Chances to Go Back to China for Working
Posted by kittyzhaoying on November 30, 2008
When a close friend working in Silicon Valley as senior manager was fired last month, I asked him if he had interests to go back to China. Then we began to talk about the career opportunities and culture difference between the U.S. and China. Our conclusion was that we were always outsiders, no matter how hard we tried to fit in. But he still wanted to pursue his career dream in the high-tech center of the world.
I’ve heard from other friends in China, since the financial crisis hit the New York and Wall Street so hard that lots of senior traders, brokers, and managers were fired. Some lost their jobs only because they were Chinese. So Chinese financial institutions came to the U.S. to recruit high-level managers and talents. 
Financial Times reported:
The Shanghai Financial Service Office has told state media the city is sending a delegation to New York, Chicago and London to recruit specialists in risk management, asset management, product research and development, macroeconomics and policy analysis.
The head of human resources at the office said at least 27 financial institutions in Shanghai, China’s commercial and financial hub, had listed more than 170 vacancies for foreigners.
China Investment Corp, the country’s sovereign wealth fund has begun their global recruitment since the beginning of this year. They even published advertisements in the Wall Street Journal, but no one knows if they have recruit appropriate talents yet.
Working in China, in the booming market or the financial industry, the companies need candidates can speak and write fluent Mandarin, sophisticated social skills, know the global financial system and China’s local regulations. Some extra capabilities would be good alcoholic drinking capacity, sensitivity of political risks and issues.
My previous employers were all multinational companies, which have rare experience on dealing with officials successfully. Companies, such as Proctor & Gamble was dragged into troubles or crisis easily. So while the whole world tries to find its way out of the global financial crisis, if you decided to go back to China, my friends, you need to figure your way out of dealing with the under-the-table rules.
