6 of the Best Industries for Graduate Jobs in China

6 of the Best Industries for Graduate Jobs in China
Nov 07, 2019 By Mary Newport , eChinacities.com

It's a conundrum so cliché it's become a joke: You need a job to get experience, but you need experience to get a job. Recent graduates worldwide know the pain of applications that demand as much as two years of experience for entry-level work. Job seekers in China face similar difficulties, but there's a bright spot on the horizon. The following six sectors offer some of the best graduate jobs in China, so you can do your time and break the cycle.

graduate jobs in China

1. Teaching

An obvious go-to for many expats, teaching English is a popular graduate job in China. While school requirements vary, you generally don't need a specific degree to teach, though specialization in English, education, and related fields is a bonus. An undergraduate degree and a TEFL are usually all it takes to get a foot in the door.

More rarely, schools and especially training centers in larger cities need teachers for other foreign languages such as Italian, Spanish, French, and German. These jobs are not as plentiful and rarely as lucrative as English teaching, but a sharp-eyed European expat can find some enticing opportunities.

A native speaker with no experience can net a salary of 15,000 RMB or more right out of the gate, and school teachers of any stripe may also receive perks like free or subsidized housing and free lunch at their school. Math and science teachers tend to command higher salaries, but also face stricter degree requirements.Non-native English teachers can also find graduate jobs in China, but the road to employment is a little more complicated.

2. Business Management

The global reach of Chinese goods is well known, but those exports don't sell themselves. Companies must maintain a large staff of international experts to keep things running smoothly. Fresh graduates in China with business degrees can find paid internships at Fortune 500 companies and employment packages with foreign-invested businesses.

Finance and international business specializations are in high demand in these graduate jobs, as is a basic understanding of Mandarin. It's not 100% necessary to be bilingual, but the best business graduate jobs in China are reserved for those who are. Paid internships start as low as 2,000 RMB/month, but salaries mount quickly based on factors such as degree relevance, certifications, skills, and how renowned your alma mater is.

3. Marketing & Advertising

Another consequence of China's bombing industry is the need for marketing and advertising staff. Both international and domestic firms seek talented foreigners as international companies reach out to the local market and Chinese companies expand their global reach. This is a good field for graduates within creative and communication disciplines.

A relevant degree is a big help but not strictly required. Salaries vary based on skills and degree, with entry-level paid internships offering as little as 3,000 RMB/month, and specialized positions, such as web marketing management (which are still attainable for recent grads), serving up around 18,000 RMB/month.

4. Hospitality

Expats have a leg up when working in tourist-focused hospitality jobs. As a foreign traveler yourself, you know exactly what home comforts people tend to miss on the road. That might be why hotels and restaurants in major Chinese cities are eager to attract foreign staff.

Friendliness, attention to detail, and good planning/organizational skills will be important. A degree in hospitality is a big help if you plan to work your way up to management, but entry-level positions focus more on the ability to charm and communicate with customers.

Graduate jobs in China’s tourism and hospitality sector start out around 5,000 RMB/month, but generally offer bonuses and long-term employment incentives. Look for hotels and restaurants that cater to Europeans and Americans.

5. IT/Tech

The tech sector isn't the gold mine it once was for expats; these days, many domestic companies are apt to skip the red tape of employing foreigners and hire ever more competitive local talent. But the industry is still growing rapidly and as the government remains committed to encouraging such growth and attracting foreign talent, demand for skilled local staff often outstrips supply.

Someone proficient in coding and familiar with commonly used business software will find a healthy number of graduate tech jobs in China. Giants like Alibaba, Baidu, Huawei, and Tencent have steady demand, while smaller gaming companies and businesses regularly recruit for projects.

This is one area where Mandarin is almost a must, as employers will need foreigners who can easily communicate with a local team.Contract pay tends to be hourly and varies from project to project, while full-time entry level IT jobs in China start at around 15,000 RMB.

6. Modeling/Acting

Maybe none of the jobs on this list suit your skill set, or maybe you know the best way to face the future is to give it your headshot. If you have a comparatively pale complexion (yes, these prejudices still exist in China) and a fairly fit physique, modeling might be the China graduate job for you.

Modeling jobs rarely require a specific degree, certification, or language skills, although a good portfolio is an absolute must. If you don’t have one, invest in a professional photo shoot. It’ll cost a fraction of the price in China!

Acting jobs in China may need more in the language department, but are similarly based on talent, not education. Both will require a good-looking and physically fit individual, but since the Asian ideal values European traits like pale skin, blonde hair, and even big noses, expats will find it easier to land modeling and acting jobs in China than they would at home.

Foreign models and actors are usually paid a flat fee for a set number of appearances. Think freelance gigs, not a steady job. Sometimes participants will be called on to act in a commercial or music video, sometimes they'll be impersonating an expert or a buyer at a sales event, posing with a popular brand of bread, or taking stylish videos for a hair salon advertisement. Some of these so-called ‘face jobs’ will be more legit than others, but you’re sure to garner some decent novel material along the way.

What other industries are ripe for graduate jobs in China? Drop your ideas in the comments section below.

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Keywords: graduate jobs in China

8 Comments

All comments are subject to moderation by eChinacities.com staff. Because we wish to encourage healthy and productive dialogue we ask that all comments remain polite, free of profanity or name calling, and relevant to the original post and subsequent discussion. Comments will not be deleted because of the viewpoints they express, only if the mode of expression itself is inappropriate.

kashyap1998sai

To whom ever it may concern ! Myself kaza desowja hanumat sai Kashyap My birth country is India and completed my bachelor's in India and present pursuing my Masters in electronics degree in Australia . After completing my masters I want to go to china and work in china . If you have any positions available or can help me in searching jobs in china in electronics engineer field . Please contact me kashyap1998sai@gmail.com my mail I'd Saikashyap1 is my wechat I'd

Aug 12, 2020 16:53 Report Abuse

Guest16029894

There's also a simple option: work for two years in your country of origin, do your time there, gain some experience to make yourself more valuable (plus you can get a higher pay), then go to China.

Apr 09, 2020 15:39 Report Abuse

Guest17126710

Avoid " Expert International Education" with jobs in Xiamen / Fuzhou .high schools and colleges. Innumerable problems my wife had with this company and I ended up having to spend a lot of time and money getting her out of there and back to UK. Avoid. China seems to be getting less and less hospitable. Sad

Dec 29, 2019 17:24 Report Abuse

Spiderboenz

Need two years work experience post graduate to get a visa as a teacher.

Nov 08, 2019 07:57 Report Abuse

Nikwestside

Correct.

Nov 08, 2019 11:36 Report Abuse

Nikwestside

Not a bad first article. Sure, the topic might be a little overdone, but the angle is decent enough.

Nov 07, 2019 22:26 Report Abuse