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7 May 2018

The Employment Needs of Chinese Students

As China’s economy continues to grow, more and more Chinese students are able to pursue opportunities to study abroad. The harmonious relationship between China and the United Kingdom, and the high quality of education you receive here, has made the UK a popular choice for many Chinese students. The University of Edinburgh in particular attracts a lot of interest!

There has also been an increase in the number of students choosing to return to China to find a job. This can often be an uncertain time as they try to understand the Chinese job market, reintegrate into Chinese culture and interview remotely. Thus, the Chinese Job Market Webinar held by Stella Wang and her colleagues was a great opportunity to start planning for a career in China and to tackle some of these challenges.

Chinese Job Market

Leili Jin, a member of staff from the Careers Development Centre at Tsinghua University, gave us an overview of the current situation in the Chinese job market.

First, as the number of English speakers in China increases, international students need to find their own advantages beyond English as a second language. Secondly, international students should consider career opportunities in all organisations, not just multinational companies. For example, they could seek employment in universities, government agencies, and in private enterprises. Thirdly, Leili noted that employers are interested in graduates who have internship experience and can work independently. Soft skills, such as social skills, how to attract new customers, and how to apply your learned knowledge are becoming increasingly important. And finally, international students returning to China should focus on establishing a domestic network and pay attention to developments in government investment.

Fulfill Yourself in China

The students who participated in this webinar were not only from mainland China, but also from Hong Kong (China), Taiwan (China) and other Asian-Mandarin speaking regions. Bing Guo, an MSc IBEM alum from 2014/15, and Jun (Penny) Pu, an MSc HRM alum from 2016/17, shared their experience of seeking a job in China, from the professional perspective of appraisers and human resources employees. Bing said that the value of a candidate should be assessed in terms of three aspects: his/her professional capabilities, the ‘discounting value’ of future development, and the development potential of the industry.

He also cited statistical data that "in China, 95% of the junior employees’ salary is about one-fifth to one-tenth of the value created by their own work". Therefore, if you want to enhance your own value, you must increase the value of your work.

Penny gave advice from the perspective of a Tencent human resources employee. It's important to have a clear career plan, use industry trends and salary levels to inform our choices, and expand our professional network as much as possible.

It was a really worthwhile webinar to attend. Like many other Chinese students, who are studying at the University of Edinburgh, I feel confused and apprehensive about my future carer. There is an old saying in China that ‘the spirit of the university isn't the magnificence of the architects but the significance of the teachers’. I am honoured to be able to study at the University of Edinburgh Business School and participate in various activities organised by the Student Development Office.

Finally, I would wish to say thank you to Stella for organising the Chinese Job Market Webinar. These professional development seminars have not only provided guidance on searching for a job, but have also let me know how to land my dream career in China while serving my home country by returning to work.

Yiran, MSc International Human Resource Management, 2018