Focus

Beijing: A city of opportunity?

By Todd Balazovic (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-03-31 07:52

Jobs for foreigners abound in Beijing, but not everybody finds it easy to land a good one. METRO spoke to an American and an Italian about finding work in the Chinese capital.

Humble approach is key to long-term success

Dustin Price, 31, American, a teacher at Renmin University, has stayed in China because his career has advanced quickly. Wang Jing / China Daily

In 2006, things were going well for Dustin Price. The then 27-year-old American had a steady job with a construction company, a wife, a home and a Ford F250 truck.

Then one day he stumbled across a website offering a teaching job in China, a position he admits he had never even considered before.

He decided to sell his house, his truck, and leave his job to come work in China.

"I wanted to experience another culture, to see another place. It wasn't necessarily in my life plan, but I decided to go for it," Price said. "All of our friends thought we were crazy."

The decision, though made for non-financial reasons, allowed Price to narrowly escape unemployment. Shortly after his departure the financial crisis struck the United States and soon all his former colleagues were out of jobs.

Staying more than a year wasn't part of the original plan, but Price and his wife have been happily working here for almost three years now.

After working as an English professor for two years in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, Price decided to apply for a position at Renmin University, and secured the job. He said part of the reason he's made the decision to stay working in China is because he has been able to advance so quickly in his career.

He recognizes that there are many English teaching jobs available to expatriates who are not qualified, but says few allow for the type of advancement he has experienced.

For him, it's all about developing a long-term career.

"I am lucky with the job I have. I am 31 years old and plan to retire at 65, that gives me just 34 years to develop my career," he said.

Getting any job in China, especially one at a highly ranked university, is all about having people who can vouch for your credibility, Price said.

"A lot of schools at the university level are looking for someone who can vouch for the experience and quality of the teachers. These are the types of places that only offer jobs to people with proper qualifications," he said.

The trick to keeping a good job, Price says, is all about relationships and communication, especially for those who are working at a company from a different cultural background.

"You have to learn the system and be willing to be real," he said. "Be yourself, but in a way that honors the culture and the company you work for. You can't just barge into a company and expect to do things your own way."

Preparing for a job and preparing for a move into a different culture are equally important in establishing a foundation for

a long-term job in China, something a lot of people coming to China fail to do, he said.

"There are a lot more people attempting to secure jobs or make career choices without really seriously thinking about it and preparing themselves to be a valuable asset here," he said.

Price is now working his way towards a master's degree in intercultural communication and says he doesn't know how long he will remain working in China, but if things remain steady, he hopes it will be a while.

"I am someone who is energized by different cultures. Where I am and what I am doing is exactly where I want to be," he said.

Holding out for good job may mean a long wait

Pierluigi Pollio, 24, Italian, is still looking for a job in Beijing. Wang Wen / China Daily

Pierluigi Pollio, 24, is from Italy and graduated in July 2009 from la Sapienza University in Rome, where he learned Chinese as well as English. He came to Beijing to find a job on March 1 and is still looking.

Pollio visited China for the first time for three months in 2008 as an exchange student studying Chinese at Beijing Foreign Studies University.

After graduating in Rome he wanted to improve his Chinese, so returned to China to attend a semester-long Chinese language program at Beijing Normal University in September 2009.

Pollio plans to take the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK), or 'Chinese Proficiency Test', in April or May. His Chinese could be much better, but still should be good enough to land a decent job, he said.

He said he wants to work in the wine business for several years and then open his own wine bar in Beijing.

Beijing holds a lot of opportunities for young entrepreneurs, said Pollio.

Accommodation in Beijing is also much more affordable than in Italy, added Pollio. He said that if he makes about 8,000 yuan ($1,171) a month, he could pay for decent housing and still have enough to afford a comfortable life. But in Italy making the equivalent of 8,000 yuan would barely cover rent.

Although opportunities may be abundant, Pollio said the competition for such jobs is tough.

Pollio's family runs a wine supply company and a wine shop in Italy and his father wants him to eventually take over the family business. In February Pollio went back to his hometown in Capri for a month to help manage the family shop and learn more about the wine business. But he said he would much rather live in Beijing than Capri for the foreseeable future.

Pollio paid 300 yuan to a visa agency for a three-month-long visa in China, which will expire on April 24. He plans to renew it, if necessary, but said he might be forced to leave if he cannot find a fulltime job within two months, not only because of pressure from his parents to return but also because he will run out of money.

He said he is considering getting a part time job unrelated to the wine business to help extend his stay in Beijing.

Pollio has spent the last three months sending 20 emails a day, calling everybody in the wine business in Beijing and networking as much as possible, mostly to no avail.

"It is almost impossible to get a job anywhere if you don't know the right people," he said. He said he used his contacts to find a potential job, but the final interview is later in April.

Pollio says part of the reason he is having trouble finding work is his insistence on a well-paying job in a specific field.

However when he started looking at part time work, he got three interviews in one week for translation and teaching work, and a position as a waiter.

He said he is thinking favorably about a teaching position in a kindergarten, which pays 8,000 yuan per month.

He found the job on a website, but said he was lucky since most positions advertised were for native English speakers. Even the jobs that are open to non-native English speakers get many native English-speaking applicants.

Most native English speakers should be able to get a job as soon as they arrive in Beijing, said Pollio.