for networking and researching companies. Each chamber of commerce publishes a directory of all home country companies operating in China and usually hosts a monthly networking event. Networking is a good way to meet foreign companies.

It is particularly important for foreigners, as employers rely very heavily on referrals for candidates from abroad. If you have a few personal contacts in the country, your best approach may be to apply directly to these companies.

Generally, each foreign chambers of commerce offer a career section and a resume service in which you can advertise to companies in China.

USA: www.amcham-shanghai.org
FRANCE: www.ccifc.org
GERMANY: www.china.ahk.de
UK: www.sha.britcham.org
AUSTRALIA: www.austchamshanghai.com
CANADA: www.ccbc.com

By Shaun Rein. Published on Forbes

The New York Times recently ran an article about young Americans flocking to China for job opportunities because job prospects are so bleak in the U.S. The article made it sound as if it’s easy to find a good job there even if you don’t speak Mandarin or know much about Chinese culture. Is it really that easy?

The answer quite simply is no. Starting a career in China can be very worthwhile, but there are major downsides. Before racing across the globe to launch your new life, you need to think very carefully about whether it is worth it and, if you decide it is, how to guarantee yourself a meaningful experience.

On the good side, China’s economy remains strong, and people are palpably proud of its strength. Work in China is challenging and fast-paced, and young executives get far more responsibility than they would back home. China is clearly the next growth engine for most multinational corporations, as the country’s consumers and companies buy more and become less price-sensitive. Executives with experience in China will be in high demand back at headquarters and at leading business schools in coming years, so getting a couple of years of China work experience on your résumé certainly can’t hurt.

However, there are caveats. First, you mustn’t expect a high salary. Second, government regulations can make it very hard to secure a work visa unless you already have two full years of work experience. Chinese coming out of top schools like Fudan and Beijing University make $500 to $600 a month. To get more than that, young Americans need to prove they really deserve more, which is getting harder and harder to do. Having good English skills is no longer enough.

Hundreds of thousands of Chinese have studied in the West. Unlike the first rounds of Chinese, who studied in the U.S. during the late 1980s and early ’90s and mostly stayed in the States, younger Chinese are moving back home, both because of the opportunities available now and because of forbidding American work visa policies. Most companies prefer to hire these returnees, because they understand how to navigate China but also speak English well and have been exposed to Western practices and values. When I did my graduate studies at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, there were more Chinese there than any other nationality except Americans.

Unlike a decade ago, young Americans today compete for jobs with highly educated and worldly Chinese. Not only that, but they go up against older Americans trying to reinvigorate their careers. My firm, the China Market Research Group, receives four or five résumés a week from managing directors of firms like Lehman Brothers.

Unless you find the job in the U.S. and get transferred to China–and even before the recession those transfers were disappearing–be happy if you can make between $800 and $2,000 a month. My firm has calculated that the ratio of purchasing power for salaries in China and the U.S. is 3.5-to-1. That is, if you’d expected to make $60,000 a year on Wall Street, aim for $21,000 a year in Shanghai to be able to maintain the same quality of life and have the same amount of money to keep or pay back student loans with.

Assuming that you’re fine with making a low salary, what’s the best way to actually find a job? My firm receives résumés from bright kids with Ivy League degrees who have never been to China. When we offer them an interview, they tell us they’d be happy to fly out at our cost. Sorry, folks. Few businesses these days are into offering the all-expenses-paid trip of a lifetime. You’ll need to actually spend time in China, knocking on doors–a couple weeks, minimum, and on your dime. Work for a couple of months washing dishes, and save up for that plane ticket. Trust me, it will be worth it if you’re serious about finding a job here.

I’d suggest that you start looking for that China job in the U.S. first. That may sound counterintuitive, but bear with me. Call all the alumni/ae of your school you know and ask them if they know anyone in China they can introduce you to. People are keeping their Rolodexes close to their hearts in this terrible job market, but you can get them to introduce you to people in China because they don’t expect to move there and so won’t view you as competition. While you’re still in the U.S., arrange for meetings in China, so that when you arrive there you’ll have a full plate. I’ve found that you’re likely to get a higher salary if you’re introduced from the U.S., either by a friend or by the human-resources department of an American multinational, than if you just go after something in China off the cuff.

When you buy your plane tickets, make sure you allow for enough time not only for the meetings you’ve already scheduled but also for ones you may set up after you arrive. I’m always amazed when people come to my firm for an interview the day after landing in China and say they’re leaving tomorrow. Give yourself enough flexibility to accommodate second- and third-round interviews and introductions to other companies. Not many businesses will hire someone after only a first day’s interviews.

Let’s say you’ve made it to China for interviews and you’ve had the good fortune to score some decent offers. What should you look for in a job? Should you work for a large multinational or a Chinese company? I’ve always told people under 30 that they should care more about training than about money. Once you reach 30, the situation changes, but you want to get into a position that will give you exposure to a wide range of industries.

What is training in China, and what is a good stepping-stone job? Most companies don’t have programs like the two-year ones at the top investment banks and consulting firms in the U.S. In fact, training tends to be haphazard, largely because the markets change so fast that everyone sort of plays it by ear. So look for a position that might let you try a little sales and a little marketing. Most important, look for a direct supervisor who has a track record of success in China and who will mentor you. Executive turnover is so high in China, accelerated by the financial crisis, which has led companies to cut back on employees from overseas, that you need to make sure you find a place where someone will show you the ropes.

It is often best to start a career in the U.S., to get solid training, and then move to China. It’s a market that is still developing, with standards that are still changing. People starting out in investment banking often learn more about how to navigate the morass of legal issues and relationship complexities of the business than about the technical and hardcore skills of banking.

Personally, I find it pathetic when people consider moving to China without trying to learn the language once there. If you don’t learn the language, there is absolutely no way you can truly understand the Chinese people. Yes, English has become the lingua franca of China and the world, but it won’t let you fully appreciate China and how Chinese people think. Former President of China Jiang Zemin joked that there are more English speakers in China than in the U.S. That is certainly true. Sure, you can rely on a translator or find a job selling products and services to other foreigners, but part of the joy of working in foreign countries is learning about them. Make sure you learn the language, whether by hiring a private tutor or by making friends with locals.

One of the best ways to start a career in China is at a school. Apply for Mandarin language study for a semester, or see if you can get a job teaching English. That will get you a visa, you’ll begin to learn the language and appreciate the culture, and, importantly, you’ll begin to network and find out where the great job opportunities are.

China is a wonderful place to launch a career. The opportunities are limitless. Jobs aren’t easy to find, but once you’ve got one you’ll be rewarded by being part of a special time in China’s social and business evolution.

(Shaun Rein is the founder and managing director of the China Market Research Group, a strategic market intelligence firm.  He writes for Forbes on leadership, marketing and China.)