Not so long ago, it used to be the case that working in China guaranteed you a great job back home. These days, a stint in China doesn't have quite the same cache, and the Mandarin you picked up won't set you apart, since more and more people are learning it. So what can you do to make sure your China work experience looks good on your résumé, rather than ending up as an embarrassing black hole? Here are five tips:

1) Punch above your weight
Generally speaking, there is less supply for expat jobs in China than in the West, so it's easier to get your foot on the ladder or start a new career. This is what Simon, a 30-year-old Brit, discovered when he decided to jack in his IT job in England and get a personal training qualification. "I studied a sports science diploma in London, but couldn't get any work because there are so many of us. I came to Shanghai on holiday and saw how much opportunity there was for people like me, so I moved over here permanently. The cost of living is cheaper here, so I could afford to charge low fees while I built up a client list."

The same goes for corporate jobs, where being Western can open doors to positions you wouldn't have a hope of getting at home. China's big cities are also fertile ground for honing skills like singing, acting, DJing, and modelling, and getting some experience before trying to crack the market in your home country.

2) Pick up new skills
Even if you're already in the job of your dreams and have something lined up for when you leave China, dedicating some time to learning extra skills will pay dividends in the future. The Expat Learning Centers in Beijing (http://www.beijing-classes.com/) and Shanghai (http://www.shanghai-classes.com/) offer short and long courses in a wide selection of résumé-perking subjects like Photoshop, Illustrator, web design, counselling, accounting and project management. Course prices are more affordable than in the West, and class sizes are usually small so you get plenty of one-to-one attention.

3) Learn business Mandarin
Many expats leave China with intermediate Mandarin under their belts, and expect to walk into a highly-paid job with a multi-national back home that's desperate for Chinese speakers. The humbling truth is that if you haven't specialized in business Mandarin and aren't completely fluent, you won't get a look-in. For your Chinese skills to work in your favour, focus your studies on business language. Most language schools have specially designed courses for business Mandarin, or you could ask your tutor or language exchange partner to concentrate on this field.

4) Build your network
It's not only the Chinese who love their guanxi. Back home, a network of business contacts overseas will endear you to potential employees. Put yourself out there at corporate networking events (if you hate the very idea of wielding business cards and approaching strangers, grit your teeth and tell yourself it's for the good of your career) and meet as many new people as you can when you're socialising outside of work. You don't even have to see it as networking. Making friends with expats from other countries will enrich you on a personal level; the possibility of working together or endorsing one another in the future is an added bonus.

5) See the rest of Asia
Travel broadens the mind, and a good trip story is great job interview material. Given two candidates of the same ability and experience, employers might be more likely to choose you if you've done something extra (such as trekking in Mongolia, seeing the cherry blossom festival in Japan, watching the North Korean Mass Games or exploring Angkor Wat). With Japan, Korea, Russia, and Southeast Asia on your doorstep, you should make the most of the travel opportunities while you're here.

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