China may not be on your radar yet, but one day you could be working there. Why? China is going to be the world’s biggest economy, which means no matter where you are in the world, you will be somehow connected to China – if you’re not already. Of course before you think to move you need to find out China Work Visa as explained by NH Global Partners
Gi2C Review: Life Improves for Expats in China
As one of the world’s fastest growing economies, the job opportunities in China are more plentiful than almost anywhere else. As a result, schools around the world are now offering Mandarin classes and China study abroad programs to prepare their students for the future. Internships have also been a useful way for expats to gain valuable professional experience in China and get on the fast track to success. Yet what was the motivating factor for these interns to look for work in China and what kind of companies there are looking for foreign interns? To answer these questions, we checked with interns from Gi2C Group, China’s leading career consultancy firm and leading internship program provider, which has placed over 3,000 professional interns in China since 2008. Gi2C Group offers international internship placements in both Beijing and Shanghai in addition to helping their interns find suitable housing and getting them plugged into their new community. Their interns come from all over the world to work in China.
Gi2C Group is also an official member of the following organizations:
Anna from Poland is 28 years old and wanted to work in Beijing. She told us, “I’m interning at a Chinese company which is building cryptocurrency platforms. (Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency.) My new company combines social media, marketing and finance all in one so it’s quite interesting. I chose Getin2China to find this placement because they have quite a wide and interesting range of internships. Moving to China was a big step for me. To prepare for the big move to China, I watched about one million YouTube videos, which focused on China and language learning. I also had a couple one-on-one Mandarin lessons. I chose China because it is a developing market while Europe is still in crisis. Because of that China can offer more opportunities than my home country.”
Everett, 25, came from the USA. He is interning at an international finance company located in Beijing. Everett said, “I’m working in sales, developing and communicating with people in the US. We also assist customers through phone, email or live chat in regards to international finance and trade. I chose China for my internship because I am ethnically Chinese, but I grew up in the USA. As a result, I wanted to experience some real Chinese culture in Asia. I also heard that China isn’t exactly the easiest place for foreigners so I wanted to go to a place where I needed to learn to adapt. I chose Gi2C Group, because I looked at some of the reviews of other interns, and the majority of interns had a very enjoyable time during their stay, which gave me comfort as this is my first time abroad.”
China has more cities with over 1 million people than anywhere in the world, but Beijing and Shanghai are the most international by far. Beijing is a rapidly growing city known as the economic and political center of China and is home to many well-known company headquarters and operations. A large number of state-run companies, organizations and agencies are already located there, but numerous SMEs and Fortune 500 companies enter the arena of China’s capital every day. Without a doubt, Beijing internships are quite a valuable experience. In addition to living right next to world famous sites such as the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, they have the opportunity to start their career in a historic city that is paving the future of China. The capital is home to the country’s best universities, attracting students from every corner of the Middle Kingdom. As many of these smart grads remain in Beijing, expat interns can work alongside of the smartest and best during their internship. On the weekends, there are lots of activities to do such as exploring the old hutongs or paddle boating in the middle of the gorgeous Summer Palace. Beijing holds a great deal of networking and job opportunities for expats, but so does Shanghai.
Qiuyi from Shenzhen, China is 23 years old. He said, “I chose Gi2C to help me find an internship in Shanghai as it is easier for me to find a short-term internship with their help and use the network they have already built up. China is changing rapidly so getting work experience here in all stages of its development is useful.” Shanghai is the financial capital of China, one of the top 5 financial centers of the world, and has rapidly developed into one of the most international and largest cities around the globe. It is recognized as the Paris of the East, the world’s busiest seaport and for producing over 30% of China’s GDP. It’s also easy to get around this busy city by taking the metro, the world’s longest. It has a good reputation for being a safe city to live in and is one of the top three best cities in China to find a job. Whether you’re interested in shipping and logistics, finance and consulting, banking, manufacturing, law, management, IT, fashion and media, architecture and design, food production, advertising, public relations, development, tourism, high-tech industry, environmental protection, or biotechnology, Shanghai has it. And the best way to get into any of these industries straight away is by doing an internship in Shanghai like Serge.
Serge is 42 from the Republic of the Congo. He was interning at an international trading company based in Shanghai. He told us, “I hope to get more familiar with trading operation procedures, including export document operations and also to learn about how Chinese manufacturers work. But my big hope is to get more job opportunities in marketing and sales, and then accomplish my dream of working in an international company in Asia or in Africa. I am sure that this internship will open more doors for me, so I am very optimistic and confident. I decided to do internship in China for many reasons. China is the world’s fastest growing economy and all eyes are on this emerging market and I could not find a better place other than China to do my internship. I chose Getin2China after I found their advertisement on a top jobs website. After speaking with their customer service reps, I finally decided that Gi2C was the best company to help me find an internship and when I reflect on that first conversation I had with him, I now know that I made the right choice.”
With the lack of available jobs in the majority of developed and developing countries, many people are choosing to work or intern abroad to get their foot in the door of a new locale and find new opportunities. Life gets better with the more experience you have and the more people you meet. For interns in China doing just that – life is good indeed.
“For these countries, you must have at least a Bachelor’s degree, a TESOL/TEFL certificate and a passport from a native English speaking country. Some even require you to be a certified teacher in your home country. If you decide to live and work in China is advisable to find out what are the requirements to meet for foreigners. NH Global Partners can help you in this apparently daunting task.”
Tags: gi2c, gi2c review, interns in China, expats in China, life abroad