Another upon request...

Ok, so upon request I’ve been asked to write something about….well, I’ve been asked a few things actually.  Probably best I take these one by one. 

The end game for professionals whom work in China?

There is a beginning, for those who start in their twenties and perhaps even thirties.

Then there is a “I love China but” moment where common sense prevails.

Various scenarios are:

I can’t work here forever.  Ie

I need to go back to my own country for further professional training, such as a Masters Degree, which is what I did.  Doing this was the path to “big money”, ie 6 figures, which I never would’ve attained in China, just by slogging it out. 

I’m fond of calling China the world’s biggest night club, but seriously, if your company sends you there, or you simply wind up working in a factory like I did, your prospects are only so much, and will only take  one so far.

When I lived in Hong Kong but worked at the Shenzhen factory, I made around $36,000 a year.  This was twenty years ago.  True I had a paid for 536 sq foot company apartment, which cost the company $2000 a month, but it was clear to me the only way to truly advance my career was by going back to my native country.  

Nearly all of us go back by either that route or simply marrying a Chinese or someone, and then returning home to work for the home office and raise a family.   On top of that we all need a mental break.

Staying in China because one “loves” the country is a no starter.  China can wait while we so called professionals return home to re-evaluate.  I’ve heard of a few simply never leaving, and all I can say is either they stayed because their company continuously renewed their contract or they had no prospects at home.  I for one had no prospects at home.  Period.  My only route was to put China on hold and return to further my education.  Burnish my credentials. It was without question the right choice to make.   While I’m not sure how other countries’ operate, America is all about “checking off” the right boxes.  Which I’d like to think I did.

The goal is to find your way back.   But what’s the point of returning to China if you have nothing to leverage?  

Let’s talk briefly about the “end game”. 

Here is the dilemma.  How can one have an end game in China if one has a family in the West?  Does one bring their family to China?  My answer would be a resounding no.  Fuck no, actually.   No responsible person will bring their family to China for a longterm stay.  The pollution is simply too insidious.  The problem with that is it may preclude one from being able to come to China after all.  I mean, will your company allow you to travel back and forth on a regular basis to visit your family?  Mine did.  For several years actually.   It worked out quite well.

I would maybe at most let the kids live in China for a year just to experience life in say Shanghai, or some other place.    But that’s it.  Nothing more.    And as competitive as America has become, the more they stay overseas, the more the kids risk falling behind. 

China for professionals is for the single man.  But how does a man (or woman) if divorced leave their children 8000 miles away? How is that responsible?   It gets difficult.

No problem with your divorced wife remarrying, right?  Any problem with that fellow becoming your kids’ defacto dad?   Going to your kids’ baseball games.  Helping with the homework.   Sure you pay the child support, and you are pounding China Girl, who is 15 years younger than your wife, with a tighter body.   Trust me my friend.  That is the beginning of a hollow life. 

Don’t go to China just to get laid and drink bourbon all day.  That too doth get old.   

I understand it’s a balance.  Company wants you in China something awful and is willing to give you a 25% raise?  Money talks.   But we all give up something when we return to China.  That is my point.  Unfortunately, the word about China has spread.   And most of it is bad.  Both from a climate and carnal perspective.  Many a colleague will keep you from doing what they themselves wish they could do.

No matter how qualified you are for the job.

So my answer for “China Professionals” is consider the balance.   I’m not saying it can’t be done.  But it’s hard.  If my company was to ask me to live in China (I laugh at the mere prospect) I would probably say “no” for the reasons above.   Not until my kids are close to graduation, or the money is simply too good to pass up.  

And that is the rub.  I know a few folks that are doing quite well in China now. One has a daughter in college, though.  So he can do that.  Others simply live in Hong Kong.

One needs to go back to the “home country” to get ahead, and prepare to make more money.  But once you do, don’t think you will be able to simply go back to China like before.  Family, health, etc dictate a more prudent course. 

What about the younger audience, 20 and 30 somethings?

Let’s assume you are already in China and can speak some Mandarin, and am slowly building a resume.  My advice would be to time the jump back to America, or Holland or Australia or wherever you may be from.    Ideally single.  Bringing a Chinese Wife back is tough.  My wife asked me for a divorce once when I was in graduate school back home.   China Wife doesn’t want to hear about your plans to go to Grad school, or what have you.  She wants your ass making money!

“I want to become a cook.  I think I will go to culinary school in France.”

“Huh? When you make money?  What do I tell my parents?  Why you no tell me this?  I want to have a baby soon!!”

I would say to the young ones to have a plan.  At least a 5 year plan.  And it better include some type of training or education to make yourself more qualified to continue working with China, albeit at a higher payscale.  Don’t worry if your Chinese isn’t that great yet.  My Chinese continues to improve, although it is mostly written at this point.  Yours will as well.  Get on WeChat.  If you can even speak a modicum of Chinese it will improve greatly via WC.

Be sure to be involved with the local Chinese community in your native country. 

If China is your passion, don’t give up on it.  China will wait for you.  And opportunities will always exist.  Just remember to have the discipline NOT to return to China for instant gratification, ie as a teacher or to write a book(or become a useless blog writer!!)

Regrettably, I know quite a few folks, including my roommates in China, who have nothing to do with China anymore, and none with a tinge of regret.  Don’t feel for those folks.  It simply makes the landscape less competitive for you.

Stay the course.  And keep focused on the goal.  Improve your skillset.  Burnish the next phase of your resume within your native country, and continue to improve your Chinese.   The world will never admit it, especially corporate America, but the West needs more Westerners that speak Chinese and understand the country. 

Lastly,

Going back to the West where Chinese language and Chinese skills are not always so sought after.

This used to not be true.  Today in America, we have so many Chinese that Corporate America no longer whines about America’s so called “lack of language skills”.  Never mind the CIA or FBI.  They will always play it safe and simply hire somebody from the Military, simply because the background check is quicker and easier.  Or they will hire a native Chinese, who has since become a naturalized American citizen. 

The fellow that purportedly betrayed many of the CIA’s Chinese spies?  See above.  That was exactly his track record.   Many a job simply has “Chinese is a plus”.   Which means they already have cute 23 year old translators in China making $1500 a month (who are more enjoyable to speak too, well, because their cute, they make 20% what you would deserve, and yeah, their Mandarin is better than yours).

I actually had a boss once tell me, “We already have people in China that speak Chinese.”  All he wanted to do was send me to Europe time and again.   Thus freeing him up to go to China.  

And in all honesty, your speaking Chinese simply breeds either skepticism (can you really speak Chinese?) or resentment.  So you better have that skill!   I’ve had a few companies wanting to hire me simply so we can speak to China via video.  Of course the folks you’d be speaking to all speak English!  What about the QC Director?  Or the Materials Director?  Do you think they’d speak English?  Fuck no. (But hey that 23 year old sure looks good in her red dress today!)

It will need to be something not only to expect but to work through.  Which is why many of us simply create our own business.  Which is hard.

Chinese are very professional, and more and more at higher levels within an organization can speak English.  But if your Chinese is good enough, everything will be in Mandarin.   And many a foreign company simply doesn’t want to go through the expense of sending an employee to China, either on a trip or to live.    

Ironically, I find the biggest opportunities to be with smaller companies.  Big fish in a small pond.  But they have budget issues, too.

If you like, China though, you will endure and fight through it.  You will find a way to prosper. Good luck!