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You’re young, ambitious, newly arrived in Beijing and looking for work. If you rewind to just five years ago, those would have been the ingredients to an auspicious start of your life here. Unfortunately, that train has passed, and finding a job in Beijing has become a competitive, sometimes disheartening endeavor. Here are a few pointers for the uninitiated:

1) Getting the visa - basic requirements

As you are most certainly aware, there are different types of visas for foreigners in China. While some of you may currently be here on student visas (X visa) or business visas (F visa), if your aim is to secure a working visa (Z visa), one enabling you to remain in the country for a year or more, law dictates you not only be over 24 years of age, but also capable of demonstrating two years worth of working experience. Anything below these standards will quite simply make you ineligible for a job in Beijing.

2) The unquenchable field of teaching

It’s no secret – in Beijing, as in the rest of China, the one opportunity in clear abundance is in the field of teaching. The pros to teaching in China, if you are new, are the decent salaries and the opportunity to develop a network in the city. International teaching organizations, such as English First, Wall Street and the likes offer not only a very liveable stipend, but also provide excellent guidance for the newcomers in Beijing.

Unfortunately, there is also a risk involved. If teaching is not your field of expertise, and you plan to seek other employment in China, be sure to not to linger too long in the teaching field, as it can mar your resume to potential employers. That tip was recently handed down to me from the human resources director of the French Chamber of Commerce.

3) What else is out there?

There are numerous positions offered in Beijing, many of which within the fields of Engineering, Management and Finance. However, the more pertinent question expats should be asking themselves is - “Why would a company hire me over a local? What can I offer that cannot be found on the domestic market?”

The competition they are now facing is a highly educated Chinese work force, that has gone abroad to further their studies and most of whom speak English fluently.

4) Where do I find these jobs?

As is most often the case, the majority of jobs will never be advertised, and people will naturally turn to their networks for candidates. As such, it is in your interest to develop your circle as much as possible, not only with the other expats in Beijing, but more importantly by assimilating yourself in the local culture and with the people. There are a thousand and one ways of doing so, and with a little open-minded determination, a language partner, a recent networking event or even talking to people in the street could lead to an opportunity.

There are thankfully other means by which to find suitable employment in Beijing. In addition to the job-searching websites, heading to your home country’s chamber of commerce or trade councils will provide you with invaluable counsel and will give you the opportunity to meet employers or fellow job-seekers.

A more direct approach – singling out specific companies and pushing for an interview – makes for a more personalized and motivated impression.

Internships have been a rising trend, and are plentiful in the large cities. They will provide you with a foothold in the Chinese market, while often presenting you with the chance to undergo Chinese classes, assimilate the culture and joining a company for periods ranging from one to six months. The high costs associated with these internships, combined with the price of rents in Beijing, will discourage more than one.

5) The obvious disadvantage

Despite the sundry avenues for job-hunting, there is one burden that has gotten heavier over the years for resident expats.

In the past, numerous were the foreigners who could land an acceptable, even enviable job with little to no working knowledge of Chinese. Today, particularly in a city like Beijing, the reality presents antipodal expectations and standards, and one of the key factors in the screening and selection of candidates has been their rivaling proficiency in Mandarin.

An international rights lawyer studying at Peking University confided to me his prediction that in five years’ time, not speaking a voluble Chinese and expecting a job in Beijing would be like going to the United States to seek employment with only a crude understanding of English. In other words, a fool’s errand.

Rest assured in the thought that if you’re truly motivated about finding a job in Beijing, there is always something to be improved: polish your resume; brush up on your Chinese; network around and try to meet new people; create your own business card to show potential employers you’re not just a passenger.

In the meantime, I’ll toss you a parting bone. On April 16th, a job fair will be held at the Swisshotel in Beijing, and you’re all invited (entry is free but prior online registration is required). And if you can’t make it, keep a watchful eye on our very own Beijing job listings for a wide range of frequently updated job opportunities. 

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