Yep, the job hunt. Since I knew that chances were slim
that I would be able to stay at UNIDO after my internship, mostly
because of tight funding, I started sending out resumes almost
immediately after I arrived in China in November. Since then I've had
interviews with several different companies, most of which did not work
out. Although I'm not really in a great position (as of right now) to be
handing out tips, I've spent countless hours each year looking for jobs or internships, and here is some advice based on my previous experiences
with jobs and internships.
*Focus the search: My strategy so far has focused on industry-specific sites, rather than using general search engines. For example, I've found some websites that focus on jobs related to energy, which significantly cuts down on my work sifting through all the irrelevant positions, and I regularly visit these sites to look over their postings. One in particular is energyfolks; as you can tell from their name, they focus on the energy sector. Their geographic focus and divisions are perfect for me; they have only 9 total regions but these include Northern California, Southern California, and China. Even if the number of postings they have isn't very many (at any time they never have more than 50 postings), it's quality over quantity for a site like this.
*Networking events: This is obvious, but extremely important for any job hunter, as it ensures face-to-face contact as well as an "in" to a company, important in any country but even more so in China. I have to say that out of my 4 internships during my undergrad career, 2 were obtained through contacts I had made at UCLA Engineering career fairs. I remember applying through an insane number of electronic hiring systems where your resume gets lots among hundreds or thousands, and I had a success rate of probably 0. My success rate wasn't high either at the career fairs, but a few hits is always better than none. When you attend these events, make sure to hand your resume or business card to as many individuals and companies as possible- you never know where it'll end up! Here in Beijing, I've attended a couple events organized by groups geared towards foreigners working in energy, environment and climate- Beijing Energy Network and China Carbon Forum. They'll invite interesting speakers about once a month and the talks are a great way to meet others (both Chinese and foreign but mostly foreign) in my field. If I go with a friend, sometimes it's a bit more difficult to talk to strangers but meeting new people is what networking is all about. So far I haven't really gotten any job leads through either of these groups, but I've still been able to learn something from the speakers and I made a good friend.
*Pimp out your linkedin: I have to say that it's really annoying when some of my linkedin connections post all kinds of articles and make obnoxious comments, but in general the more active you are, the better. This guide provides some useful strategies for your linkedin profile; it's directed towards the Chinese market but the strategies are applicable to everybody such as "Go for a 100% complete profile," "Brand yourself" by using key words, and join relevant groups.
*Use your connections: After you've made connections by the above or other means, it's time to utilize them. I don't mean asking somebody outright to hook you up with a job. That looks bad. What I mean is getting to know this person; by simply asking them for advice, or having coffee and learning more about their background and experiences, you can gain a different perspective on your job hunt and future career prospects.
*Become a stalker: This is a new technique I've picked up. Whenever I'm browsing through the website of an interesting company or organization, I'll read their staff profiles to get a feel for the type of leadership and staff they have. This gives me a better idea of who they are likely to recruit. Also, it's fascinating to read about others' paths through various companies and geographic locations before they landed at that position. If somebody has a similar profile to mine, or a position that I could see myself pursuing, then I take a look at their previous work experiences and research those companies. This has provided me with a growing list of potential employers.
Any other advice?
*Focus the search: My strategy so far has focused on industry-specific sites, rather than using general search engines. For example, I've found some websites that focus on jobs related to energy, which significantly cuts down on my work sifting through all the irrelevant positions, and I regularly visit these sites to look over their postings. One in particular is energyfolks; as you can tell from their name, they focus on the energy sector. Their geographic focus and divisions are perfect for me; they have only 9 total regions but these include Northern California, Southern California, and China. Even if the number of postings they have isn't very many (at any time they never have more than 50 postings), it's quality over quantity for a site like this.
*Networking events: This is obvious, but extremely important for any job hunter, as it ensures face-to-face contact as well as an "in" to a company, important in any country but even more so in China. I have to say that out of my 4 internships during my undergrad career, 2 were obtained through contacts I had made at UCLA Engineering career fairs. I remember applying through an insane number of electronic hiring systems where your resume gets lots among hundreds or thousands, and I had a success rate of probably 0. My success rate wasn't high either at the career fairs, but a few hits is always better than none. When you attend these events, make sure to hand your resume or business card to as many individuals and companies as possible- you never know where it'll end up! Here in Beijing, I've attended a couple events organized by groups geared towards foreigners working in energy, environment and climate- Beijing Energy Network and China Carbon Forum. They'll invite interesting speakers about once a month and the talks are a great way to meet others (both Chinese and foreign but mostly foreign) in my field. If I go with a friend, sometimes it's a bit more difficult to talk to strangers but meeting new people is what networking is all about. So far I haven't really gotten any job leads through either of these groups, but I've still been able to learn something from the speakers and I made a good friend.
*Pimp out your linkedin: I have to say that it's really annoying when some of my linkedin connections post all kinds of articles and make obnoxious comments, but in general the more active you are, the better. This guide provides some useful strategies for your linkedin profile; it's directed towards the Chinese market but the strategies are applicable to everybody such as "Go for a 100% complete profile," "Brand yourself" by using key words, and join relevant groups.
*Use your connections: After you've made connections by the above or other means, it's time to utilize them. I don't mean asking somebody outright to hook you up with a job. That looks bad. What I mean is getting to know this person; by simply asking them for advice, or having coffee and learning more about their background and experiences, you can gain a different perspective on your job hunt and future career prospects.
*Become a stalker: This is a new technique I've picked up. Whenever I'm browsing through the website of an interesting company or organization, I'll read their staff profiles to get a feel for the type of leadership and staff they have. This gives me a better idea of who they are likely to recruit. Also, it's fascinating to read about others' paths through various companies and geographic locations before they landed at that position. If somebody has a similar profile to mine, or a position that I could see myself pursuing, then I take a look at their previous work experiences and research those companies. This has provided me with a growing list of potential employers.
Any other advice?
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