Get 40% OFF with the You Can Speak sale! Hurry! Ends soon!
Get 40% OFF with the You Can Speak sale! Hurry! Ends soon!
ChineseClass101.com Blog
Learn Chinese with Free Daily
Audio and Video Lessons!
Start Your Free Trial 6 FREE Features

Archive for the 'Working in China' Category

Pursue Your Career in China — How to Find a Job in China

China is a large country with a great variety of demands for its market, and due to the rapidly growing internationality and the increasing economy, the appearance of foreign workers in China is more and more common. It’s not as difficult as you thought to set sail for your career in China. The international job opportunities in China are larger than you can imagine.

Working in China can bring a series of advantages to you considering its skyrocketing economy and the income for inflation getting higher and higher in most international companies. Therefore, foreigners with international experience are able to find a range of foreigners-friendly jobs in China, with an advantage.

Now, if you’re planning to find a job in China and establish your own footing in the society, this article is definitely the treasure you’re looking for!

Start with a bonus, and download the Business Words & Phrases PDF for FREE! (Logged-In Member Only)

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Business Words and Phrases in Chinese

Table of Contents

  1. The Special Requirements to Work in China
  2. Where to Start Finding Employment in China
  3. The Utilization of Networking for Jobs — Chinese Job Sites
  4. Essential Chinese Phrases for Business Occasions and Interviews
  5. Some Other Communities Offline to Find Jobs in China
  6. Chinese CV, Interview, and Resume Tips
  7. Conclusion

1. The Special Requirements to Work in China

Chinese Visa

Though it’s not required to know the Chinese language in order to work there, according to different needs in different companies, the ability to speak Chinese fluently will bring you more benefits. Generally, jobs that require the ability to speak Chinese offer you a better salary. So far, the top-paying jobs in China are about finance, human resources, computer science, etc…

Generally, most foreigners in China find jobs teaching their first language to begin with. There’s a huge advantage for native English speakers since many Chinese parents wish their children to have perfect English. Therefore, jobs in China for English speakers are in high demand.

If you’re planning to start your career in China as a foreigner, one of the priorities for you to take care of is the work visa for you to work in China. There are pretty specific visa requirements for foreigners to work in China, so we’ll just give you some of the basics. Remember to go to a local embassy or a visa service center to get your application done. Of course, there’s a good selection of different visa types; the best one for you depends on how long you’ll be staying in China. Usually, the best type for a foreigner working in China is a Z-type visa. According to your personal situation, the type of visa you need may vary. For example, if you’re extremely expert in your profession, you’ll be able to apply for an R-type visa.

2. Where to Start Finding Employment in China

Which cities are the best fit for foreigners looking to find jobs in China? Check out the top four cities below.

1- Beijing

As the very capital of China, Beijing has certainly been a positive influence in the growing economy in China. When it comes to working and living in China, Beijing isn’t likely to let you down.

2- Shanghai

Shanghai is the center of finance and developed businesses in China. Recently, the first Disneyland in the Chinese mainland opened in Shanghai in 2016.

3- Guangzhou

With a strong cultural background, Guangzhou’s retail sales, household deposits total both takes the first three place in China, and its human development index takes the first position in China so far. It is also known as a popular place for immigrants.

4- Shenzhen

As one of the first cities to go through a revolution in China, Shenzhen has remained friendly and open to other cultures ever since, and its GDP is outstanding.

These four cities should be your absolute first options to go to when you decide to work in China as a foreigner. As four of the most prosperous cities in China, they are also more populous and therefore have a more competitive job market. Fortunately, as a foreigner, your identity may provide you a shortcut in those internationally developed countries that other native Chinese citizens won’t have access to.

3. The Utilization of Networking for Jobs — Chinese Job Sites

Gadgets

1- WeChat

https://web.wechat.com/

Once you’re all settled in China, you might want to download the application and register for a WeChat account immediately. It’s one of the most essential medias for Chinese people and the most common way to communicate via social media, being a significant Chinese job search website. You can even take the posts from your WeChat to use as your “second business card.” If later you’re in contact with people who are related to your work, it’s necessary to post carefully because many individuals think the content of your posts represent who you are.

There’s a word—guanxi—in Chinese, or 关系. Its literal meaning is “relationship,” and further, it talks about your personal connection and class within the business social circle. Nowadays, it’s commonplace to get a job through guanxi for many Chinese citizens; they’re skilled at utilizing the sources they have. Thus, WeChat can be a great tool for you to get updated information on jobs if you’ve already established some guanxi of your own. This will open doors for you to see posts regarding job opportunities.

2- LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/

LinkedIn, as an internationally popular service for employment, now has a partnership with WeChat. You can easily link your LinkedIn to WeChat, making it convenient for other people to review both your professional profile and social media profile. Again, once that’s done, you’ll be responsible for establishing a proper public figure through your posts on WeChat.

3- Job Lead China

https://www.jobleadchina.com/job

Job Lead China is an excellent recruitment service provider and works as a bridge to build a connection between foreigners and the Chinese employment system. All the enterprises there are verified, and the platform provides a series of thorough services including analyzing the needs of the company, conducting profession search and background investigation, performing customer interviews, identifying candidates, and providing follow-up service after the trial stage. This is one of the most popular Chinese job hunting sites for good reason!

4- JobsiteChina

https://www.jobsitechina.com/Index_en.aspx

JobsiteChina is another platform that focuses on international employment. It provides a wide-range of expert services for job opportunities in China for foreigners, such as a Headhunter service, advertisement, CV downloading, and so on. There, you’ll also find some detailed guides for the procedures related to having a job in China.

5- 51Job

https://www.51job.com/

51Job is one of the largest platforms for local online lists of jobs in China. The application process is simple and easy; you can just post your resume and search for jobs for free. But keep in mind that this isn’t recommended for foreigners who cannot speak Chinese fluently, since everything is navigated in Chinese. Remember, there are many agents who can be a great help for you to start a job, but sometimes it’s not necessary to go through them. Thus, it’s important to learn to recognize the agents apart from the direct enterprises.

4. Essential Chinese Phrases for Business Occasions and Interviews

Here’s a list of some of the most important phrases to know when it comes time for that big interview or other business occasion, including the most common interview questions in China.

1- Business Card Exchange

  • In Chinese: 请问能和您交换一下名片吗?
  • Pinyin: Qǐng wèn néng hé nín jiāo huàn yī xià míng piàn ma?
  • In English: Can we please exchange the business cards?

2- Thanking for the Interview

  • In Chinese: 感谢您能给我这次参加面试的机会。
  • Pinyin: Gǎn xiè nín néng gěi wǒ zhè cì cān jiā miàn shì de jī huì.
  • In English: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to go to this interview.

3- Asking When to Expect Notice

  • In Chinese: 请问您什么时候能通知我录取结果呢?
  • Pinyin: Qǐng wèn nín shén me shí hòu néng tōng zhī wǒ gù yòng jié guǒ ne?
  • In English: Can I know when I will get the notice?

4- Greet All the Interviewers

  • In Chinese: 大家好。
  • Pinyin: Dà jiā hǎo.
  • In English: Hello, everyone.

5- When Asked if You Have Questions After Interview

  • In Chinese: 针对我们公司,您还有什么想问的吗?
  • Pinyin: Zhēn duì wǒ men gōng sī, nín hái yǒu shén me xiǎng wèn de ma?
  • In English: Is there any other question you have for our company?

6- When Asked to Introduce Yourself

  • In Chinese: 请给我们简单介绍一下你自己。
  • Pinyin: Qǐng gěi wǒ men jiǎn dān jiè shào yī xià nǐ zì jǐ.
  • In English: Please briefly introduce yourself for us.

7- When Asked for Work Experience

  • In Chinese: 能给我们简单介绍一下你之前的工作经历吗?
  • Pinyin: Néng gěi wǒ men jiǎn dān jiè shào yī xià nǐ zhī qián de gōng zuò jīng lì ma?
  • In English: Can you please briefly introduce your working experience before?

8- When Asked to Introduce Your Personal Strengths

  • In Chinese: 能给我们简单介绍一下你的个人优势吗?
  • Pinyin: Néng gěi wǒ men jiǎn dān jiè shào yī xià nǐ de gè rén yōu shì ma?
  • In English: Can you please tell us about your personal strength?

5. Some Other Communities Offline to Find Jobs in China

Job Fair

Job fairs are held in populous areas, and you’ll have to pay attention to the advertisement for the off-site job fairs both online and offline. Your network may just be your main source of information about these job fairs, so don’t forget to utilize some of the Chinese job searching sites above and continue to build strong connections!

There are two main websites that update the job fairs for many cities in China. You can find more information about them by clicking the city you are interested in.

Taking Notes

6. Chinese CV, Interview, and Resume Tips

1- Stay Humble

Traditionally, Chinese people attach great importance to the trait of being humble. Though during an interview or a business occasion, or in your resume, you’ll have to paint yourself in a presentable and confident image, you should remember not to overdo it so much that people form a bad impression of you as being arrogant. This is certainly one of the most important things to know when it comes to finding a job in China.

Interviewing

2- Nice Resume Photo

You may want to include a good portrait of yourself in your resume, as a nice appearance can instantly leave a positive impression. Make sure you choose a recent photo, which showcases the professional image of yourself.

3- Shake Hands if there’s a Chance

Small details can make a huge difference when landing a job in China. Don’t forget to shake hands when you meet your interviewers as well as when you leave. It shows a great deal of respect for the people who you offer to shake hands with. Remember to offer your hands gently to your interviewers or potential business partners when you have a chance.

Two Woman Shaking Hands

4- Organize Your Resume Neatly

The overall visual effect is important for a resume in China as well, despite the content. Keep your resume neat and well-organized to leave a good first impression for the viewers.

Resume

5- Try to Show as Many Accomplishments as You Can

Rather than your own evaluation of yourself, Chinese resume evaluators prefer to focus on your personal accomplishments. Personal evaluation can be biased; they would like to recognize your true strengths by the things you’ve accomplished previously.

7. Conclusion

Though it’s possible to find a job in China as a foreigner without speaking good Chinese, the skill of speaking Chinese will give you a much greater advantage when it comes to securing a decent career and helping you communicate to your co-workers more smoothly to establish a harmonious working environment.

ChineseClass101.com, provides a set of systematic and useful resources for studying Chinese. For example, there are professional teachers who can help you improve your Chinese language skills in order to find a job and further prepare for the interview. Don’t hesitate to take hold of this great advantage and learn more about how to find a job in China!

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Business Words and Phrases in Chinese

Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid for Chinese Learners

Hey everyone today we are going to show some common mistakes that Chinese learners make so that you guys know what to look out for!

Common Error #1:
Incorrect word order when forming questions:
English speakers tend to use English word order when forming questions with question words. In English, the question word comes at the beginning of the sentence. In Chinese the question word comes at the end of the sentence.

Common Error #2:
Making verbs past tense:
getting the particles 了 and 过 mixed up. Put in a simple way, 了 is used for a completed action. 过 is used to indicate previous experience.

Common Error #3:
Negating verbs:
Getting the 不 and the 没 mixed up. Put in a simple way, the 不 is used to negate action verbs in present, future, or when speaking about habitual actions. 没 is used when the action either did not happen, or isn’t complete yet.

Common Error #4:
In an attempt to be polite, using too many words:
A lot of Chinese learners, in an attempt to translate what is polite in their own language end up adding too many words to their sentences, confusing the people that are listening. One tip we have is to Listen to how a Chinese person who is learning English tends to speak and try to follow that pattern in Chinese.

Common Error #5:
Being so afraid about having a standard accent or the correct tones:
Some beginners are too afraid to speak because they are afraid of making mistakes, but the best way to fix this is by practicing! Chinese is a hard language so don’t be afraid to make mistakes! You will improve!

We would love to hear your stories and any other mistakes that you guys think are common for students of Chinese! Feel free to leave us a comment and share!

Top 5 Tools for Learning Chinese

Today we are going to give you our top 5 recomended tools to help you with mastering Chinese.
1.ABC Dictionary by John DeFrancis

This is a great pinyin dictionary with great definitions and easy lookup system

2. Adsotrans

This is a really good online super-dictionary, found at www.adsotrans.com. Just paste in any Chinese text and let Adso analyze it. Mouse over the results to see what the words mean in English, and how to pronounce them. There are numerous other features that come with this dictionary as well. Check it out!

3. Chinese Pera-kun

A firefox plug-in that lets you get translation for Chinese text by putting your mouse over the word.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3349

4. Flashcards

Try our flashcards on the site, chineseclass101.com. Simply add words from any of our lessons to your word bank, then go to the flashcards tab and they will be automatically populated for you.

5. Google’s Character Writing Software

Use pinyin to input Chinese characters. Google’s intuitive software will predict what words you want to use, and will allow you to string along sentences.
https://www.google.com/ime/pinyin/

6. Pinyin Chart

Come to www.chineseclass101.com and use our pinyin chart with audio for each of the sounds of Chinese to familiarize yourself with the pronunciation of pinyin as well as to perfect you own pronunciation.

Ok, I know we said top 5, but we thought all 6 of these products were so good we would include them all! If you guys have anymore ideas please leave a comment and let us know!

Chinese Society

Hey everyone, today we are going to be discussing the social structure of China.

Beijing

Beijing is also a city of contrasts.  The political, educational and cultural center of China, the history of Beijing can be traced back over 3,000 years.  With such historical relics as the Forbidden City, the Ming Tombs, and the Great Wall in close proximity, Beijing is a place one can get in touch with the China of old.  However, with the recent economic progress and the frenzy of new construction and infrastructure for the 2008 Olympics, Beijing is now a changed city.

Family Life

Introduction: Families in China are generally still quite traditional, and the family is a focal point of life. Most holidays center around family gatherings and meals, and filial piety is an important and still is a very valid part of Chinese society.  In many cases, adult Chinese children will live with their parents (if their parents live in the same city), with the parents aiding them with household duties such as cooking and parenting.  Thus, though China is modernizing very quickly, traditional family values are still very strong.

Work Culture and Economy

Introduction: China’s economy is ranked number 3 in the world and is strong in manufacturing, being called by some ‘the world’s workshop’.   Almost every major multi-national company not only has an office in China; they deem China as vital to their global corporate strategies.  Though foreign companies account for a lot of business in China, the State-owned companies continued to dominate the list of the biggest companies in China, taking the top ten spots. Some well known multinational companies in China are Boeing, Volkswagon, Microsoft and Nokia.

This is just some of examples of what Chinese society is really like today! Be sure to explore more about this society to understand it more!

Chinese Cuisine part 2

Last week we discussed the basics of Chinese cuisine, well this week we are back to talk about our favorite subject some more, food! This week we will be discussing dishes we strongly recomend, and some other dishes that we recomend for the brave!

Top Chinese Foods to Try

  • 小 籠包 (xiǎolóngbāo) – Probably the most famous Shanghai dish: these small steamed dumplings are steamed in a basket and stuffed with meat and a tasty broth inside. The connoisseur bites a little hole into them first, sips the broth, then dips them in dark vinegar (醋 cu) to season the meat inside.
  • 油条 (yóutiáo) lit. oil stick – Long, deep-fried donut. A very popular breakfast in China. Typically consumed in the morning with soy milk (dou jiang 豆浆), the youtiao is a long, deep-fried stick of dough.
  • 羊肉串 (yángròu chuàn) Barbecued meat skewers (Typically from street vendors) – Generally made from lamb, these Xinjiang-style meat kebabs are delicious.
  • 拉面 (lāmiàn) Lanzhou-style lamian – Fresh hand-pulled noodles; look for a tiny restaurants with staff in Muslim dress. These fresh noodles have a flavor very atypical of most noodle dishes you will find in China.
  • 点 心 (diǎnxīn) Cantonese / Guangzhou / Hong Kong-style Dim Sum – The small snacks usually eaten for lunch/breakfast in these southern regions of China and in Hong Kong are a highlight.

Top 5 Chinese Foods for the Brave

  • Stinky Tofu – Locals will forever be asking you if you’ve tried this fermented tofu specialty, so you might as well cave and do the deed. Think ‘french cheese’ rather than ‘smelly socks’ and you just might enjoy it.
  • Century Eggs – They’re not really a century old, though they do look it. Black, gelatinous, strong salty flavor… these delicacies are preserved in salt and ash for 100 days.
  • Drunken shrimp – Shrimp marinated live, and served live. Watch out for the splashing wine. You eat them after they drown.
  • Seahorse – Though it feels somehow wrong on many levels to eat cute animals that feature in Disney cartoons, at least you’ll have something to write home about.
  • Bird’s Nest Soup – Don’t let the saliva base of this broth turn you off from this healthful aphrodisiac.

Chinese Cuisine part 1

The focus of this lesson was to teach about Chinese cuisine
Basics of Chinese Cuisine

  • Many people are surprised on their arrival in China to find that what they thought was Chinese food is nowhere to be found.
  • Another challenge is that the names of Chinese dishes, even in Chinese, can be very cryptic, making ordering a challenge, even if you find a menu with English translations. Chinese dish names are generally completely irrelevant to the ingredients.
  • Rice is generally a staple of the south, with noodles featuring in as well.
  • Northern China features dishes made with wheat flour, such as noodles, dumplings, steamed buns, and thin pancakes.
  • Where meat is often the focal point of many western meals, it is the starch-rice or noodle-that is the starting point and palette for Chinese meals.

Regional Cuisines

  • There are 8 main regional cuisines in China; the flavors vary from hot and spicy, to sweet and oily, even pungent and sour.
  • The main cooking methods employed are stir-frying, deep-frying, steaming and stewing.
  • Chinese kitchens rarely have an oven, though there are various specialties that are roasted.

Famous Seasonal Dishes

  • The Hairy Crab of Shanghai comes into season in October/November. A local delicacy that is exported around the country and beyond. One of the most savored parts of the hairy crab are the sperm in the males, and the eggs in the females.
  • Hot pot is a warming food that is popular in the winter. A large pot of broth is set to boil, and the diners cook their own meats, vegetables and seafood by boiling them in the soup.
  • In mid-to-late September, the mid-autumn festival is celebrated. Mooncakes are ubiquitous at this time of year, and are gifted and re-gifted amongst friends, relatives and from employers to employees.
    • Mooncakes are round, like the moon, and have a pastry-like crust with a flavored filling; from lotus paste to sweet red bean; even salty egg yolks.

Table Etiquette

  • Chinese food is generally prepared in bite-sized pieces that can easily be picked up with chopsticks. A knife at the table is considered barbaric.
  • It is a demonstration of utmost hospitality and respect for the host to dish food onto his guest’s plate. Often, this will be done repeatedly, despite futile pleads on the eater’s part to being full.
  • It is fine to leave some food in one’s plate, as if one cleans the plate, it is a signal to the host to put more food onto it!
  • In China, dishes are served communally, and there are no serving spoons. The diners all use their own chopsticks to dip into the dishes.
  • Never stab your chopsticks into your rice bowl and leave them there. This is the worst of all Chinese dining faux pas, as it is related to a funeral tradition.

Food as Medicine

  • From bird’s nest soup to deer antlers, Chinese food therapy dates back as early as 2000 BC.

Well thats all we have for today! What is the most unique Chinese food you have ever eaten? Please leave us a comment and let us know!

Test Your China Knowledge

The focus of this lesson is to test your knowledge about China. This lesson will build your basic knowledge of China by quizzing you on 5 areas of Knowledge: Geography, Pop Culture, Travel, Economics and Myth Busting!! Are you ready?

1)What percentage of China’s 1.3 billion people live in urban areas?
A) 10% 
B) 40%
C) 50%
D) 90%

2)China has the following number of provinces:
A)22
B)23
C)34

3)Following are three famous Chinese people. One is a famous singer, one a politician, and one a sports star. Match the person with their profession:
王菲 刘翔 胡锦涛
(Liú Xiáng)(Wáng Fēi) (athlete) 
(Hú Jǐntāo) (politician) (singer)

4) Rank in correct order the most popular travel destination in China:
Shanghai Beijing Xi’an 

5) What year did the economic reforms that transformed China’s economy into a market-oriented economy take place in?

6) Fortune cookies originated in China. True or False? Read the rest of this post »

Top 6 Must-Know Phrases (one for getting out of trouble…)

The following are 6 essential phrases guaranteed to be the best thing you ever learned in Chinese!

  1. 谢谢 (xièxie)  “Thanks.” The Chinese aren’t big on ‘please’, but they love thank you so much that they’ll often hit you with a barrage of it, ‘xiexiexiexiexiexiexiexie’.
  2. 听不懂 (tīngbùdǒng) “I don’t understand what you are saying.” This phrase is going to be your best friend, go-to and solace. 
  3. 你好 (nǐhǎo) “hello” If you don’t know it yet, we don’t know where you’ve been.
  4. 不知道 (bù zhīdào) “I don’t know.” You may hear this phrase more than use it, however learn from the Chinese how to bu zhidao every situation you wish to evade, play dumb about, or avoid.
  5. 不好意思 (bùhǎoyìsi) “Sorry.”  Buhaoyisi literally means ‘bad feeling’, and can be used to apologize to all the dainty toes your oversized foreign feet will step on in the crowded subway, to repent over some cultural faux pas you likely don’t know you’ve committed, or to just curry favor, in general.
  6. 让一下 (ràng yīxià) “Let me through.”  Buhaoyisi’s slightly stronger cousin. Use this when you’re trapped in a subway car and can’t get out, or stymied in your efforts to crowd-worm through a city of 18 million people.

There you go.  Just don’t blame us if #4 doesn’t work 😉

Learn Chinese Direct from Beijing with ChineseClass101.com

Dear Chinese Students,

Today we’re pleased to announce the launch of ChineseClass101.com. This is a joint project between Popup Chinese and the folks at Innovative Language Learning.

If you’re familiar with the Innovative Language approach to teaching, you’ll know the strength of their materials has always been tight, step-by-step progressive lessons for beginners. At Popup Chinese, we’ve historically geared our materials towards more advanced students, so when we had the chance to cooperate with the Innovative team and work together to build something that could take advantage of the powerful system they’ve already built we leapt at the chance, and began work designing a focused and stepwise program for Mandarin instruction.

Although a few hints leaked out (*ahem*), for the past few months we’ve worked somewhat stealthily to build the best team possible for the task. You’ll find our progressive beginner lessons hosted by none other than the famous Frank Fradella. Other big names on our roster are Amber Scorah and of course everyone on our existing team like Echo Yao and Brendan O’Kane. This is a great team and I can say with confidence I’ve never worked with a stronger one. With more than 100 lessons on the new site, our content is off to a good start too. As Frank said once after a marathon recording session, “our first twenty lessons here teach more than I learned in a whole year studying elsewhere.”

We think this is a great step forward and look forward to hearing your feedback and thoughts as well. It is definitely a major step forward for Chinese language education online. There’s never been a better time to learn Chinese, or a better way to learn it online. Regardless of whether you’re an advanced independent learner or a total newbie, we hope you’ll enjoy the work we’ll be doing both here and at ChineseClass101. Thanks for your support, and 加油 everyone!

Best from Beijing,

David Lancashire

Best from New York,

Amber Scorah