Thinking about living and working in China? Here comes my advice
你好!
The Middle Kingdom, China, is the canvas of many imaginations and aspirations and there is worldwide a growing interest in living and working here.
If you are one of those interested to experience first hand, this article gives you recommendation what to consider, how to prepare and how to start the job hunt.
What is your motivation coming to China?
I advise that people should he honest to themselves about why they want to go to China. Because you won’t get for sure all.
If you are going solely for the career development but you don’t bring the openness to discover a new world, you might find yourself in an expat bubble disconnected to the rest. Especially in a city like Shanghai, but also here in Suzhou where we live. And while this might bring some comfort (such as buying and eating the food we are used to), I experience that it misses vitality, and even more real growth and learning…
On the other hand you might be really open and into the new experience, eager to see and learn. Are you also open to accept possible shortcomings? Such as a big language barrier, a different working culture, stepping out of the social system of your country, possible cut backs in your salary and career development etc.
Do you think you can adjust to the Chinese working culture? While it can be really refreshing to experience the enthusiasm and the can-do attitude in China (especially as an European), you also need to know that this is linked to „you can reach everything if you try and work hard enough“. Are you up to dealing with that? In case you are planing to relocate as a family: Is your family up to that?
In my experience those expats and their families benefit the most from living abroad who are convinced that they can learn a lot in and from their new country and that it brings them personal development. Then the risk of becoming arrogant and cynic, complaining about many little details - unfortunately a preferred hobby of many expats - is small and you will become a person with a broader view on life.
How can you prepare?
I recommend everyone to do a lot of research before deciding on moving to another country, but especially to China. Because in many aspects life can be very different here from what we think is the norm.
But also be to be honest with you, researching a lot beforehand satisfies my “German”need for security. My Colombian husband has a completely different approach on that :-D
So, for the “german-minded”amongst you: Do an extensive research and try to get up to date information. I can recommend for example the podcast “How China works” or the German book „Die Chinesen. Psychogram einer Weltmacht“, written by a Chinese-German couple.
Get an overview about the country, it’s history and culture. Do a research on the cities. I promise, you will detect many really big cities you probably never heard of.
How is life in these cities and how are the costs of living? While many daily things are quite cheap, others can be very expensive (like western products). Also in accommodation there can be huge differences, especially as Chinese are usually not renting flats, so these are mostly for foreigners and therefore pricey.
How are the current visa and working permit requirements? Are you entitled to get a working permit in China? How easy or difficult would it be for you to get a working permit in China?
If you have children: Are there international kindergartens or schools in your target cities, and if yes, could you afford them? I read stories of families not being able to afford the international school for their kids. You should consider that beforehand.
Transportation/commuting: For an European Chinese Cities are incredibly big. I will never forget looking down on Shanghai when we first flew here 1 year ago. It seemed like a never-ending sea of houses and skyscrapers. So while public transportation in the big cities is really good and cheap and while the network for the speed trains is constantly enlarged, commuting can still take a lot of time.
And finally, how is the job market at your target cities? You can get a good overview via the job openings at LinkedIn and Glassdoor. Glassdoor also gives an overview about salaries as well as employee ratings for companies, really helpful for a first research.
An extra word about the information on the internet: When I researched in preparation for our relocation about China and especially Suzhou I was very confused: I found very often outdated information and really old webpages in English. Some Facebook groups, but also not really insightful…I couldn’t connect this to what I heard about Suzhou and it’s booming economy and life.
Truth is: Information flows much much different in China. So if you haven’t done it yet, download WeChat, now. Otherwise you won’t understand what is happening in China and you will be very limited in your research and integration.
After all your research: Are there any showstoppers?
If you think no or you aren’t sure yet, I highly recommend that you come and visit this fascinating country first (hopefully this will be very soon possible again).
If you are not sure, come visit China to get a first hand impression. I will never forget our ride from the airport in Shanghai to our possible new home, Suzhou (around 80 km from Shanghai). Exited and tired from the long flight we hit the warm and humid air outside and drove on endless bridges passing super modern skyscrapers and many construction sides….all kinds of cars on the road, many luxurious brands and many brands I had never seen before….a lot of green patches as plants in between, people picking fruits from trees just at the highway (today I know they were picking Pipa fruit, in season in May)…and I started to understand that living in China will teach us many things…
How can you start the job hunt?
So, let’s say you did all your research and decided to go on the job hunt.
You should do so by networking, networking, networking - important everywhere while looking for a job, but especially important here!
How and where can you network?:
WeChat: There are many professional and career WeChat groups (also job groups), introduce yourself there.
LinkedIn: Check out your LinkedIn contacts in China or make new relevant ones, turn to them
Let your overall network know that you are looking for a job. Sounds simple, but often not done.
Once you are in China: Go to networking events and professional meet-ups (nowadays there are also many online events).
What are the possibilities with current or past employers, or with partner companies?
Which companies of your sector are in your target city? Reach out to them, eg via LinkedIn.
Which companies from your country are in China? Reach out to them if your profile fits.
How and where to apply?
Is your English resume up to date and does it show that you are prepared for China? Yes, I know, putting together a good resume takes a lot of time and effort. But believe me - as an HR professional - it’s worth it. Having a good CV will open doors for you.
If you have presentable Mandarin skills consider getting also a Chinese resume, they are different.
Start to apply, a lot. Eg directly via LinkedIn and Glassdoor (both portals have many openings in China) or job websites like eChinajobs focussing on expat jobs.
You can also reach out to recruiters and headhunting companies proactively, eg Hays is quite big in China as well as around the world.
If you haven’t done online interviews yet, practice doing so. I’ve done video mock interviews with expat women here in China looking for positions. It’s fun and worth it as you will get familiar with the setting as well as you will identify where you need to work on your messages.
Do I need to learn Mandarin?
I think the question you should ask yourself is rather are you willing to learn Mandarin and if yes, to which level / with how much investment of your time? How much you will need it depends strongly on the area/company you plan to work at, as well as on the city you plan to live.
So while it’s possible to live and work here without speaking Mandarin, learning it will open more doors (and hearts) for you. Besides that it is the best way to understand this country and it’s rich culture better. Just to give you a small example. 和 (hé) means “and” in Mandarin, but it also means harmony and peace. Isn’t that beautiful? It’s about the other AND me, about the harmony in between people, then we can be in peace.
Where and how to start? I recommend to do an intensive course. It helped me so much and I could reach HSK 2 level (passed the exam, yeah!) in 7 weeks, starting from 0. My brain was in the first week in constant chaos, because everything is so different from the languages I learned so far ….but then things started to make more sense ….and by the end of the course I was able to understand simple things and speak a little. And believe me, that’s such an incredible feeling. From understanding nothing to starting to look into an exiting new world.
Are you now equipped to start your own research? Did you benefit from my hints? What is missing for you? Please let me know in the comment field below.
A last word about expat women in China, seeking to continue their growth, also professionally…. my next Blog post will be solely for you :-)…stay tuned…