How to Get a Job in China - Internship Network Asia
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Transcript of How to Get a Job in China - Internship Network Asia
J an Wos tyn , I n te rna t i ona l Re l a t i ons D i rec to r
How to get a job in China?by Internship Network Asia
Overview
Part I: Basic information about China
Part II: Getting a job in China: how to get started?
Part III: Requirements
Part IV: Which kind of companies hire foreigners in China? What kind of jobs?
Part V: Life in China
Q&A
Part I : Basic information about China
Population
Economy
Politics
Language
Population
The world’s most populous country at 1,343,239,923 people (2012 est.)
Ethnic groups: Han versus minorities Han majority (91.5%) 55 official minorities, a.o. Tibetan,
Uygur, Mongolian, …人山人海 “ mountains and seas of
people” Ever heard of Wuhan, Chongqing or
Chengdu? Countless cities with more than 5
mio people in the purely urban areas
Economic Miracle
Market-oriented reforms initiated in 1978, start of the biggest economic transformation in the history of mankind
State maintains a very strong control over the economy All land is owned by the government Big state-owned companies in crucial sectors State favors its home-grown champions
By 2020, the Chinese economy is expected to overtake the USA as the biggest economy of the world Level of GDP per capita still less than 1/5th of the
USA ! Still 36% of people work in agriculture
Economic Challenges
Transformation export-led and investment driven economy to economy fueled by domestic demand. Currently 54% of GDP is investment
Cooling inflation (at 5,4% in 2011) without causing ‘hard landing’
Real Estate bubble?
Corruption
Rising income inequality
Congestion and environmental pressure
Politics
Communism? Capitalism? Socialism? Marxism? Pragmatism ! Combination of market economy and socialism with ‘Chinese
characteristics’
CCP has monopoly on power since 1949
From Maoist totalitarianism to intra-party ‘democracy’
Changing role of the press
The internet and social media Facebook, Twitter and Youtube are blocked Fear of ‘Jasmin revolution’ after Arab spring
Chinese Language
One official standard language = Mandarin Chinese
Several ‘regionalects’, mostly in the South: Cantonese, Shanghainese, Minnan, Xiang, etc… Mutually unintelligeable
All Chinese use the same script, however Simplified characters in Mainland China ‘Traditional’ characters in Taiwan, HK and Macao
About 3000 characters needed to read newspapers
汉语 中文 普通话
Part II: How to find a job in China
Getting started online
Get personal connections to China
Internships in China
Getting started online
Chinese job sites www.51job.com ( 我要 job) : English interface www.chinahr.com www.matchdragon.com
City-based websites aimed at foreigners with classifieds www.thebeijinger.com www.cityweekend.com.cn (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou)
Websites of Foreign chambers of commerce Subscribe to newsletters Look for job sections
Multinational companies’ websites
Get personal connections to China
Search your LinkedIn network for contacts based in China, 1st or 2nd degree, and ask for introductions
Do you have any family contacts who have ever done business in China?
Attend networking events related to China in your home country Local chambers of commerce China-related organizations Seminars about China China job fairs, e.g. SinoJobs in Germany
Headhunter firms may help you get a job in China, but probably not your first job Either China experience, outstanding Chinese language skills or very specific
expertise in a certain field will be required Not the appropriate channel for young job seekers, because firms simply don’t
pay headhunter fees for entry level jobs
Internship in China
Online job search can be challenging and frustrating because you are like drop in the ocean
Starting with an internship has several advantages: You get your first professional experience in China, which is crucial to
stand out from all the job seekers applying from abroad You get a chance to build up a local network with this first professional
identity. You get to figure out whether you like living in China or not You can acquire basic Mandarin skills on the side
How to find an internship? Broad array of agencies with internship programs Placement only or package service? Internship tailored to your needs/interests? Look for the right price-quality ratio Look out for scams
Part III: Requirements
Skill requirements
Visa requirements
Tax requirements
Social security requirements
Skill requirements for jobs/internships
Proficient business English Professional expertise and skills
Bachelor degree is a minimum requirement Some previous working experience in your field as well For internships, these requirements usually don’t exist
Basic Mandarin skills No need to be an interpreter Basic knowledge will make you much more productive, especially in personal contacts
with Chinese colleagues or business contacts For internships, zero Mandarin skills are not an issue
Interpersonal skills China’s economic infrastructure is based on ‘guanxi’ or ‘relations’ Good interpersonal skills are essential to maintain good relations with colleagues,
clients, suppliers, government officials, etc… This requires flexibility and patience and a willingness to engage in seemingly
unproductive activities such as lengthy dining, Karaoke or other activities which are aimed at strengthening relations
Intercultural skills Previous experience abroad will assure potential employers that you have some
sensitivity to intercultural differences Be aware of the indirect communication style in China
Visa requirements
Internships: F-visa Need invitation letter from the company where you will intern Proof of accommodation in China
Jobs: Z-visa Required documents:
Medical examination certificate 2 years of working experience with references CV in Chinese Diploma, translated in Chinese by official translation company
Procedure (see http://www.china-embassy.org) Obtain a temporary Z-visa abroad with a “visa notification letter”,
to be converted into a long-term Z-visa within 30 days in China Some agencies also provide this service without having to leave
China in case you were in China already (e.g. at the end of an internship)
Tax requirements
Income tax (IIT = Individual Income Tax) First 4800 CNY is exempted (approx. 750 USD) Monthly withholding system, salary to be filed before 15th
of the following month Yearly incomes above 120.000 CNY (+/- 19000 USD) also
need to file a yearly Individual Income Tax self-declaration Income tax calculator:
http://www.sjgrand.cn/individual-income-tax-calculator
An expat residing for 5 years in China, without more than a 1 month interruption will be taxed on worldwide income Expats therefore take a month sabbatical at least every 5
years…
Social Security for foreigners
Internship: Get your own private medical and liability insurance at any major
insurance company (about 80-100 USD/month, depending on coverage levels)
Jobs: New Social Security law in effect since Oct 15th, 2011 Increased burden on companies hiring foreigners, without much
benefit for foreigners Gross salary of 10.000 CNY/month implies cost of 14410 CNY/month
for your company and only 8664 CNY net for you You pay for a pension, but are only entitled to get it when you have
worked minimum 15 years in China, which is rather rare http://www.sjgrand.cn/individual-income-tax-calculator shows
overview of all components of the social security Unemployment benefits? Still to be seen how this will work ! A very new evolution in China, will undoubtedly still further evolve
Part IV: what can you expect?
What do foreigners generally do in China?What kind of companies hire foreigners in China?What kind of functional areas?Different modes of employmentSalary expectationsLife in China
Foreigners in China in 2010
About 524.000 foreigners officially living in China in 2010
But also 359 million non-worker arrivals every year !
Mostly employed by foreign-funded enterprisesRather rare in Chinese state-owned enterprises
Source: http://english.sina.com/z/20120516foreigner/index.shtml
What kind of companies hire foreigners?
Foreign/International firms Multinationals
Foreign employees are usually expats with experience within the firm and having reached a higher management level
Less active in local hiring of foreigners in China SMEs
Often fast growing Quick decision making, less bureaucratic Very active on the ‘local foreigner market
Chinese firms Globalizing Chinese firms , e.g. Lenovo, Hai’er, Huawei, ZTE “Local” Chinese firms
Chinese knowledge will be required Careful: are you not being used as the foreign face? Or is your job
nothing more than an in-company English teacher?
In what functional areas are foreigners hired?
Marketing and Sales More and more companies, both foreign and Chinese, are
targeting the local expat market, especially in Beijing or Shanghai
A foreign face with Mandarin skills is also becoming more common to sell luxury to high end Chinese customers
Finance, accounting, law With foreign firms massively investing in China, there is a
big need for foreign advice on financial, tax and legal issuesIT
Often smaller, locally founded companies providing various IT services such as website building, SEO, IT infrastructure set-up, programming tailor-made company software, etc…
What’s life like in China for foreigners?
FunSafeBeijing/Shanghai versus 2nd tier cities: big
difference“Laowai”Overwhelming
Language Food Congestion
Sometimes lost in translation
Lost in translation… Better learn Chinese !
About Internship Network Asia
Internship Network Asia was founded in 2008, was acquired by Hutong
School in June 2012 and now has the biggest network of partner
companies in Beijing and Shanghai. Together with Hutong School’s
far-reaching expertise in internship placement in China, we are now
one of the leading providers of high quality internships in China.
Kick-Start Your Career – Intern in Beijing or Shanghai
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