EMPLOYMENT - Living Abroad in Beijing - page 248

Chinese employers that do want expats are generally looking for one who has the right
blend of technical skills, general workplace skills, and bilingualism. Not every company
or position is going to require that you speak Chinese, but unless you're planning to be an
English teacher or have extensive work experience or a specialized skill set, then the more
command you have of the language, the more competitive you'll be. Chinese is still the
language of the workplace in Chinese companies, and if you can speak, understand, text or
email even rudimentary levels of it, it will make life a lot easier. If Chinese is your only
skill, however, you should consider upgrading yourself by enrolling in a course or two, such
as in marketing, PR, management, or sales.
Chinese employees also favor people who understand the intricacies of the local cul-
ture—of what it means to give face and to save face. They want someone who respects the
hierarchical chain and who is willing to put the company above a personal life without tal-
lying up overtime hours or days in lieu. Team spirit is also an important character. Chinese
workers frequently socialize together, after work and on weekends. If you're not a joiner,
then you'll be frowned upon by management and the rest of your workmates.
According to recruitment agency Hudson, international firms in China employ about 85
percent of the expat workforce, with about 40 percent of the jobs being in sales and mar-
keting; 20 percent in engineering; 10 percent in management, including accounting and fin-
ance; and about 5 percent in IT. Hudson states that only a small percentage of expatriates
work for Chinese companies. Those who do are primarily engineers or managers in high-
tech manufacturing firms.
WHERE TO LOOK
Ideally, in most cases, it's best to find a Beijing job from outside of China. If you're hired
from abroad then you'll be far more likely to get a higher salary and a much larger benefits
package. In a study done by Aon Hewitt in 2010, it was found that salaries for senior man-
agers hired outside of China were 19.3 percent higher than those for senior managers hired
from directly within the country. Their benefits packages were also dramatically fatter.
Not everyone can snag these kinds of jobs, however, and so the next step is to come
here and search. Fortunately, finding work in Beijing really isn't hard. The main difficulty
is finding something that is genuinely career-building and that pays you what you are used
to getting paid. Thanks to rising standards, as well as the h ǎ igu ī , these kinds of positions
are comparably rare and highly competitive. These days, it's not good enough simply to be
a foreigner—you have to have some goods to go with that. Some even say that the only real