A Beacon for Foreign Job-Seekers

[Randy W]

An article from the Global Times that may be of interest to some, providing a fairly realistic look at the job situation for foreigners in China.

 

 

 

Editor's Note:

China has been a beacon for foreign job-seekers in recent decades, although higher employer expectations and an influx of English-speaking Chinese graduates returning to their home country have made the labor market more competitive. Demand for qualified foreign experts remains strong, as proven by a proposed five-year visa to lure talent from abroad. But are the days of expats pursuing their dream careers in China numbered? Two Cents invited three foreigners working in China to share their thoughts on challenges facing the country's expat labor market and emerging opportunities.

 

 

I discussed the issue with many foreigners and Chinese colleagues. Unfortunately, they confirmed my suspicion that I needed strong guanxi to survive in China.

 

Their suggestions differed, with one even suggesting I marry someone high up in a company to guarantee job security.

I have noticed a slight change in Chinese attitudes when it comes to the hiring process. Companies and schools are now more inclined to focus on a candidate's experience, rather than their connections or racial background.

One must be wise enough to realize that changes take time to bear fruit. Slowly but surely, nepotism will diminish with time in China's employment sphere.

 

 

It depends what you mean by "work." There are still jobs available, but I doubt they add up to a long-term career.

When I first arrived in Beijing, I lived in the Friendship Hotel and took my meals in the "Foreign Experts Dining Room" - full of many nationalities largely in the teaching or media professions. Such "experts" are now scattered all across the metropolis, if they exist at all.

 

. . .

 

It's significant that most of the foreigners I now work with come only for a year or so and then go home or move on elsewhere as part of the next step in their careers. There is no longer any special aura about being a foreigner working in China.

A change in that type of thinking is long overdue, and could be good for foreigners as well as China.

 

 

[Randy W]

Oops - the link

 

Is it still alluring to ‘Go East, young man?’