The Lure of a Job - Finding a Job in China

A few years ago we wrote an article about the perception of a boom time in China and in Shanghai in particular and how foreigners from all over the world were treading their way to Shanghai in hopes of creating their own niche in China's booming economy. Times have changed, but people are still coming. At the Shanghaiexpat Coffee Meeting, I am meeting some people who are just landing in Shanghai on their tourist visa and starting a job hunt. Brave people. I hired one recently.

Many countries in the western world are experiencing economic issues and companies are hiring less and downsizing more. In many countries, fresh grads hitting the job market are not finding any job possibilities. I talked with one lady at the Coffee Meeting here who was hired after graduating from contacts she had with her previous internship here. She said that of all the people she knew in college that she was in touch with, she was the only one able to get a real job. It speaks volumes.

In the US, over a million people have run out of unemployment benefits just in the last month (until Congress just came up with an extension). Still, its not a good situation in many places, and China appears to be one bright spot in the world for economic growth. However, China is jealously guarding access through tighter visa regulations. After all, they have a few million new grads entering the work force every year.

Lure of the Boom Revisited

Armed with a little Chinese they might have picked up in college or at home, the search continues. This, from the old Lure of the Boom article still applies, “ The situation is pretty simple. There are more people from other countries who want to come live and work in Shanghai, than there are jobs at expat salaries. In the past year, the job market has been flooded with educated and experienced overseas Chinese or overseas educated mainland Chinese being attracted to the same thing other expats are attracted to -- the lure of finding a job. Shanghai is getting a lot of play on the world stage right as the frontier for entrepreneurs and possibly the only place on the entire planet where things are booming as the rest of the world suffers in the doldrums of economic downturn, rumors of war, terrorist threats, and major lay-offs. Of course I am exaggerating, but not by much (you might include several other East-coast China cities in there. This is the perception to many who are in search of THE place in the world where life is good and the economy is vibrant”

English teaching jobs run from 15-20 USD per classroom hour at private companies and as little as 3000 RMB plus room at regular universities. As more and more expats arrive here wanting find a way to stay, I think the English teaching will always be in demand, but it may be more competitive” However, for those who have the qualifications, there are teaching jobs to be found, though the pay range is all over the map. Suffice to say, you can live here, experience China, though you might not be saving much.

If you do not have the education, experience, language skills, contacts, etc to have someone look at your resume and go WOW, your options are a little more limited. Most administrative, technician, retail, food service, and general mass market jobs are for locals who speak the language, who have the contacts (guanxi), and who are willing to work for 700-3000 RMB 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. However, for most people, even if they work it and can pick a gig every month, its not enough to live well on. So, you either decide to work for local salary, perhaps a little above local salary, OR you somehow create your own work with the skills you have. In any case, you had better come with some cash saved up. “

Fishing for Jobs

We often see people fishing for advice, leads, or job possibilities in the forum. What a person can find for work depends on their age, experience, education, and what kind of compensation they are looking for. It also depends on what issues getting a work permit might raise. Employers are willing to jump through a few hoops to find the right person that can work at the right budget range. However, there is a limit. If you are a fresh BA grad from the US, 22 years old, no serious work experience or expertise, your chances of even being able to qualify for a work permit and Z visa are limited. Lately, the government immigration office has required at least 2 years work experience out of school and verifiable experience on your resume for the job you are being hired in China for. So, if you have a degree and two years selling jeans at local mall, its not going to get into a job as a fashion writer.

China is looking for additions from the foreign talent pool that bring with them something not directly available by the average local applicants. Expertise or experience that can help mature the Chinese work force. So, the applicant needs to prepare their visa application, resume, training and experience if they want to work here. Depending on luck and contacts, they might think about how much they need to live and how much they are willing to accept in compensation in order to find a job here. If you price yourself out of the market ( and that is surprisingly easy to do ) , it will limit your opportunities at jobs that might be valuable in ways other than cash.

For those who are not on an expat package, options are limited. Other than teaching English there are very few open jobs that foreigners can hold, especially if they are not able to speak, read, write, and understand Chinese language. There are a lot of jobs opening in teaching to the qualified, a fair number of foreigners, new to the job market here, are taking jobs at local rate or local plus. Enough to live here, but well below what might be considered a good wage in their home country.

MNC's

It might be a slightly different story if you have a job offer from a larger company to come here and manage some aspect of the company operations. While this is by far the best route to find work in China, it also has its own issues. These jobs pay more, have better benefits and allowances, and are the type of job you can move a family on for a few years. However, there are fewer of these jobs available as there is competition for mid level positions ( and even some senior positions) from a large number of returning overseas Chinese. Still relevant from the Lure of the Boom article:

In addition, unless the family moving here comes here with a sense of adventure, and some understanding of the cultural environment, chances are higher than normal that this kind of move will take a toll on the marriage and family situation. It is very important if you are taking a good position and bringing your family, you investigate the culture and pitfalls of doing business here and with issues it will raise for your family. Expat assignments are very expensive for companies and a high percentage fail due to family stress.

DIY for the Entrepreneurs

Another possibility, though much more risky, is to come here and start your own. Not recommended at all for the newbie in China, unless you have a lot of money you want to throw away. In the forum, most would-be small business entrepreneurs were actively discouraged until they had thought it through. Doing business in China is NOT like setting up a lemonade stand in your home country neighborhood. It is fraught with pitfalls, and at the very least, someone planning to create their niche here should spend a lot time researching their idea, taking some time to get to know how things are done, build some alliances with people you can trust, and expect that you will spend more and make less than whatever you thought you were going to do.

Don't get me wrong. It is possible to find a good niche, if the expat moving here has some experience and education. Thousands of foreigners come to China every year. However, they need to do their homework and be ready to show the kind of experience that will get them hired here. Its good get some Chinese language skill. Its good to get an internship here for a few months, even if you have to pay Their own way to do it.

Other related articles:

Getting Your First Job in Shanghai
Display Yourself In Job Interview
Learning Mandarin Not Equal To Getting A Job Here