I am currently pursuing a job in Shanghai. However, I am trying to avoid the ‘traditional route’—apply for an advertised vacant position w/ application letter & CV. From my research, most or many jobs are not found this way.

Can any here share any method/s they have personally used in Shanghai, that has/have worked,
or can recommend one/some that have led to success, as an alternative route to getting one’s ‘foot in the door’?


Thanks.

Head hunters.

First job - Applied online, had interview over the phone, offered job. That was an English teaching job, hence why it was so simple.

Second job- Went for interview with a headhunting company for a position as a headhunter. They didn't want me to be their headhunter, but kept me on file. A few weeks later a random job position popped up and they recommended me for it. I went for 3 interviews and got the job.

Third job - Emailed the founder of the company asking them for advice on how to break into that industry. They brought me in for an interview and some other stuff, then offered me a job.

Practical advice:
Learn Chinese and have yourself a unique skill. Foreigners that speak Chinese and have unique skills are in high demand (depending on the skill). If you are quite young and don't have much experience or unique skills, then still learn Chinese, it can open some interesting doors. And by interesting I really do mean interesting.

If you have clear career aims and a good background, get in touch with some of the big name headhunters. If you don't have that sort of background, nor clear career aims, then the small name local headhunting companies may be able to help you.

Get out networking. Network until you drop dead. In fact, I'm pretty sure that if you networked for long enough then you wouldn't really have to do anything else to get a job. Good place to start for networking events is FC Club and Dragon Business Network.

Good luck!

Funny that woaishanbhai would dispense advice when he bitches about his job all day long.
Some good it did finding your job eh?

With that said, the fact you are looking for the alternative, instead of doing more of the same, is a very good sign.

I dont believe in the networking route, because you will mostly meet people in the same situation as you.

To recommend a strategy we'd probably need to know about which industry you want to work in.
The approach to get a job in say accounting is different from getting a job in marketing, or sales.

The key thing you already identified: go against the unwashed desperate masses. Doing what they do will only lead you to work jobs you hate, like woaishanghai, and end up like a miserable whiner.

Haha, good one B

How good was your university and are they networked out here? Ivy League schools have bi-monthly dinners and get-togethers, as do the upper tier Pac10 schools like UCLA, USC, Washington, Stanford, and Cal.

Friends.

Brun0 wrote:To recommend a strategy we'd probably need to know about which industry you want to work in.
The approach to get a job in say accounting is different from getting a job in marketing, or sales.

My background is in media, particularly print.

Then you better show that your ready and willing to follow the government policy and not let your personal beliefs/morals get in the way.

phiota wrote:Then you better show that your ready and willing to follow the government policy and not let your personal beliefs/morals get in the way.

I see this as possessed of a judgment. So that I not make the mistaken assumption that you have in relation to me, could you justify your statement? And explain how this actually indicates your own experience in obtaining work as per the OP?

ATP wrote:

Brun0 wrote:To recommend a strategy we'd probably need to know about which industry you want to work in.
The approach to get a job in say accounting is different from getting a job in marketing, or sales.

My background is in media, particularly print.

What exactly? Design?

We should talk.

Hey, haven't we two debated before about outsourcing vs hiring in SH by the way?

Brun0 wrote:
What exactly? Design?

We should talk.

Hey, haven't we two debated before about outsourcing vs hiring in SH by the way?

Bruno, sent you a PM.

Chinapocalypse wrote:Hi all,
If you’re interested in reading about the differences between Chinese and American culture, visit http://www.Chinapocalypse.com. This is a blog run by NYU students studying in Shanghai so the content is written from an American mindset.

We would love to hear back from you about your experiences in China. If you have feedback for a specific article, you can comment on our posts; if you have a general suggestion or critique of our website, you can e-mail us at chinapocalypse@gmail.com.

Thank you,
Ryan

Please get this damn sh1t spammer off the forums, please!!! Make him (her) put the notice in the correct place-once!!