Life
At some point or another, we all will find ourselves looking for a job. Perhaps back home, we feel finding a job isn't that big a deal, we've done it before we can do it again. However what about finding a job in Tianjin? Especially for expats, a few tips from those who are already here in Tianjin and successfully found a job, are likely welcome.
Lets get a quick lay of the land here in Tianjin. First, there are estimates that about 30-40k expats call Tianjin home. Currently, the majority of these expats are from Korea and Japan. Naturally, as Korea and Japan geographically speaking are not far and culturally speaking are similar in several ways. For example, China, Korea and Japan all typically use chopsticks to eat and use symbols or characters in their written languages. So too all three countries highly value family, social conformity, and social status. The other expats in Tianjin come from western countries or those outside of Korea and Japan. In terms of how this affects finding a job in Tianjin, put simply, being non-Chinese but asian has its advantages and disadvantages. Likewise for the "western" looking expats, comes some good and some bad. As you hit the streets looking for a job in Tianjin the more you know the better, and hopefully the sooner you can find that job of your dreams, or at the very least, a job that pays the bills!
Now as to those "expat success stories" related to finding a job in Tianjin, lets begin:
First we have a Canadian male who successfully found work as an English teacher at a Tianjin High School. How did he find this job? He emailed a fellow Canadian working in Tianjin, asked if they knew of any job opportunities, that friend thereafter heard from a student of the school in need of a native English speaker, and like the good friend they are, relayed such information to our Canadian expat in need of a job. End result, job found. The job includes a base salary, reasonable teaching hours and a paid flight home for the holiday. Note, our Canadian pal studies Chinese personally as a hobby, and it does not appear essential to the job.
Second we have a Korean male who successfully found a position as a Branch manager in an international company with a location in Tianjin. How did he find this job? The key lies in his working for this company in their overseas office. Having gained valuable intra-company job experience, when it came to needing a branch manager in Tianjin, he was a prime candidate. Note, this expat speaks Korean, English and Chinese, which is required for the successful completion of the job, which has him mainly working with and managing local Tianjin employees.
Third we have our American chap. This fellow found less than great results in his job seeking efforts. Two major issues were encountered, either the pay was too low, or he lacked the required educational background, such as a college degree or a specialized certificate. Thus finding a job turned into making a job by virtue of starting a business in Tianjin. Actually not just in Tianjin but throughout China expats have found that when no one wants to hire you, hire yourself, start a wholly owned foreign entity or create a partnership with a local Chinese. Either way, starting your own business may be your best route to finding a job in Tianjin. Note for this American, speaking Chinese was essential to the business start up process.
Fourth we have another Korean male. This man having a bachelors degree in English and a certificate in teaching Korean found their teaching job via zhaopin.com. Zhaopin.com is one of many job related websites in China, some expats, especially those with solid credentials related to the desired position, find finding a job online via this type of website effective. The man ultimately got a position at a private language school teaching Korean, and was paid very well. Note, in addition to English and Korean, they could also speak Chinese.
Fifth we have an American female. This young lady successfully found a job teaching English at a premier university in Tianjin. How did she do it? Back home in the states while attending college, she learned of a teacher placement program for those interested in working in China. It is estimated that the college she attended successfully arranges 15-20 professors per year to work in China immediately after graduation. It is worth noting, she has a bachelors in journalism and holds a specialized certificate for language instruction. The college she works for in Tianjin had some of the highest job requirements for their foreign teachers when compared with other schools in China, however speaking Chinese was not one of them and not essential to her finding a job in Tianjin.
Sixth we have a Polish pal who successfully found work in the Tianjin branch of a pharmaceutical company. How did he do it? Like the Korean Branch Manager noted above, a transfer from the overseas location was the key. As an existing employee, finding a job in Tianjin via a intra-company transfer was both efficient and effective. Note, it does not appear that Chinese language skills were a major requirement for this job.
Six expats, six success stories. Some expats leveraged their existing relationships, namely the company they worked for had a branch in Tianjin, thus they successfully found a job in Tianjin. Others, came to Tianjin first, then used local Chinese based websites to find a good job with good pay. Yet another found career success via their home country university having an existing relationship with a Tianjin college. So too another teacher got the job they were hoping for via a referral from a fellow expat from the their home country also living in Tianjin. Not to be forgotten is the option of finding work by working for yourself via starting a company in Tianjin, be it on your own or with a local Chinese.
The means by which expats find a job in Tianjin may vary, but one thing remains the same, you need to be proactive and look for job opportunities wherever they may lie. Don't wait for friends to tell you about a job, rather take the initiative and ask all of your friends if they know of any jobs in Tianjin. If you are just visiting Tianjin at the moment and want to come back and work here, have no fear, when you go back home check with local universities and companies, as maybe they will have a branch in Tianjin or an established relationship with a college here. As for the internet and all those job placement agencies, they have their time and place, just be aware it has been estimated that in many cases only about five percent of job applicants found their job via the web. Lastly, while it may not be required, to the extent possible learn Chinese. Chinese skills will only help and not hurt your chances of getting a job in Tianjin.
