The east is red hot

Mark Henderson landed in China to work for a China-EU trade body, and his posting has allowed him to see such sights as the traditional round houses, or tulou, of Fujian province. Photos Provided to China Daily

China is a prime destination for Western professionals looking to burnish their CVs, and Erik Nilsson reports that those who stay are ideally placed in the job market.

While young Western professionals are flooding China to build up their CVs, those already here might have ridden the wave of opportunity's crest, as the tides turn toward internationalized local talent.

And while China has become the "it" destination for qualified young Westerners, there are reasons most do not stay.

"More young Western talents want to come to China for experience," Adecco Shanghai Executive Search Services director Charles Gao says.

"But the market wants more localization. They don't want anyone without China experience because it's a challenge for the company. The Western guys with China experience, it's very easy for them to find jobs here. But it's hard for those without."

That's largely because of a growing number of Chinese who speak English and have international experience. And as the West declines and China rises, more overseas Chinese are returning home.

Briton Mark Henderson says he was surprised to land his dream job in China as a project manager for a China-EU trade body. But he believes the employment landscape is changing.

"I've noticed in the past year that people with extremely strong language skills and other experience have been unable to find work, so it seems that the job market is getting even tougher," the 32-year-old says.

"The competition is pretty fierce ... a huge number of extremely well-educated people are looking for work here, including people with family ties in China returning due to the increased opportunities.

"These guys combining international experience with an appreciation of Chinese business culture and language have a very strong hand in the job market."

Briton Paul Afshar also sees the shift. He left his position as a lobbyist in the United Kingdom to move to China and become managing director of Ijustwannabuy.com.

"I meet so many Chinese people who are returning from studying abroad with good qualifications and work experience," he says.

But young Westerners already in the country can claim the best opportunities China offers.

Go East, young man

"Westerners who understand China are fairly rare," says Nick Wester, who came to Beijing after a stint in Dalian, Liaoning province, in 2010.

"They're important but rare. They're high-value. A lot of companies are looking for someone who understands China - who knows China and can tell them what to do."

Wester was hired to open Eleutian Technology's China branch after graduation because he already had experience doing business in the country.

Although Westerners familiar with China are uncommon, those who stay for the long haul are even rarer.

"Most qualified and young (Western) people do not tend to stay in China for the long term," Direct HR Shanghai's founding partner Michael Maeder says.

Most use China as a stepping stone to get better jobs back home, he explains.

"China is now one of the most desired countries to have international experience in, and having this on their CVs and the ability to speak Chinese will likely heighten (their) starting salaries and job titles."

Gao says it doesn't really matter what jobs homeward-bound young Westerners take in China.

"If a young Westerner has any China experience at all, maybe 20 years later, they can become head of a multinational. Without China experience, it would be tough for them," he says.

"Westerners should have ambition. It doesn't matter what they do. If they find a junior-level position, it's an investment."

But there are other reasons most young Westerners don't stay.

China offers no guarantees, says Clinton Hendry, who moved to Beijing three years ago to become a university instructor at age 23. "Things could drastically change," he says.

He points out that jobs tend to be one-year contracts. Local healthcare is comparatively low-grade and expensive, while international-level care is exorbitant. And the Internet is restricted.

"I can't get sick in China - it would bankrupt me," Hendry says. "Being Canadian, I'm not used to having to worry about that. Because of that - and school costs an insane amount of money - raising a family here isn't economically viable for me."

American Roderick Leung says career prospects aren't enough to keep him in China forever. The only thing that could would be a family - something he hopes to start in the next four years.

But China is "not an ideal" place for him to raise children, especially considering the costs of healthcare and education.

Still, while young Westerners seeking their fortunes in China will perhaps find the silver spoon losing its luster, those who are already here and willing to stay may have struck gold.

"The ones who stay here think going home would be boring," Hendry says. "They enjoy being a citizen of the world rather than of their own country. All things being equal, I'd probably stay in Beijing my whole life."

Contact the writer at erik_nilsson@chinadaily.com.cn.