Books » The Best Book on How To Get An Expat Job In China

The Best Book on How To Get An Expat Job In China

by Stephen Balaban, and Millie Lapidario

What's in the book?

An American Expatriate's Story & Best Advice For Landing An Expat Job In China

One American expatriate’s story of finding an internship in Beijing, China and his adventures working there
Tips and resources for searching for work in China
The unwritten rules in Chinese business culture
The ABCs of visas to China
Advice for resume building and writing for your expat job application

Description

In 2010, college junior Stephen Balaban moved to Beijing, China for an internship at a business incubator. He returned eight months later with amazing stories, helpful tips and a desire to share his story. He’s one of the many American expatriates who have discovered that China—with its fast growing economy and international community—is the new hot spot for gutsy job seekers. Consider yourself one of those?

Read about Stephen’s experiences and get the inside track on living and working in China. You could waste countless hours submitting your resume to job listings, like Stephen did. Learn how to target your job or internship search more effectively. This eBook also explains how Chinese business culture is based on relationships, or guanxi. In this eBook, you’ll get a close-up view of China through Stephen’s lens. And in between his entertaining tales—like the time he sang a tribute to Mao Zedong over karaoke—you’ll get some valuable information that will hopefully get you to China.

FAQs

I’m an undergrad and I’ve never taken a Chinese language course. Will this eBook help me figure out if I’m cut out for China?

The Best Book On Getting An Expat Job In China is about one expatriate’s story. He studied Mandarin before coming to China and most recruiters advise you to learn some Mandarin before coming to China to make your experience more pleasant. But if you choose to live in a major city, you should get along just fine without knowing Mandarin. You’ll also see the various internship opportunities and resources that can help you determine that for yourself.

I’m no spring chicken. I’ve had several years of work experience already and I’m desperately searching for job opportunities in Asia. Will this eBook help someone like me?

This eBook highlights the story of a college undergrad, who postponed his studies to spend eight months working there. Stephen was at a different point in his life than you are, but his insights about living and working in China can prove valuable to any expat considering the big move. China is a unique place with unwritten rules. It helps to hear from someone who’s been a foreigner in China.

I’ve never left the country before and missed my chance to do study abroad programs in college. I also don’t have much work experience. Can this eBook help someone like me?

Of course! The Best Book On Getting An Expat Job In China offers plenty of useful information for anybody looking for work in China. Just because your situation does not mirror Stephen’s experience, it doesn’t mean it is out of your reach. It is never too late to consider working in China. Even if you have limited work experience, as the eBook explains, there are opportunities for you in China.

Letter From The Author

Dear Future Transnational Men and Women of Mystery,

Or, more formally, 您好. I’m excited you are interested in doing business in a international context. Historians will look back on the early 21st century and see this time, right now, as a one when the borders began to blur, the Multinational Corporations began to rise, and the identity of humans became more tied to their merits than the country they happened to be born in.

You’ve chosen China, which, by 2016, will surpass the United States and European Union to claim it’s position as the world’s largest economy as measured in Purchasing Power Parity.[1] Despite the promising and ever-parroted numbers, I need not extol the promise of the Chinese economy from the ivory tower of econometrics; I’ve lived through the hustle, the bustle, and the intrigue, first hand.

I’ve been studying Mandarin Chinese and travelling between the United States and China since 2005. I’ve traveled to, and lived in, a variety of Chinese cities including 上海 (Shanghai), 昆明 (Kunming), 西安 (Xi’an), and 丽江 (Li Jiang), but my home in China is 北京 (Beijing). Within this book, I’ve distilled my business and language experience, providing actionable advice to help you succeed in tackling the trials you will face in establishing a life and career abroad.

Global Trends 2025, the 2008 report authored by the top geostrategic minds of the nation, the National Intelligence Council, states: “The unprecedented transfer of wealth roughly from West to East now under way will continue for the foreseeable future.”[2] 中国 (Zhōng Guó) the Chinese word for China, means Middle Kingdom. In the next few decades, as the global centers of financial and political power migrate east, I believe, once again, China will live up to it’s name. I hope this book both inspires and enables you to take part.

Sincerely,

Stephen A. Balaban

Notes: [1] http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011/01/weodata/index.aspx [2] http://www.dni.gov/nic/PDF_2025/2025_Global_Trends_Final_Report.pdf

Things You'll Learn:

The big picture: expatriates all over the world are seeking opportunities in China
4 major benefits to working in China
Concepts: guanxi, saving face, losing face
The story of how Stephen landed his internship
How to make the most of your internship
Internship listings in multiple sectors
How to narrow your job or internship search, so you don’t get bogged down
How internship placement agencies can help
A few tested methods of landing a job in China
Why is learning Mandarin “so damn hard”?
How Stephen incorporated Mandarin in his everyday life
Top 10 online learning Chinese programs
Stephen’s internship at Yuanfen~Flow: long hours, moments of exhilaration, moments of clarity
What it feels like to be a foreigner in China
An anecdote about bureaucracy in Chinese banks
LinkedIn groups
Job and internship listings
Teaching English
Local magazines, newspapers, blogs, forums and more

Table of Contents Click on the links below to read actual chapters from the book for free!

Author Fun FAQ
- Stephen Balaban FAQ
Letter To The Reader
- Dear Future Transnational Men and Women of Mystery,
Chapter 1: Why Work In China?
- Why Work In China?
Chapter 2: Expats Flocking To China
- Expats Flocking To China
- Internships
Chapter 3: Guānxì: What It Did For Stephen. What It Can Do For You
- 有关系就没关系: With connections, one has no worries
Chapter 4: Expat-Friendly Internships In China
- Internships In China
Chapter 5: Tips On Searching For Work In China
- The most effective way to find work in China is to go to China
- Go beyond just searching for listings: Look for the companies that interest you, then research them individually
- An intern placement agency—though pricey—may help
- Maintain the networking mindset
- A few tested methods
Chapter 6: Mastering Mandarin To Maximize Your China Experience
- Benefits Of Learning The Language
Chapter 7: Chinese Business Culture
- First Meetings: Greetings and Business Cards
- Extreme Wining and Dining
Chapter 8: Living And Working In China: Stephen’s Adventures
- Stephen’s Adventures
Chapter 9: Making The Move: Common Expat Concerns About Moving To China
- Common Concerns
Chapter 10: Online resources for finding great China expat jobs and internships
- Networking or Business Groups
- Job and Internship Listings
- Teaching English
- Local Magazines, Newspapers, Blogs, Forums and More
The Best Book Series: Getting An Expat Job In China

Price: $25

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About the Author(s)

Name/姓名: Stephen A. Balaban 白德文 Website/网站: http://www.stephenbalaban.com Twitter/微波: @stephenbalaban Location/位置: San Francisco 旧金山 I'm an an entrepreneur and life-long student. I have studied Mandarin Chinese for five years and regularly consult the 易经 (I Ching). After working on my language abilities, which I assure you, come only after a bitter struggle, I've come to appreciate the value of 好好学习，天天向上; a quote by Mao Zedong that roughly translates to: "Study hard, and make progress every day." In 2010, I was given the opportunity to co-found Yuanfen~Flow (缘分汇), a high tech incubator based in Beijing's 798 art district. I took a semester off and "just did it". While still in Beijing, I ideated Babo Labs LLC, who's first product, Baybo, is a digital goods marketplace. After unsuccessfully dropping out of my studies in Computer Science and Economics, I graduated from the University of Michigan. Most mornings, when I'm in Beijing, you can find me grabbing a 煎饼 (jian bing) from the carts outside of 798, before heading into work. Millie Lapidario is a writer, editor, traveler, raw foodie and decoupage artist. She recently published an eBook for Hyperink called How To Get An Expat Job in China. Her work has appeared in the San Francisco legal newspaper The Recorder, The Daytona Beach News-Journal, and The San Francisco Chronicle's entertainment publication 96 Hours. She holds a B.A. in Ethnic Studies and a B.A. in Mass Communications from the University of California, Berkeley. In 2003, she learned from some of the country's top storytelling gurus during her reporting fellowship at the Poynter Institute of Media Studies in St. Petersburg, Florida.

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