China Business. An Open Forum. Our First And Probably Last.

I would suggest that Jeff figure out exactly what products he wants to manufacture without any consideration of China initially. Then, he should plot a course to gain the additional education and technical skills surrounding those products.
Although he might think it beneath him, a start in retail near a university that facilitates this goal might actually be a great first job. In short order, he will likely be able to demonstrate his degree of concentration and be promoted or laterally transfer to a position which would further his understanding of that product. At that time, he should approach his employer about paying for studying Chinese in the evening.
After a couple of years, Jeff should then seek to go to China. If it works and he loves it … fantastic! If not, he still is in a position to return to the States and likely find work surrounding a product for which he has interest.
In China, there are too many teachers who sooner or later determine to return without any marketable skills because knowing the language is simply not enough. And woe onto them upon their return, they need to start at the very bottom. Need proof? Who is going to do better (initially)? (A) An accounting major. (B) An English major. And don’t you think that most employers are going to pass over a resume that includes 2 to 5 or more years in China teaching (which is essentially code for “finding oneself”) for someone that is fresh out of school with either of those two majors?
On the other extreme, there are plenty of non-Chinese folks in China that have great technical skills, but don’t understand the language and culture. So someone that does have both and is paid to continue to gain both is really doing well … and will do well in the future.
It will likely be then that the opportunity to set up one’s own manufacturing base, with known and trusted Chinese partners will arise.
Good Luck Jeff. Hope it helps!

I don’t have the background to answer questions one and two, but as a fresh American graduate working in Shanghai and planning for a business career in China, I can definitely address number three. The answer to that question is a Yoda-like follow up question – what areas are you passionate about? China offers all kinds of opportunities, you need to clarify what you are interested in and then see how you can integrate that into a career in China. I definitely wouldn’t advise you to take the approach, “I want a business career in China, what area should I enter?” You should ask yourself, “I want a career in X, how can I focus that field on China?” People who take jobs over here in professions that they really don’t care about are setting themselves up for failure. Of course, recent graduates (myself included) don’t always know what we want to do for the rest of our lives, but you should have a general focus (i.e. communications / media, finance, law, government etc). Once you have that idea you can look for entry level jobs or internships, which are abundant over here.
The most common entry level / internship positions I encountered during my job search were in the communications, media, editorial and PR fields. Unless you have a technical skill, these areas will be the easiest to access. A few of the things employers typical emphasize for candidates in these positions:
1) A clear passion for China, which if you are reading China Law Blog you probably already have.
2) At least some basic language skills. You don’t have to be the next Da Shan but if you can show that you have taken a language class or studied abroad here, it will go a long way toward making them think you’re committed to being in China and thus worth the investment. If your Mandarin abilities are at the professional level, all the better.
3) Some basic background in the field for which you are applying. Things are changing over here and it’s not enough to just be a native-English speaker and know some Chinese to get a good job. Especially in the big cities on the East Coast like Shanghai and Beijing, companies can find Chinese graduates with excellent English skills who are willing to do the work for a fraction of the price and understand the local market, language and culture. You can still get entry level jobs but you have to be able to draw a connection between the requirements of the position and what you’ve done in the past.
If you want some more specific advice on places to search for jobs in China or good companies and industries to get into at the entry level, feel free to send me an email (kylesmith12988@gmail.com). Best of luck starting your career!

Jeff’s questions are on the minds of a lot of recent graduates-especially those with a business background-but there are no easy answers; perhaps they lack a context which can lead them in a practical direction on how to apply their newly acquired knowledge in emerging markets like China.
That being the case, I believe the single most important criteria for an educated young man or woman with questions and a curiosity like Jeff’s is to throw him or herself into the fire. If you really want to know more about doing business in China, then figure out a way to come and start doing business in China.
You will learn the most from being here; there is no shortage of opinions on how to do business in China from businessmen who live in China. Whatever the reasons are that determine a business’s success or failure, the point is that there are more business opportunities available in China than in any developed country. Any bright young person who is willing to work hard will surely find a way to make the most of those opportunities.

I actually found my career of choice whilst I was in China, and had no idea what I was going to there before I went beyond “learn the language and find something to do”. If you want to live and work in China, do it – there will be no better time than now.
However, please, please, please don’t be under the impression that:
1) Speaking Chinese is a killer skill that will make you rich. N. O. My company hired me in part because I can speak Chinese, but in a much bigger part because I know how to do what they want to have done.
2) Experience of living abroard is something that most companies are looking for. Some recruiters will like it, but my experience is that very few people think it is important, and they’re right to think so.
3) You can (in the words of Leroy from “Curb Your Enthusiasm”) “hit it and then quit it”. Please understand that learning a language and becoming interested in a country is somewhat meaningless if it does not become a lasting commitment. This does not mean that you have to live there, but at the very least you should have some lasting interest beyond short-term economic gain.
Anways, to the questions:
1) Depends what you want to do.
2) Mistakes:
- Being unlucky.
- Not having a decent plan.
- Not having enough money to do what they wanted to do.
Sucess stories:
- Being lucky (no, really).
- Having a good plan.
- Budgetting to lose money during at least the first year or so.
3) Recent graduate? Well, depends firstly what you graduated in, and secondly what you want to do. I was a physics graduate and wanted to do something involving writing – so I ended up in patenting. My best advice is to look what’s there and keep an open mind.
However, if you really pushed me to give an answer, I’d say just one word: “Plastics”.

@FOARP – Some good ideas. Thanks.

My advice is to definitely NOT listen to “Expat In Excelcious Deo.”
There are tremendous opportunities in China, its just getting started with innovation, its thrilling, and entire industries are being born. It’s the perfect place for intelligent people who also want to become part of something beyond business and it is certainly no walk in the park. What a joke.
Sure…you may want to give Vietnam, Indonesia, Mongolia, or India a try. They may be the excitement you are looking for.

I realize this is a China forum, but taking the questions more generally:
1) Whenever launching a new product, finish the planning – complete design database, patents applied for, market plan drawn up, etc. – before evaluating where/how to get it made. This should be the rule for any project, even if you were going to make it in your own factory. More ventures fail for lack of a written plan than people want to acknowledge.
2) I’ve seen too many companies stumble because they got too comfortable and complacent. The same applies to individual careers. As far as success, the clients who really love what they do and understand their markets/clients are the ones who are most successful. They always keep innovating and learning. Also, you have to be able to do your own accounting. Even if you have a whole Accounting Department, you have to be able to crunch the numbers on your own or you are at the mercy of the green eyeshades.
3) Given that China’s strength is manufacturing, learning how things are made can’t hurt. I am amazed by how many college graduates have no grasp of even the most basic manufacturing technologies. One area I would avoid is anything branded “green” or “sustainable”. I don’t see this consulting fad lasting long. Offering a service that results in a tangible product or concrete result will always be in demand.
Thanks to Dan for keeping it interesting!

I stand by my comments, yet am willing to entertain an answer by ‘Not an English Teacher in China’ if presented openly and cogently.

@Piotr: True

@Expat In Excelcious Deo,
People have been saying China is “done” and that there are already too many expat managers, ESL Teachers and recent graduates in China for close to a decade. They were saying that when I got off the plane 8 years ago, and yet I was still able to find a niche in China, and when I returned to the states, I was able to parlay my experience – both as a teacher and a low-level worker in the Chinese business environment – into real results beyond singing the “alphabet song” with children. There may be some jaded and “been there, done that” people who are already onto the next new thing, but most people are still impressed by those willing to try their luck in China.
My advice: read as much of the advice as you care too, use it to make (what you believe to be) a workable plan, and follow your heart. Most young people are going to do this anyway. :-)
New York isn’t dried up and old, despite it being “hot” for decades now, it still continues to draw them in droves. I don’t know why so many people see China as a novelty, like a nightclub everyone goes to and then in a few months they’ve moved onto the next hip place. It’s a functioning heavy-hitter with real and actionable plans for continued growth, especially in the west. If I were a recent graduate I’d definitely want to get in on the action. That’s the “foodie” approach applied to countries, always trying to find the next new thing and discovering it… it might work for restaurants but I am hesitant to recommend it for countries