Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
way toward wealth here in China is to find a gap and start your own business filling it. But
if that's not you, there are various ways to go about finding a job.
First, there are the expat-driven sites, such as
www.echinacities.com
and
www.thebeijinger.com
.
These sites post a real mishmash of offerings. They're the place to
get your modeling jobs, voice-over jobs, teaching jobs, and other odds-n-ends jobs. Many
of the advertised jobs here are cash-in-hand, unreliable if not illegal, and will probably not
offer you a visa or any form of insurance. They're also not the first place to look if you
want a high salary or senior management position. Regardless, it is worth keeping an eye
on them when job hunting, as quality employers occasionally throw in an ad just to cover
all bases.
Next you have specific job-search sites, such as
www.zhaopin.com.cn
,
www.51job.com
,
www.chinahr.com
,
and
www.chinajob.com
.
The level of English varies from site to site,
and, excluding
www.chinajob.com
,
most jobs advertised are for those who can communic-
ate to some degree in Chinese. If you can't read Chinese, you can usually still do a search
using English keywords—if the employer is interested in a foreign worker, then the ad will
probably be bilingual. Unfortunately, these sites are also not really the place to go gold dig-
ging. Salaries offered are on the whole very local—often just RMB3,000-5,000 per month,
and maybe, if you're lucky, RMB10,000 per month.
A step up is to look at global sites, such as the international section of major employment
websites in your own country, or perhaps
www.monster.com.hk/destination_china.html
,
which has a strong emphasis on China, or China-based
www.careerbuilder.com.cn
.
LinkedIn is also a good option, as, unlike Facebook, this is not blocked in China and a
growing number of Chinese people are using it. If you can translate a few of the basic de-
tails on your homepage (such as your Chinese name and profession) into Chinese you'll
be found by more China-based employers. Headhunters and professional recruiters are also
good options in Beijing, and most major companies have offices here. Just a few in town
include RMG Selection, Hudson, Kelly Services, and Michael Page.
What seems to work best in Beijing is networking and using your
gu
ā
nxi
or
rénmài
(your relationships or connections). In China it really is a case of who you know, and if
you've been here for a while, then you'll often find that jobs seem to land in your lap. If
you're new in town, it will help to work at this, and thankfully there is a surplus of profes-
sional networking options. These include organizations such as FCGroup, which runs regu-
lar industry-specific networking events; Viva Beijing Professional Women's Network; and
InterNations Beijing Professional Networking. The various chambers of commerce, such
as the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) or the Australian Chamber of Com-
