Hey,

I was wondering if I could get some friendly advice. I'm a 22 year old American who just graduated from **** College (small, elite liberal arts college in Northeast USA) with a double major in Economics and East Asian Studies.

I was really hoping to head over to Shanghai this Fall with an entry level job as an analyst/researcher/trader/etc with a company, but am having trouble finding entry-level job openings online. The few I've found on zhaopin.com seemed interested, but then found more experienced candidates. I'm not fluent in Mandarin which is probably hurting me, but I studied abroad at Nanjing University and took a few semesters of Mandarin at college.

Anyone know of any companies that are hiring young foreign prospects? Any advice at all would be appreciated though. Thanks in advance.

Even if they were interested they won't probably be able to get you a working visa for you to work legally here.

Hi there- just thought I would mention to you that I am headed for Shanghai sometime this winter to teach, and I'm also a graduate from Maine. It is really not going to be a problem finding a job in Shanghai, I do not know much about your area of expertise. But i have relatives who live in the city (and are from New England), and both have fairly secure jobs as a lawyer and a business consultant. I would suggest trying Asianjobs.com, I found it a helpful site for finding teaching jobs.

When are you headed over?

-tuckertwo

Hi there- just thought I would mention to you that I am headed for Shanghai sometime this winter to teach, and I'm also a graduate from Maine. It is really not going to be a problem finding a job in Shanghai, I do not know much about your area of expertise. But i have relatives who live in the city (and are from New England), and both have fairly secure jobs as a lawyer and a business consultant. I would suggest trying Asianjobs.com, I found it a helpful site for finding teaching jobs.

asianjobs i found of no use or value at all. under the healthcare section there are no jobs at all under all the categories listed (more than 50). also one needs to sign up/register before one can search. what a waste of time. by the options provided in the sign u/registration phase, it becomes obvious asianjobs is an american based/focused recruiter... really useful for asia/china!

to the OP.
try some really useful websites...
http://www.zhaopin.com/ theres an English webpage option check at top right.
http://www.51job.com/default-e.php?from=inner English site
http://www.chinahr.com/english/

good luck

Thanks....I've been using zhaopin.com - I'll check out the others in the AM

leidelaohu wrote:

WoTingBuDong wrote:Anyone know of any companies that are hiring young foreign prospects? Any advice at all would be appreciated though. Thanks in advance.

I wouldn't say you can't because the impossible is nothing but legally you have to be 25 and have two years of relevant work experience before you can get a working visa. The shaky methods are becoming much more difficult and I wouldn't expect that to change. The pay would be absolute crap anyhow.

use the search, Luke. A gazillion threads on this subject here.

Wow , i had no idea about the being over 25 thing to apply for working visa.
Is that a global thing applicable to visa's in general/ And does that mean you need two years of experience post being 25 ??

China thing....At least 25 with 2 years experience

Slightly inaccurate. There is no age requirement. The requirement is that you have a 4-year degree plus 2 years of relevant work experience in your field.

Bachelors from Bates won't get you anywhere. Should have continued to get a Masters at Bates....Master Bates!

- Courtesy message from a MA rival grad at Whoopi Tech

underh20 wrote:Slightly inaccurate. There is no age requirement. The requirement is that you have a 4-year degree plus 2 years of relevant work experience in your field.

Ah kk, so this is what gets you the "foreign expert certificate" ?
And if thats the case, how are/were a large number of unqualified english teachers managing to live in China ?

The "Foreign Experts Certificate" is nothing more than a glorified Alien Employment Permit for those earning at or below the poverty level.

The reason there are a lot of unqualified trailer park trash living in China is because a) not every PSB insists on meeting the requirements, b) many of those PWTers are skilled in Photoshop, c) they're not above falsifying resumes and / or d) they are working illegally.

Under which one of the above categories do you fall?

Heh None, im still in Australia - Studying and working my arse off so i can legitimetly find work, but since im only 23 and only just started studying it looks like i've got a ways to go.... im quite against the idea of falsifying anything too!

chips wrote:Heh None, im still in Australia - Studying and working my arse off so i can legitimetly find work, but since im only 23 and only just started studying it looks like i've got a ways to go.... im quite against the idea of falsifying anything too!

Just get a degree, some work experience and come on over! You'll be ok.

Thats the plan, already have 8 years work experience in my field tho /sorry to the OP for stealing your thread

You'll be ok then. Besides, by the time you graduate there will be a clearer picture of how the whole economic mess will play out.

chips wrote:im only 23

chips wrote:already have 8 years work experience in my field tho

Paperboy?

^

Web developer since age of 15 started in a Webdevelopment/It Firm on a traineeship, currently work from home 9-5 7 days a week for a development firm remotely as a Coldfusion/PHP Webdeveloper.....Sooooooooo

You'll be ok then. Besides, by the time you graduate there will be a clearer picture of how the whole economic mess will play out.

- Agreed, anyway not my thread and now im just reposting my initial dumbassness

leidelaohu,

Dont worry im well aware i will have a hard time, i've looked into seeing if my current employer is interested in expanding/and they may be, but as you said its a big risk and you need that initial capital and im not confident enough in my marketing skills to offer any guarantees to my work. AFAIK if i want to stick with my current Profession i will need to become manager/team leader/ teacher material to find anything decent.

I'm not completely naive , my reason for jumping onto shexpat was to get info on fact/fiction about china job market for foreigners.

But i guess there is always teaching after i finish my degree, could follow it up with a PostGrad in diploma of teaching along with a tesl course, but im just not sure if taking the easy option will satisfy me.

^ You could come over and teach long enough to become jaded and then seek other options.

Ok...so the general sentiment here is that there's no way on God's green earth that I am going to get a job in the field I want without two years experience. That is to say, without doing anything shady.

Please let me pose another question...Would anyone recommend teaching English? Looking over the forums it seems to me that English teachers are looked upon quite disdainfully. I have some acquaintances who have done this and they go so far as to claim that it is somewhat of a "right of passage" for young people trying to start their career in China.

I think the negativity comes from the fact that people who cant teach, end up teaching even though its not their primary profession. Ie, if you were a gardener in your home land, but decided you wanted to work else where and discovered pretending to be a programmer was the easiest way into a job in your country of choice, im pretty sure it would annoy many people who have trained for many years to obtain a job that others now seemingly walk into and fudge most of the credentials.

Correct me if im wrong but thats the vibe i've come across, aside from that it just feels wrong to drop your primary profession (especially if you actually enjoy it and are good at it) only to switch to a career that you probably know nothing about.

But having said that, its still something i will probably definately look into in order to at least get a foot in place and build some contacts, so it probably is a right of passage...

Bates from Maine? Ha...I had few of them and feel free to let me know what you're looking for in ShangTown...you know, " you can't get there from here" ..-;)

WoTingBuDong wrote:Ok...so the general sentiment here is that there's no way on God's green earth that I am going to get a job in the field I want without two years experience. That is to say, without doing anything shady.

Nobody can state with 100% accuracy that you can't get a job. But if the system works like it should, you won't.

WoTingBuDong wrote:Please let me pose another question...Would anyone recommend teaching English? Looking over the forums it seems to me that English teachers are looked upon quite disdainfully. I have some acquaintances who have done this and they go so far as to claim that it is somewhat of a "right of passage" for young people trying to start their career in China.

Right of passage? Only if your ultimate destination is turning tricks on Chang An Jie.

Right of passage? Only if your ultimate destination is turning tricks on Chang An Jie.

Well ya know I have pretty high aspirations for myself

WoTingBuDong wrote:

Right of passage? Only if your ultimate destination is turning tricks on Chang An Jie.

Well ya know I have pretty high aspirations for myself

Then you'll fit right in on Chang An Jie. It's a high rent district. Remember to up your prices.

err

It is possible to find a job out here in shanghai. I'm 24 years old and working for a MNC company in shanghai. I came out here straight out of college with a BS degree. Before coming to shanghai, I studied half a year at Fudan and would say im fluent in chinese (still working on the reading and writing).

Some advice:

1) Coming out here is a risk, but with a plan and passion it might work out
2) More likely to find a job through networking and "guanxi" than zhaopin
3) Know some chinese, can you talk comfortably with a local?
4) Companies in china know you might be qualified, but worry you might leave "why am i going to spend time and resources, when there is a good chance you will get home sick and leave"
5) what do you offer over a expert local who knows just as much finance as you

Just some thoughts. Hope that helps

Cool good to hear, but how did u get by the age limit on working visa's ?

Slightly inaccurate. There is no age requirement. The requirement is that you have a 4-year degree plus 2 years of relevant work experience in your field.

The more appropriate question would be how he got by the two years experience requirement. Some companies are powerful enough to hire anyone they want while others are sneaky enough to skirt this requirement. Also, some foreigners seeking employment aren't above forging/lying about their two years experience or working illegally.