Working in China

Country Check

Facts

Country Name

• conventional long form: People's Republic of China
• conventional short form: China
• local long form: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo
• local short form: Zhong Guo
• abbreviation: PRC

Capital: Beijing

Government Type: Communist state

Population: 1,306,313,812 (July 2005 estimate)

Religion

• Daoist (Taoist),
• Buddhist
• Muslim 1%-2%
• Christian 3%-4%
• Note: officially atheist (2002 est.)

Languages Spoken

• Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect)
• Yue (Cantonese)
• Wu (Shanghaiese)
• Minbei (Fuzhou)
• Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese)
• Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects
• minority languages (see Ethnic groups entry)

Currency: Chinese yuan or Renminbi yuan in Chinese

GDP: purchasing power parity - $7.262 trillion (2004 estimate)

China is one of the world's great civilizations, with a written history going back 3,500 years and a tradition of leading the world in the arts and sciences since ancient times. Today, after a tumultuous 20th century, China has the world's second largest GDP, and economic power has been disseminated. Also, China is home to 20 percent of the world's population.

China has experienced more than 20 years of unprecedented economic growth, during which the economy has grown faster than any other in history. China is among the world's largest producers of many agricultural products, including rice, potatoes, and sorghum. Other important industries in China include iron, steel, coal, armaments, and textiles. In the coming decade, the automobile and petrochemical industries are expected to grow rapidly.

History

For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, his successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight.

Working in China

Working in China

China is a huge country. Overall, its economy has reached a fairly mature high-tech stage. Now, the expanding private industry is offering the best opportunities for finding jobs. 

On top of that, many industries in China are currently experiencing a manpower shortage, including agriculture, construction and building, engineering, hotel and services, IT, shipbuilding, oil and mining, and textiles. There is a great demand for skilled applicants, and foreigners with marketable talents and a command of Mandarin are well suited for employment. 

Nowadays, there are hundreds of jobs for foreigners in China, and not just the traditional missionary or teaching jobs. Many times, people come to China on their own, find jobs teaching, then take jobs being offered by companies or embassies. Or, they do stellar performances in their companies at home, and then are transferred by their companies to a position abroad. If you get the opportunity to work abroad, you will find that you will have much to consider before even going abroad. Here are some things to think about before you even apply for that job opening.

Is China right for me? 

This is the first thing you should think about before going there. Ask yourself:

• Can you and your family handle being away from all that is familiar? Most assignments are six months to a year abroad, sometimes more.
• Are you prepared to leave for up to a year? If you are, it is a wonderful chance for you and certainly for your career. Talk to others who may have worked abroad, or do a search on the Internet and read about other people's experiences. Note the pros and cons about living in China from other expats. Most people enjoy it. However, it is not always easy.

Here are some of the issues you have to tackle:

• Foreigners (that is you) require special care; food, housing, language, emotional issues are all things that you will have to think about.

• Racism. When applying for a job, they'll ask for your picture to see what you look like. Others will ask outright, "Are you black?".  A few people who said "Yes" never heard from them again. The Chinese, like others, have misconceptions about blacks. This, unfortunately, makes it difficult to find a job if you are African-European, African-American or African.

• When you get a job in China, consider what you will be required to do such as how many hours you will work, if you will be required to learn Chinese, how far the commute is, etc. Factor in benefits, such as medical, vacation, housing, and extra perks. Most offer furnished housing with a washing machine, but no dryer. Some places offer weekend excursions, long vacations and free or discounted Chinese lessons. These factors will add to or detract from your experience abroad.

• You will be among thousands of foreigners living in China, but you will still be a novelty. People will stare at you, shamelessly. Some days you will feel like royalty. Other days you will feel like an exotic animal at a zoo. They will try and sell you things at higher prices. If you are shy, you will eventually get used to extra attention.
• Religion was banned by the Communist Party. And although most of China is Buddhist and some churches are allowed, religion is closely monitored.
• While China has beautiful, quiet places, you probably won't be working there. China is loud: the people speak loudly and construction is constantly going in virtually all Chinese cities and the traffic!

These are some of the things you must think about before going to China. It all depends on you, your circumstances, motivations and the economic climate. But if you do a lot of research, you will find that many people love living and working in China. Whether you decide to go or not, you can be satisfied because you have made a well-informed decision.

Getting a job 

You need marketable skills, personal contacts, a very strong command of a Chinese dialect (usually Mandarin), and luck. Networking is particularly important for foreigners, as employers rely very heavily on referrals for candidates from abroad. If you have a few personal contacts in the country, your best approach may be to apply directly to the companies in which you are interested. 

Recently, executive search firms and online job sites have surpassed traditional print media as the most prevalent forms of securing employment in China, and the Internet is now the most commonly used resource for foreign job-seekers. Another highly effective way of entering the Chinese workforce is by working in China for a year or two as an English teacher, then applying for employment in other capacities. Popular job sites in China offer services in both Chinese and English.

Applying for a job 

*Your Curriculum Vitae (CV) or Resume

In Asia, it is common to ask things like age, race, gender, marital status and salary. You can decide what you are comfortable answering. If they persist (which they rarely do), say it is part of your culture not to release this information. Many people ask you to send a CV instead of a resume. A resume is a brief account of your professional experience, education, skills and employment goals. A CV is more detailed account of your life, personal information and accomplishments.

They may also ask you to send your passport. Be reluctant to do this. Identity theft is a big problem, and passports, especially American passports, are big money on the black market. Usually, they simply want to a picture of you; offer to send this instead. If they insist on a scanned passport copy, block out all personal information, including your passport number and include text over your picture and over the rest of your passport that says, "Not for redistribution, Scanned copy, for authorized use only." Or simply don't deal with them.

Resume/CV's. 

Now in the midst of major economic growth and reform, China has attracted many foreign-owned companies, and there is a shortage of middle-management executives and those who are multilingual. Before applying for a position, research the company thoroughly and tailor your resume to the job requirements. Tightly construct your resume so that it is to the point, and use action verbs to make a positive impression. 

Under "Personal Information," list your name, address, all electronic contacts, date and place of birth, sex, marital status and children. Then briefly state your job objective. 

Describe your education or employment history, whichever is most relevant should be listed first. Under "Education," list schools attended with the most recent first. For each, include name, location, degree(s), and dates of attendance. Follow this with a section on Specialized Training, and list such relevant items as: extra courses, language competencies, hard and software computer training, and your strengths and achievements. 

In the "Work Experience" category, list the company, its location and focus, dates of employment, your job title(s). List your responsibilities, starting with the most important, and emphasize those related to the job you are seeking. All information should be listed in reverse-chronological order, so that your most recent experience is listed first.  

At the end, simply state: "References are available on request."

*The Interview
Dress conservatively for your interview (dark business suits for the men, and suits or formal dresses for the women), and arrive on time; to be late is a serious insult. In the larger Chinese cities, a light handshake is the customary greeting, but it also may be a nod, or a bow. Follow the lead of the interviewer on the proper greeting. Often those present exchange business cards at the beginning. Have your card printed on both sides, with English or your native language on one side, and Chinese "simplified" (not "classical") characters on the other. Offer and receive cards with both hands. 

During the interview, be modest and respectful, keep your eyes lowered, maintain good posture and a quiet voice, and respect the frequent long moments of silence. Also, avoid boasting or exaggerating--for your claims will be investigated. Find out if you will need an interpreter, for the interview will probably be in Chinese.

*Getting Employed

This may be the most difficult part: waiting for the call (or fax or email or any other way for the good news to reach you). Do NOT spend your time just waiting. Explore other opportunities or find something worthwhile that may either give you more savings or more knowledge and skills. You must always hope for the best but you must also prepare for the worst.

Working in China

Going to China

Imagine coming to a land where you are completely alien, the culture is 5,000 years in the making. The great dynasties of the past have left their great relics all over China for you to discover. The people, so proud of their country, and wonderfully curious about you, want you to come so that they help you experience the essence of their country. Aged faces populate local parks to practice Tai Chi at 6 am. There is great and diverse food, much more delicious and diverse than any Chinese food you can hope to have at home. Additionally, there are great Western restaurants, expat bars and nightlife for you to experience.

Preparations

*Passports 
A passport is a document that verifies your citizenship and your identity and permits you to travel abroad. Make copies of your passport and leave them at home with relatives. Try to memorize or write down your passport number in a separate place. Keep your passport with you at all times, you may need it to enter an embassy or consulate or as identification if you receive a wire from your home country. Don't lose it! It is a pain to get another passport, especially if you are abroad. You can't enter or leave any country without one.

*Visas 
You will need a visa to enter the country. Contact a Chinese embassy or consulate. Visas are not free; the fees vary depending on what country you are from. You may have to drop it off and return for it later, but many times you can have it expedited, for an extra fee. There are different kinds of visas, depending on what you will be doing in China. Visas don't last forever. You must use the visa within a certain amount of time.

*Work Permits 
There are strict procedures for foreigners who wish to obtain visas to live and work in China. The most important visa classes for foreign workers are:

• Business/Official Visit Visa
• Employment/Work Visa
• Resident Visa

There are other classes of visas for airline pilots, mariners, diplomats, tourists, family visits, students, and journalists. 

Business and Work Visas must be obtained prior to entry into China, and numerous documents are required for visa application. If a foreigner works without the proper employment permit, public security officials are authorized to terminate the employment and impose a fine on the worker. In serious cases, the public security officials will force the expatriate to leave the country. 

Keep in mind, that the Chinese government does not recognize dual nationality and that visa requirements for Hong Kong are different than those for the People's Republic of China. Foreigners staying in China longer than one year must submit a notarized health certificate. 

After preparations

After making proper preparations, you are ready to choose you method of getting to China. Most people go by air, but you can also go by sea or by land.

*On your trip to China

You've taken that big step, and you are going to China. Or you are still kicking the idea around and need some more information. Either way, you are about to embark on a substantial trip. What should you be aware of? 

A little planning and knowledge will go a long way toward making your trip to the PRC go smoothly. Learning more about China and obeying the laws and respecting the customs will make your stay as pleasant and incident-free as possible. 

*Arrival

Arriving in China may be a shock to you, especially if you have never been there before. Many signs will be in Chinese characters, which, unless you have studied Chinese before, will be completely alien to you. There will be people around you who only speak Chinese. Don't worry too much about this. Many people can speak English, and many important signs are labeled in English and Chinese. Going through immigration and customs is relatively painless. Once you leave the airport, things can really get stressful if there is no one to meet you. You need to find a hotel and a map. You need to be able to get around on your own. Not a problem. You simply need to be prepared.

Next page- Jobs in China

Working in China

So, now you've got a job, know what awaits you in China while working there:

Currency

The currency in circulation in China is the Chinese yuan, or Renminbi yuan in Chinese, whose basic unit is yuan. One yuan consists of 10 jiao (dimes) or 100 fen (cents). The denominations of the Chinese yuan in bank notes are 1, 2, 5, 10, 50 and 100 yuan. The bank notes of 1 jiao, 5 jiao and 1 yuan are being substituted for with coins of corresponding denominations.

Local Time

Beijing Time has been used as the national standard time across China although China is a large country. Beijing Time is eight hours earlier than the Greenwich Time.

Office Hours

In China, office hours in government departments run from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. The time from12:00 am to 1:00 pm is lunch time. The five days from Monday till Friday are working days.

The business hours for banks generally go from: 9:00 am to 12:00 am, and 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Some banks closes Monday.

Department stores generally opens at 8:30 am or 9:00 am and closes at 8:30 pm or 9:30 pm. Business hours may last longer in summer.

Business centers and bars at hotels open 24 hours.

At state-run hotels, restaurants offer breakfast from 6:00 am to 9:00 am, lunch from 10:30 am to 2:00 pm and dinner from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

A majority of the restaurants open from 6:00 am till late at night.

Emergency Services

During their travel and work in China, aliens may make emergency calls if they encounter robbery, fire, or other urgent matters. These special telephones are free.

In hotels, check-in counter and hotel managers can help you with medical care or call an ambulance. If you suddenly fall ill on way, you can ask the police or others for help. There are police booths along the streets and patrol police in busy streets in some major cities.

Electricity

China’s civil use electrical power is 220V, 50 HZ. Two types of voltage: 110V and 220V are provides for guests, particularly foreign guests in the washing rooms of top quality hotels. So make sure to check the voltages before using electrical appliances.

Drinking Water

In China, not all the tap water is drinkable, but bottling mineral water can be bought everywhere.

Official Holidays and Traditional Festivals

Holidays in China are occasions for family reunion and traveling, visiting. Some holidays are intended to mark major national events, others are traditional festivals of folk customs.

Since October 1999, China¡¯s official holidays have been extended from seven to ten days, including January 1, the first, second and third day of the first lunar month of the year, May 1, 2, and 3, and October 1, 2, and 3. The extension of the official holidays enables the Chinese people to have a longer vacation during Spring and Autumn. During these periods, the number of holiday makers suddenly grows and traffic is jam, so aliens planning to come to China for a travel may adjust their time to avoid inconvenience. 

What can I expect? 

Sure, China has crowds and cars causing quite a cacophony. But what about inside the office? If you have Chinese management above you, expect a lot of last-minute changes, "creative" payment and sometimes empty promises. Also expect a lot inefficiency and things not to get done. Some of this thinking stems from the "iron rice bowl" era where everyone was guaranteed a job, whether they worked or not. Many times, you will sign a contract for a year, six months or three months. Read these carefully. It is usually negotiable.  Working for a Chinese boos is more formal, the boss has more respect and power. Feedback is generally not encouraged from the lower echelons, including foreigners. However, this does not mean that you can't talk about problems that you are having and try to make them better. If the problem is with your boss, try to be respectful and reasonable. Otherwise, just leave. Foreign workers do not have much recourse to go after their Chinese bosses.

If you work for an embassy, thank your lucky stars that you do not have a Chinese boss, however do not expect that you may not have problems. Chinese people outnumber and sometimes unofficially run foreign embassies in China. 
 

Sources:

http://www.chinaology.com

http://www.overseasdigest.com/country/china.htm

http://www.ccpit.org/vhosts/english/VII.htm

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ch.html

http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/regional/regional_1173.html

http://members.aol.com/lumabner/china.htm

http://members.aol.com/lumabner/china/living.htm 

Working in China

Getting a job 

You need marketable skills, personal contacts, a very strong command of a Chinese dialect (usually Mandarin), and luck. Networking is particularly important for foreigners, as employers rely very heavily on referrals for candidates from abroad. If you have a few personal contacts in the country, your best approach may be to apply directly to the companies in which you are interested. 

Recently, executive search firms and online job sites have surpassed traditional print media as the most prevalent forms of securing employment in China, and the Internet is now the most commonly used resource for foreign job-seekers. Another highly effective way of entering the Chinese workforce is by working in China for a year or two as an English teacher, then applying for employment in other capacities. Popular job sites in China offer services in both Chinese and English.

Applying for a job 

*Your Curriculum Vitae (CV) or Resume

In Asia, it is common to ask things like age, race, gender, marital status and salary. You can decide what you are comfortable answering. If they persist (which they rarely do), say it is part of your culture not to release this information. Many people ask you to send a CV instead of a resume. A resume is a brief account of your professional experience, education, skills and employment goals. A CV is more detailed account of your life, personal information and accomplishments.

They may also ask you to send your passport. Be reluctant to do this. Identity theft is a big problem, and passports, especially American passports, are big money on the black market. Usually, they simply want to a picture of you; offer to send this instead. If they insist on a scanned passport copy, block out all personal information, including your passport number and include text over your picture and over the rest of your passport that says, "Not for redistribution, Scanned copy, for authorized use only." Or simply don't deal with them.

Resume/CV's. 

Now in the midst of major economic growth and reform, China has attracted many foreign-owned companies, and there is a shortage of middle-management executives and those who are multilingual. Before applying for a position, research the company thoroughly and tailor your resume to the job requirements. Tightly construct your resume so that it is to the point, and use action verbs to make a positive impression. 

Under "Personal Information," list your name, address, all electronic contacts, date and place of birth, sex, marital status and children. Then briefly state your job objective. 

Describe your education or employment history, whichever is most relevant should be listed first. Under "Education," list schools attended with the most recent first. For each, include name, location, degree(s), and dates of attendance. Follow this with a section on Specialized Training, and list such relevant items as: extra courses, language competencies, hard and software computer training, and your strengths and achievements. 

In the "Work Experience" category, list the company, its location and focus, dates of employment, your job title(s). List your responsibilities, starting with the most important, and emphasize those related to the job you are seeking. All information should be listed in reverse-chronological order, so that your most recent experience is listed first.  

At the end, simply state: "References are available on request."

*The Interview
Dress conservatively for your interview (dark business suits for the men, and suits or formal dresses for the women), and arrive on time; to be late is a serious insult. In the larger Chinese cities, a light handshake is the customary greeting, but it also may be a nod, or a bow. Follow the lead of the interviewer on the proper greeting. Often those present exchange business cards at the beginning. Have your card printed on both sides, with English or your native language on one side, and Chinese "simplified" (not "classical") characters on the other. Offer and receive cards with both hands. 

During the interview, be modest and respectful, keep your eyes lowered, maintain good posture and a quiet voice, and respect the frequent long moments of silence. Also, avoid boasting or exaggerating--for your claims will be investigated. Find out if you will need an interpreter, for the interview will probably be in Chinese.

*Getting Employed

This may be the most difficult part: waiting for the call (or fax or email or any other way for the good news to reach you). Do NOT spend your time just waiting. Explore other opportunities or find something worthwhile that may either give you more savings or more knowledge and skills. You must always hope for the best but you must also prepare for the worst.