Three years ago, Klara Sibeck bought a one-way ticket to China. She was a newly graduated Technical Design Engineer and felt that it was time to look for a fun job, for example in Shanghai.
Klara landed her first job after a six-week stay in China. She worked at a French lighting company, and one of the lamps that she designed, Polaris, is now being sold at Clas Ohlson and other outlets.
“I saw a job ad on the Internet, sent in my application and got a response a few days later. I was interviewed, and on Monday morning the following week, I started my job,” she says.
After some time at the French company, Klara changed jobs and began working in the manufacturing industry. For nearly one year now, she has been working as a project manager at Wild design, a design agency, where she has ten coworkers. The agency focusses on industrial and product design, in addition to graphic design and marketing.
Klara mainly works with brand management, graphic design and packaging. One of her latest projects was to develop a new chewing gum pack for a US firm.
Besides this work, she also runs a firm of her own, which offers services related to manufacturing in China. “I feel that my degree in engineering has paid off, first and foremost in these projects,” says Klara. “Right now, for instance, I am involved in the development of an electrically-powered vehicle for a Swedish customer.”
| Klara’s tips: How to land a job in China |
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1 Find out which companies in your sector have operations in China.
It is often difficult to find work from home and be “sent” to China unless you have extensive experience.
2 If you graduated recently, you will probably need to live in China in order to find work. Companies rarely have time to wait for someone who needs to travel from abroad.
3 You can use Monster for more qualified work, which in China is known as www.chinahr.com. Local job sites include Shanghai Expat, Asia Expat and Craigslist.
4 Hoping for a well-paid job in the right sector and being at the right place from the beginning is often a mistake. If you want to work there, you may need to work very hard in the beginning, with low pay, etc.
5 An internship, which unfortunately often means very low pay, may be a good start for entering the labour market. Local language courses are another good alternative. Avoid socialising only with other students; go out and be sociable so you can sooner or later meet someone who can give you a tip about a suitable job.
6 Choose a city that suits you. Beijing or Taipei for a Chinese environment, Shanghai if you want to live in an international metropolis that is showing considerable growth; Hong Kong or Singapore if you want a more stable and comfortable life. Or Saigon or Bangkok for something different.
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His dream: IKEA in Japan
Carl speaks fluent Japanese and new Asian friends are a part of his network of contacts. He has just come home from Chiba University in Tokyo. This was part of his industrial economics engineering programme at Linköping University, which has a specialization in language studies.
He is already planning to return to Japan following his graduation.
“It is possible that China has a hotter job market, but Japan is more interesting in terms of culture,” he says. “Everything is so characteristically Japanese, from the way they interact to their overall world view.”
Carl Lindwall had already studied Japanese before his trip, which in his opinion was virtually a must:
“Part of my studies included holding presentations in Japanese. The Japanese do not speak English and all classes were held in the national language.”
Attendance was compulsory, but the atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant:
“Student life was filled with club activities, tennis and skiing,” he says. “University studies are also a time for establishing a network of contacts before landing a job.”
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ELIGIBILITY |
LANGUAGE
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REQUIREMENTS
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| China |
You will need to have studied for at least two years and have passed compulsory courses.
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Chinese is required for many courses, particularly during the third year. More courses are offered in English during the fourth year.
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Often at letter of reference from a person in academia.
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Taiwan
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Often at letter of reference from a person in academia.
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English is sufficient.
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Health check-up and HIV test.
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Japan
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You will need to have studied for at least two years and have passed compulsory courses.
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Japanese is often required for ordinary courses.
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Health check-up, HIV test, letter of reference from a person in academia. If you are studying Japanese, you will need a certificate from your language teacher.
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India
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You will need to have studied for at least two years and have passed compulsory courses.
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English
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Certain institutions of higher education require very high grades. Be prepared to wait in a queue and expect red tape in terms of stamps and documents needed upon arrival.
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Answers to you questions
• How should I apply?
A. Through your institution of higher education, where the departments organise student exchange with departments at universities and colleges abroad. This means that you avoid a great deal of red tape and don’t need to pay tuition in that country. There are a limited number of places and admission takes place by means of grades and interviews, where personal characteristics are important. Contact your university department or the international relations office.
B. On your own, directly to the university. This is appropriate when you wish to freely choose between universities or were not accepted by the student exchange programme at your university or college. Many universities abroad charge tuition.
• How far in advance do I need to apply?
Preferably one year in advance. The application process takes a long time and you will be able to prepare for your studies abroad psychologically.
• When can I leave?
To be accepted at an institution of higher education abroad, you will need to have basic eligibility for higher education in your home country. The student exchange programmes require at least two years of courses which have been completed at home and compulsory courses that have been passed. For studies in Asia, the third, fourth or fifth year are the most common choices. In the third year, more courses are offered in the local language. Offerings in English increase from the fourth year.
• Does education from home count?
Discuss your choice of course(s) with your university department at home before you leave. Select courses similar to those offered at home, pure language studies or special courses that lead to cutting-edge expertise. When you return home, you will need to fill out a standard form in order to be granted credit for your studies and attach your grades from the foreign country.
Useful links
Recruitment companies for work abroad
www.kellyservices.com
www.monster.com
www.jobsdb.com
India
www.careerindia.com
Extensive collection of links offering information about working and career paths in India.
www.edgeindia.com/
Recruitment site mainly for jobs within the IT/telecom sector.
www.naukri.com
Information channels and links about working in India.
www.timesjobs.com/
Job portal. Possibility of registering CVs.
Japan
www.careercross.com
Website offering many different types of job in Japan.
www.jobseekjapan.com
Links to jobs and you can register your application here.
www.jobsinjapan.com
Extensive collection of links with information about jobs in Japan.
www.daijob.com
Recruitment site with several occupational areas.
China
www.hkjobs.com
Links to jobs in various sectors in Hong Kong.
www.wang-li.com
Chinese recruitment site representing most sectors.
Lebanon
www.lebanon.com
Information channels to companies and employers, etc. in Lebanon.
Malaysia
www.jobstreet.com.my
Jobs in many different sectors in Malaysia. Job ads and possibility of registering your CV.
Thailand
www.escati.com/thailand-jobs/
Offers tips on how to find work in Thailand.
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