Comments on: Job Opportunities in China (and India) - The Sky ‘May’ Be The Limit, BUT … Do Your Friggin’ Homework

By: Daniel Fleek

Daniel Fleek — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 19:53:32 +0000

The Forbes article “Should You Look for Work in China” I believe gives a good idea of the pros and cons of finding a job in China. It might seem easy to get a job over there because of their growing economy, but he brings out some points that we should remember before one invest themselves to this. First off, I think it is ridiculous that someone would fly all the way out to China for an interview then take a flight back home the next day. It’s not every day we get to be in China so why not stay around a bit. Also, I agree that if one is to commit to living in China, they should commit to learning Mandarin. He also identifies the key challenges to finding a job there in that there are much more Chinese businessmen who have come from China, studied in the US, and moved back to work, especially recently than from the US side. In fact, this is probably the main reason why learning Mandarin is almost required if you want to compete in the job market. This is why Jack Perkowski, who I was surprised didn’t speak Mandarin, got away with not speaking the language while living there because he was one of the earliest waves of businessmen when competition was not as bad.
The advice given in Aimee Barnes blog also added some insight to having a successful career in China. For example, I can tell her persistence in her own experiences, which shows in her extensive prep list. She is very realistic of the job market situation and I agree with her that patience is very important and that it’s better to take on something part time until a worthwhile job comes around. In terms of some of the advice given from these articles, it seems as though the most important thing is to hone a skill while still in the US that one sees has potential overseas. Overall, although having a strong skill set would help one get a job in China, I agree with the “Young Americans in China” that if you are serious about China, don’t let little flaws such as your lack of Mandarin skills offset your goals. This was the case for Mick where he addressed this issue where there were “things that he could not do because of the language, he made many valuable contributions in the things he could. Every member of our Chinese staff told me how much they had learned from him” which I think is an important lesson for anyone interested in going over there. So in terms of what I could bring to China, I have realized that the value I can add besides having an overall grasp of business through the MBA program is the recent skills I acquired in negotiation class. This includes my skills in principle negotiation where I seek for win-win solutions between parties that cover the underlying interests and issues of the firm I work for, which I believe is an important asset given how important it is to make good, long lasting business deals with their booming economy.

By: Keith Cody

Keith Cody — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 12:13:06 +0000

What most interests me about finding a job in China is what are the next steps? We have career fairs several times a year here at Cal Poly? Are their job fairs for working in China. I know that the Chinese America Semiconductor Professional Association has job events. But I can find little else.

I know nothing about http://www.chinajob.com/ but they say “Working In China starts there.”
http://www.chinacareerblueprint.com/ promises a job in 90 days.

I’m looking forward to the business trip. Hopefully the contact I make there will blossom into something more.

By: Ashley Tyra

Ashley Tyra — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 09:10:24 +0000

Unlike the New York Times article, Shaun Rein takes a more practical stance on looking for a job in China. Landing a job in China has many obstacles – like obtaining a working visa or accepting low paying wages. Today there is more competition:
“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.”

For anyone who is considering finding a job in China, Rein suggest keeping these key things in mind:
–Looking for a job from home is convenient, but not practical.
–Try to find connections to people from China before you go.
–If you are interviewing in China, leave enough time for multiple rounds.
–Learn the language, it will benefit you in the end.
–Consider starting a career at a school

Finding a job in China is not easy. If someone is willing to put in the time and after, it can happen – but probably not until you are actually in the country with a great resume, better than the next.

By: Fred S.

Fred S. — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 20:01:17 +0000

I am glad to hear that most high schools in the United States are now offering Chinese as a foreign language to learn. In reading past blogs, it actually crossed my mind to call up my high school and let them know that it would be a good idea for them to add Chinese to the language program. I can see that knowing Mandarin will no be that bottomline “value” that you add to the company you are working for in China, but I can see definitely helping to set you apart from the rest of the MBAs.

I have been looking for jobs and have seen a lot of the big US companies with open job opportunity listings in foreign countries such as China. I would be interested in taking such opportunities, but I would not want to stay forever. I would want an exit strategy. I am also trying to avoid being that guy that flies to China every other week from the US. That would get tiring. I mainly want to be able to see what opportunities do exist in China and gain a greater multinational knowledge from my experience there. I want to be able to add value to conversations with my future employers here in the United States about the opportunities I have seen in china. I feel this is important to the industries I am interested in, since much of the manufacturing is done in Taiwan and spreading into China. Like many of the articles said, you just have to get up and make the trip to China and see it for yourself. I feel that being able to say I have been to China, I have been in the small and large factories, I have talked with Chinese managers, I have navigated the cities, and I have experienced the culture of the East will be able to add value to a company here in the United States.

Speaking of “value adds,” I can take note on the manufacturing processes used in the factories of China. In the manufacturing process there is wait time, move time, que time, set up time, and run time. Run time is the only value added time in the process. It is all about lowering all the non-value added times. The Japanese have always been known for having the most efficient factories and the Unites States has been trying to catch up for years. It will be interesting to see how the efficiency of the Chinese factories is. After all, the “black belt “ rating system for six-sigma systems was a notion that came from the ninjas of the East, be it that it was thought of in a bar.

By: Georgia

Georgia — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 05:38:07 +0000

I think that “American Graduates Finding Jobs in China” made getting a job in China seem like a cake walk. I don’t think it’s typical for a person with an undergraduate degree in biology to start a business in China. I liked Jack Perkowski’s outlook that it is more about your value add-in than knowing the language, but was aghast that he basically bragged about not learning the language. I think moving anywhere and not taking the time to learn about the culture and language is rude and will come back to haunt you. I would rather learn at least a few phrases in Mandarin to use instead of standing there like Peter from “Brits get rich.”
I liked Shaun Rein and Aimee Barnes methodical approaches to working in China. Although Aimee Barnes is biased it’s not cloaked, her article is called “Falling in love with China…And your career.” I couldn’t imagine going anywhere, especially out of the country, with nothing lined up. I think that anyone who is trying to find an easy way to a great job is kidding themselves. Moving to China isn’t some miracle solution.

By: Jeffrey Brown

Jeffrey Brown — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 08:11:09 +0000

The main takeaway from the articles (especially Shaun Rein’s) is that while it isn’t easy to get a job in China, it is certainly possible if one is dedicated enough and plans accordingly. One should also not expect to receive immediate short-term benefits and in fact, should expect to see things a little worse (financially at least) with a job in China.

I do not plan to go looking for a job in China any time soon but I am always keeping my options open. Were I going to apply for a job in China, I feel my value-add points would be very similar to those value-add points for domestic jobs or other opportunities. I am an innovative, self-driven individual, always striving for the highest in everything I do. I have a desire to improve the environment around me and make processes as efficient as possible. While my desire to improve the environment around me could potentially be harmful if asserted incorrectly, I am sensitive to others and look to gain support before any significant action is taken. I also have negotiation skills and am very much oriented towards innovative technology.

I know I say I do not plan on working there but it is very possible that I may start a business that connects with China in some way or another. I think it is important for domestic businesses that are selling in or cooperating with customers in China to be able to list value-add points to potential clients as well.

By: Grant

Grant — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 22:24:48 +0000

Shaun Rein was right to chastise someone who didn’t pick up the language in 3 years; they should have by then. The biggest take away from this was from the article that makes the point that, sure one needs to learn Chinese in China, but once you have done so, that doesn’t necessarily make you a golden child in America, and that you are out-languaged by 2.5 million native bilingual speakers. What matters is the rest of the value-add, not just language skills.

By: Charles Dornbush

Charles Dornbush — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 23:07:32 +0000

Reading these articles give you an extensive idea of what i takes to land a job in China. It is not easy to find one there, especially from your bedroom here in the U.S. The conflicting articles of China as a “land of opportunity” and stories of people taking years to find a job in China lead to a muddy picture of what is available there. One thing is for sure: being an American who speaks English will not guarantee you a good job in China (unless you want to be an English teacher).

For someone who has never been to China, it’s hard to imagine flying there unemployed and starting a job search on the ground there. If I was to look for a job in China I think I would start by at least trying to find contacts there. The pros and cons of your job search in China and the U.S. were weighed in these articles, and it seems a majority of “experts” recommend coming to China for the search. But I think that unless you were 100% committed to working in China, this would not be worth the risks.

Finally I enjoyed the articles and videos of Jack Perkowski. I am familiar with his story. Tim Clissold’s book Mr. China is all about how Perkowsi and Clissold built businesses in China during the 90s when China was beginning to open up to foreign investment. It is a great read and incredibly entertaining. Mr. Perkowski seemed very optimistic about opportunities for Westerners in China, but I think he even recognized the need for a “value-add”. All-in-all, I don’t think I can even contemplate working in China until I visit there.

By: Vladimir

Vladimir — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 03:14:17 +0000

I had my doubts when reading the first article about young graduates moving to China without learning any Mandarin. Finding a job in China is one thing, but why limit your options due to a lack of native language skills? Jack Perkowski says that Westerners with little experience should learn Mandarin, but that it wasn’t (and still isn’t) important for him since his value comes from his experience, not his knowledge of Mandarin. It’s not just where one’s value comes from, it’s also where one loses value. I don’t know what his day-to-day duties are and who he interacts with, but I think that he’s missing something by neglecting the language, even if he can get away with not knowing it. I would not want to isolate myself from direct communication with those around me or feel comfortable in a position of executive responsibility without knowing the native language. I think back to the air conditioner guy in the “To Catch the Cubs You Must Enter the Tiger’s Lair” video and how much more comfortable he would feel if he knew the language.

Young graduates who want to go to China to try something new should know the two rules for China: Rule #1 “Everything is possible in China,” and Rule #2 “Nothing is easy”, as well as the advice “Anyone who thinks that the China road will be an easy one should stay away”. The quote from the NY Times, “A big draw of working in China, many young people say, is that they feel it allows them to skip a rung or two on the career ladder” makes it seem easy. As if starting a job in China equals being promoted twice in America in the same field. “I want to try something different” is not a good enough reason by itself to go work in China for three years. If I were considering working in China I would ask myself how it would add value to my career. Where do I see myself in three years? I would have a plan. If I were to travel to China my value-add that differentiates me for firms there would be my knowledge of Western culture. I would be the one who interacts with business partners in the United States. In the US, my value-add would be my experience, as well as my analytical and quantitative skills, the dedication to improve the quality of my team’s output, teamwork, customer service, and enthusiasm.

By: Kevin K.

Kevin K. — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:56:10 +0000

My takeaways from these articles leave me with a sense that America and China, although culturally different, have similar business landscapes. Jobs these days are getting harder and harder to find, not just in the US, but in China too. Influxes of Americans will not change that, as China continues to be a contentious proving ground for those seeking employment.

The Forbes article listed takes a look at the first New York Times piece and really gives it perspective. Yes young Americans were profiled for succeeding in China, and no they are not the only ones. However, as Shaun Rein writes, there are caveats to those thinking they can just launch a career in China and immediately be a mid-level executive. He states, “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.” Sounds like it’s tough sledding for everyone these days in the job market, although it doesn’t hurt to expand that pool from which you are searching.

As an addendum, I’m curious if “value add” sounds just like a buzzword to everyone else? Whatever happened to just getting the job done, perhaps better than other potential job seekers.