I invited Leslie to write a guest post about her experience in China. Without further ado, it’s my pleasure to present Leslie’s guest post.

Written by Leslie Forman (http://www.leslieforman.com)

Originally from San Francisco, I have spent most of the past four years working in China.  The other night Frank Chen from Vastsea Executive Search came to my Chinese school to give a presentation about the job search in China.  He said that jobs for foreigners in China fall into four categories:

(1) English (teaching, writing, editing, speaking)
(2) Business Development (negotiating new projects, partnerships, and sales)
(3) Multinational Companies (in which the nature of the business is inherently global, and therefore needs a global staff)
(4) Entrepreneurship (my friend Joey, a creative and successful sculptor, often says, "China makes everyone an entrepreneur."  Just about every foreigner who has spent 5 or more years in China has launched a project of come sort!)

Most jobs involve more than one of these categories.  For example, my most recent full-time job, with a British company now known as Yaxley China, included all four.  I taught specialized, high-level English classes to Chinese lawyers, reporters, and engineers.  I met with potential clients, and drafted proposals to describe opportunities for collaboration.  My clients all worked for multinational organizations, in which they needed to communicate with clients and colleagues overseas.  And a British entrepreneur started the company. 

One of my best friends, an Aussie who has studied Chinese since high school, is a personal assistant to an entrepreneur who connects Australian investors with Chinese projects.  Her job also involves all four of these categories, and she channels her obsession with Beijing’s music scene into BeijingGigGuide.com.  I mentioned Frank’s framework to her, and she suggested that most foreigners who live in China for a while have careers that progress from one category to another.  Many people start out teaching English, and then work for multinational companies, who utilize them for English editing and business development efforts, and then they eventually want to apply their skills and contacts to start something new. 

My own experience has pretty much followed this progression.  (Though I have not jumped into formal entrepreneurship.  Yet.)  I first moved to China in 2006, shortly after graduating from Berkeley, with an oh-so-appropriate degree in Latin American Studies.  Why China? people always ask me.  My short answer is, "because I could." 

A few days after my graduation, I thumbed through my well-worn copy of Delaying the Real World – an inspiring and practical book that should be on every adventurous twenty-something’s desk – and looked up just about every international opportunity listed.

Three months later, having spent the summer volunteering in English classes for recent immigrants, I started as an English Instructor at Jiaxing University, in a small-by-Chinese-standards city about two hours south of Shanghai, thanks to CIEE Teach in China.  Next, I interned in the corporate social responsibility division of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, and helped a multinational ports company with its corporate social responsibility report.   After a year and a half in China, I found myself homesick and returned to my hometown, San Francisco.

During my stint with socially entrepreneurial software startup there, I got very involved with a China-focused microfinance non-profit called Wokai.  I then decided to move to Beijing.  (I wrote more about my China story and China careers in general, in this post: "How I Have Untemplated My Career in China."

This summer, studying Chinese has been my focus.  I take classes at a private language school, and have worked closely with my wonderful tutor.  My goal is to be able to collect information in Chinese in the workplace.  I have been able to do this in my part-time job with a Chinese marketing company.  We interviewed Chinese employees of a multinational retailer about their job satisfaction levels, and I was able to analyze their responses and write about them for the American client.  I have also been volunteering for the Jane Goodall Institute and tutoring an 8-year-old Chinese-American girl in English.  I am also looking for a new full-time job.  I am very optimistic about opportunities in this emerging economy. 

Overall, China has been good to me.  My original decision to move here, definitely the most random of my life, has exposed me to so many adventures and opportunities, and I’m glad to have taken this plunge.

Related posts:

• Foreign Young Professionals in China Mini Series #1: Interview with Ms. Marie Cheng
• Foreign Young Professionals in China Mini Series #2: Tsinghua MBA at Big Pharma

I recently interviewed Mr. Robert Yu, who is a fellow Cal Bear and received his MS in Biology from Northwestern. Like Marie Cheng, Robert also took the road less traveled, and got his MBA from Tsinghua University. Robert is currently working at Pfizer China.

Robert was very insightful and generous in sharing his journey.  I’m sure you’ll enjoy this interview.

Background
I was born in Hong Kong and moved to Vancouver, Canada when I was 6 years old.  I spent K-12 in Vancouver before moving to the U.S. for my undergraduate and graduate education.  I majored in molecular and cell biology at UC Berkeley and did my my master’s in biotechnology at Northwestern University.

After graduate school, I moved back to the Bay Area to work at Recombinant Capital (now Deloitte-Recap), a small boutique consulting firm specializing in structuring deals and alliances for the biotechnology industry.

After 4.5 years at Recap as an analyst, I decided to move to China initially to study and improve my Chinese.  While studying Chinese at Tsinghua, I found out that the university had an international MBA program partnered with MIT-Sloan.  I applied, was excepted and after graduation, started working for Pfizer China in the strategic planning and business development team.  I am presently transitioning over to a new role within Pfizer China to support one of the business unit/commercial functions.

Why move to China?
My move to China was more initially for more personal than professional reasons.

For starters, my parents are Chinese and I grew up in a fairly Chinese household (my parents mostly speak to me in Cantonese).

Secondly, I came to the realization that having a poor command of the Chinese language for someone like myself was just unacceptable.  I just felt that I needed to know more about my family’s cultural heritage and of the stories and places that my parents spoke so fondly.

Thirdly, I have been visiting China since 1992 and have been enthralled and completely swept away with the pace of change in the country. I just wanted to be witnessing all these changes personally rather than be reading about them thousands of miles away.

One could say that my reasons for coming were personal/emotional/cultural and that ultimately, I had the fortunate luck of having a career here in China.

First job in China
My first job in China stemmed from a summer internship.  Between my first and second year of my MBA, I interned at the Pfizer China office.  I was not expecting them to invite me back but 6 months after my internship ended, Pfizer called me out of the blue to ask if I were interested in returning to support the strategic planning and business development team.  After a few rounds of interviews, I was offered a great role with the team.

Language and culture are probably the biggest challenges that I can think of off of the top of my head.

I have the advantage/disadvantage of being both a foreigner and Chinese.  I walk the delicate and fine line of both worlds.  I am expected to have perfect Chinese and understand all cultural subtleties (anything less and I would considered a sell-out) while acting as the “bridge” and conduit between the language and cultural divide.  Much of what is important is implied and not stated.  Nothing is ever 100% concrete so a large amount of flexibility is required.

The changes in China are so rapid that it is indeed a challenge to quickly adapt.  Be flexible and try to enjoy the ride.

Post MBA Plans, etc.
I am, for the most part, living out my post MBA plans.  I am working a great job in China for a multinational.  I don’t know if I will stay in China indefinitely.  This very much depends on what my job prospects are here in addition to my family needs.  I will be getting married soon and I do have to think about raising children in China.  I am not sure if I am willing to put my children through the grinder of the Chinese education system.  In a country with so many people, what is believed to be the most efficient way to assess talent is through rigorous examinations.  The pressures are immense and the fate of a child is often determined by a set of exams.

My advice is to learn Chinese and learn it well.  No employer will say exactly how much you need and often give vague requirements like “strong command, proficient” etc.  Ideally, it would be very helpful to be able to participate in discussions in Chinese. Having a good command of Chinese is not just for communicating within the office but also to live and really understand the day-to-day of China.  I would argue that one only gets a partial experience, at best, of China without having made a concerted effort with the language and culture.

As I have mentioned above, if you look Chinese, then your language requirements are a lot higher.  Granted, my observations so far have indicated that if you are sent from HQs to China, then your skills far outweigh the need for Chinese language fluency; however, if you are asking to come to China as oppose to being asked to come, be prepared.

Second piece of advice is to be flexible.  China is an ever changing place that requires a lot of flexibility.  Be prepared to adapt quickly.  At times, it feels like a roller coaster ride but that is part of being in China.

The job market is very competitive here.  Not only overseas Chinese (hua ren or hua qiao) are coming to work, but also returnees (hai gui: mainland Chinese born, bred and raised in China who left for overseas education and work experience) are also coming back.  They bring with them a high degree of professionalism and a broad and in-depth skill set as well as the language and cultural understanding on both sides of the divide.  The bar for entry is definitely getting higher every year.

Still, China is an ever growing place (GDP numbers have been in the double digit and is estimated to be around 8% for this year) so opportunities do very much exist.   Although the level of sophistication and professionalism is going up quickly, there still remains a big talent gap and shortage in China.  Just be very clear and focused on what you offer and are able to deliver.

The days of the expat packages/lifestyle are quickly dying.  They do exist but it’s reserved for the high level executives who are sent here from headquarters abroad.  If compensation is that important, then by all means, work a job at HQ for a few years and then be posted or assigned to China.  Keep in mind though that China is changing so quickly that by the time you return, your knowledge and understanding of China may not be as relevant (the pace of change is something like 1 year in China = 5-7 years in the U.S.).

Be prepared to manage your expectations.  Not all streets are lined with gold and just living in China is a true test of your committment to being here.  From basic things like setting up a bank account to ordering food, the simple daily and mundane tasks may push you re-evaluate your reasons for coming to China.  Yes, the major cities like Beijing and Shanghai have many of the comforts of an international city; however, once outside of the more developed Tier 1 cities, don’t be shy about witnessing and experiencing China in its true colour and light.

Related post:

• Foreign Young Professionals in China Mini Series #1: Interview with Ms. Marie Cheng

They feel that the United States is in decline, and the future is in somewhere else. Given how much debt the United States government owe, some folks are fearful of hyper inflation and a major US currency collapse.

Interesting enough, I recently read A Gift to My Children: A Father’s Lessons for Life and Investing by Jim Roger,  the legendary billionaire investor who sold his mansion in NYC in 2007 and moved his family to Singapore. Both of his daughters were taught Chinese since they were born. He is quoted as saying: "If you were smart in 1807 you moved to London, if you were smart in 1907 you moved to New York City, and if you are smart in 2007 you move to Asia."

Should you follow Mr. Roger’s advice and move to Asia? I would like to offer a few thoughts.

1. The United States is not as “doomed” as some people think. The financial crisis exposed some serious problems in the US financial and regulatory systems. The US government is in deep debt. The so-called “bears” are very cynical and pessimistic about the system. But, if you look at other countries in the worlds, many governments are much more corrupt, bureaucratic, and ineffective than the US government. I still think comparatively, the United States is in a much better position to recover than many other countries.
2. Don’t move to Asia to follow the crowed; you should know why you’re moving there. During the late 1990’s, a lot of people moved to the Silicon Valley to join the Dotcom boom. And a lot of them were laid off a few years later. They had no interest or passion for technology, but they wanted to be part of the technology gold rush. Similarly, don’t move to Asia because you want to join the “gold rush” crowded. Make the move if you have a genuine interest in Asia.
3. Separate fantasy from reality. Before you make the serious commitment to move to Asia, go to live there for a few months. Can you handle the long work hours and intense pressure? Can you survive the hot and humid weather in Singapore, Hong Kong or Taipei? How about the smog and pollution in Beijing? We tend to fantasize and think “grass is greener on the other side”. But, once you look into the details, you will start seeing things more objectively.
4. If you’re single and interested in Asia, I highly recommend you to move to Asia. You have nothing to lose, and you have a lot to gain.
5. If you’re a mid-career professional, you should think holistically about your move – what’s your competitive advantage when you move to Asia? What is your contingency plan if the job doesn’t work out? Do you plan to get another job in Asia or move back to the United States? What about your kids’ education? You’re not just making a career decision, you’re also make a life style decision for your family.

Related posts:

• Bubble In China?
• How the economic downturn will affect outsourcing to China and India?

Excellent resources:

• A Bull in China: Investing Profitably in the World’s Greatest Market
• China Road: A Journey into the Future of a Rising Power
• River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze
• Life and Death in Shanghai
• Download Hundreds of Complimentary Industry Resources: Get hundreds of popular Industry magazines, white papers, webinars, podcasts, and more; all available at no cost to you. With more than 600 complimentary offers, you’ll find plenty of titles to suit your professional interests and needs. Click Here and Sign up today!

Observations

1. Outsourcing to China is mostly in the manufacturing sector. As US (and global) economy goes deeper into recession, consumer spending will decrease. Demand for China-manufactured goods will decrease significantly. This will impact a lot of Chinese manufacturing firms, especially small-to-medium sized shops.
2. Outsourcing to India is mostly in the software/service sector. Some of these outsourcing projects have multi-year contracts. So, I think software/service outsourcing to India will be less impacted. However, I still believe the impact would be significant. As average IT salary increases in India, it’s becoming more and more expensive to outsource to India. Companies are starting to realize that outsourcing could be expensive — given the time, cultural and language differences, there is quite a bit of overhead for coordinating outsourced projects. As economy worsens, it’s conceivable that some companies will take a hard look at their outsourcing options, and decide to move back to the US.
3. Both Chinese and Indian firms will recognize that they need to get out of the "outsourcing mode", start building their own brands, and aggressively sell in the US and EU market. Instead of letting US companies to profit from high margins, these firms will try to expand "vertically", build their own brands, and sell directly to businesses and consumers in the US and EU.

What does this mean to you and me?

1. There will be more acquisitions of American firms by Chinese and India companies. Their goal is to gain a foothold in the American market, and a sale force that they could expand.
2. If you’re familiar with Chinese or Indian business culture and know how to sell, there will be an opportunity for you to provide services to help Chinese and Indian companies to enter and expand in the US market.
3. Instead of moving oversea to China and India to participate in their emerging economy, there might be a niche in the US or EU that you could exploit.

Do you agree or disagree with my observations? I’d like to hear your insights. Leave a comment or email me at regularguy@GeekMBA360.com.

Is China the promise land for your next career move? Watching my friends going back to China, it reminded me of the late 1990′s when dotcom bubble was at its height. At that time, I was working for a company in downtown SF. I remembered my buddy told me "you should join a start-up in the valley ASAP. That’s where the action is! you’re wasting your time in the city". San Francisco is less than 60 miles from the Silicon Valley. But, at that time, the "valley" was considered the epicenter for dotcoms.

I learn several lessons from surviving the the dotcom bubble that are applicable to the current "china bubble".

First, A very small percentage of people got rich from bubble. I graduated from the Computer Science department of a top university in the bay area when the bubble just got started. My friends and classmates were all getting really good offers from large companies and dotcoms. But, today, although all of them are doing well, the number of millionaires among them are still very small. Luck plays a role. One person I knew joined a company called Geocities as a web developer. He was not a computer science grad and only knew HTML and a little bit scripting. Geocities was soon sold to Yahoo! and my friend made quite a fortune. Becoming rich in the valley has a lot to do with being at the right place at the right time.

Second, Bubble will eventually burst. Make sure you’re learning something while you participate in the bubble. I worked at two start-ups, and neither of them had big success. However, both companies had interesting technologies, and were trying to create useful applications to solve real business problems. After the bubble burst, as I advanced in my career, I actually worked on second-generation technology/application that realized the original visions of the products I worked on in the start-ups. If you’re going to participate in a bubble, make sure you will learn new things and solve real problems. Even if your "bubble adventure" doesn’t work out, you still learn valuable things to carry over to your next job or venture.

Third, it’s painful when bubble bursts. I knew smart and driven people who were out of job for extended period of time, who had to move out of bay area due to high cost of living, who transitioned to completely different careers, etc. If you’re thinking about working in China, I think you should approach your decision with caution.

Just like the dotcom bubble, there are clearly value being created by the "china bubble". China is having an amazing economic and social transformation, and it’s exciting and potentially rewarding to participate. However, only a small percentage of participants will become very rich.

The bubble will burst eventually. The problem about China’s labor market is the huge income gap. I-banking, VC, PE and management consultants are making US-scale salaries or higher, while other "corporate jobs" pay significantly less. What will happen when the bubble burst? When VC, PE, management consultancy, Investment Banks have to downsize? Will these people be willing to take a corporate job with 30-50% pay cut?

For the China based VC and private equity firms to proper, there needs to be a healthy exit market (e.g. M&A or IPO). I think it’s getting more and more difficult to exit in the next 24 months due to the current global economic condition.

Should you go to work in China? Ultimately it’s a personal decision. But, you’ll be better off and "reducing" your risk if you pursue an opportunity that you have a genuine interest, leverage your strength, and let you develop your career and learn. If it takes you somewhere financially, then it’s great. If the bubble bursts and you don’t get rewarded financially, it’d still be ok because you learn new things and become a better professional/entrepreneur/manager/etc.

You life and your career will last much longer than the bubble. Keep things in perspective while you participate in the bubble.