Finding non-ESL work in Beijing

[XiaoZhou]

Hello all,

 

I'm looking for my next job, and you can see more about me and what I'm looking for here (https://josephlemien.wixsite.com/website), but rather than merely asking here I thought that I would share some resources as well. In brief, if you are looking for work in Beijing and you don't want to be a language teacher, here is my recommended plan of action:

 

 

First, make two resumes. Use https://cvmkr.com to make a nicely designed one, and use a word processor to make another resume that follows this advice. Both of these resumes should be "comprehensive" and include everything that you've ever done. Each time you apply to a job, you should A) decide based on what you know of the company if they would prefer to receive a resume that is information dense or if they would prefer to receive a resume that has a nice visual design, and B) remove all the non-relevant experience from your resume. This means that although I have a 4 page comprehensive resume, I rarely send out a resume that is more than one page.

 

Next, let your friends know that you are looking for work. Don't ask them "can you give me a job"; ask them "could you share this information with your friends and colleagues?" and "could you keep your ears and eyes open and let me know of anything that pops up?" You can create a blurb to describe what you want or you can create a landing page (like I did). You have to be able to give a good answer to the question "What kind of job are you looking for", so practice talking about your preferences and goals, as well as the things that would be deal-breakers. For example, one of the things I tell people in my job search is that "I want a job that will be meaningful. It doesn't have to be distributing anti-malarial bednets, but it has to be better than making rich people richer." As soon as I tell people this, they know that I'm not interested in corporate finance, helping wealthy Chinese kids apply to school, etc. They also know that I'd be interested to work with a company that is doing something to make the world a better place. You should have at least a few sentences that you can tell people about what you want; this is your "elevator speech." You should also go to a lot of events, and let people know that you are looking for a new job.

 

Next, get into useful WeChat groups. The more people you know the easier this step will be. Ask your friends if they are in any job-hunting and professional WeChat groups (or LinkedIn groups or email listserves or QQ groups or whatever it is that people happen to be using). I'm in a few that are specifically for job-hunting, but I'm also in a few that are professional (for product managers, for people working in EdTech, etc). Don't be an annoying person and spam the groups with your requests, but you should contact whoever runs the group and ask if it is okay for you to post a blurb in there.

 

Finally, apply to jobs. Write a unique cover letter for each position, and (if you apply by email) write something in the body of the email. When I am doing hiring work, I always think very badly of a candidate that sends me a blank email with a resume attached. A few notes about your cover letter and resume: Spellcheck it. Let it sit for a day or two and then look at it again and make edits. Ask a friend to review it and to give you advice for how to improve it. Send a .pdf version (not a .word version) when you apply for jobs, because is a .word version the formatting can be different depending on how the user is viewing it (what software, what device, etc). There is also a perspective that .pdf files are more professional (just as illogical as khaki's being seen as more professional than blue jeans).

 

Where to find jobs, you ask? Well, the best way is through friends, colleagues, and other people you know. But you can also look at these sites. These would be most useful for a citizen of the USA that is already in Beijing, so feel free to shift and substitute other resources depending on your nationality and language skills. Also keep in mind that while a few sites are long-lasting (like TheBeijinger) many sites come and go, so maybe it was a great resource a few months ago, but by the time you looks at it early next year there will be almost nothing on there. Don't get discouraged. That doesn't mean that there aren't any jobs. It means that the jobs are announced elsewhere:

• www.projectpengyou.org/jobs/
• http://www.thebeijinger.com/classifieds/employment-available (select the appropriate sub-categories on the right for the type of work that you are looking for)
• http://jobs.amchamchina.org/amchjob-front/jobInfo/searchJobs (other Chambers of Commerce probably also have similar job posting pages)
• http://jingjobs.com
• http://mojob.io/jobsearch.html
• http://www.laowaicareer.com/
• www.atlas-china.com/jobs/
• http://www.foreignhr.com
• eChinacities (this is kind of scraping the bottom of the barrel, but there are occasionally good jobs here)
• Craigslist Beijing (same as above)
• Local Meetup groups that are relevant/related to your professional interests

[Angelina]

Good luck, Joseph!

 

I hope others will find these resources helpful.

 

One more:

 LinkedIn

[Lu]

Helpful advice, and a smart move to combine your job ad here with a helpful post.

I looked at your landing page. I love that you have maintaining inbox zero as your first strenghth :-)

[ChTTay]

I think that networking is the single most helpful thing for finding a non-ESL job in Beijing. 

 

Regardless of the job, loads of people I know with what can be considered a “good job” got it through networking. 

 

I’m a teacher (not ESL) and the best opportunities are always through networking. 

 

It kind of sucks that it’s like this but that’s just how it works. 

 

Ao my advice would be find opportunities to network. Amcham do a lot of good events. Also, joining any kind of large sports team or club gives opportunity to meet a wide range of people. 

[Flickserve]

Good luck

 

Spelling mistakes should be minimised. 

[ChTTay]

I like my Chinese forums typos 

[Flickserve]

Including his introduction page? 

[ChTTay]

Are they typos made by me on this forum? 

[Flickserve]

5 hours ago, ChTTay said:

Are they typos made by me on this forum?

 

I think we got some crossed wires 

 

The OP has a spelling error early on in his description of himself in his link. I was referring to that.