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 ZT: 洋妞中国下岗及找工记 (1) |
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ZT: 洋妞中国下岗及找工记 (1) -- wanderer - (9067 Byte) 2004-3-01 周一, 17:09 (1998 reads) |
wanderer
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作者：wanderer 在 海归商务 发贴, 来自【海归网】 http://www.haiguinet.com
February 15, 2003
Job-hunting in China
Already a week of job-hunting in China has flown by...and somehow I feel a sense of progress, even in lieu of having not found a job yet.
I had an interview on the first day after the Chinese New Year vacation. I went, dressed to kill, in my most auspicious ensemble of a Tang Dynasty-style jacket and long skirt...with great hopes and expectations.
It was another internet company in Hangzhou. Considered a "competitor" to my past company, I had personally looked to them as a model. I'd always prized the clean, crisp look of their website, with a writing style that had more warmth and personality than anything my old company dared to put out. But, above all, I found the position incredibly suitable for me...a content editor. Yet another opportunity to enjoy the pleasure of filling my days with writing, and for the internet at that!
I gave my best in the interview, and even got them smiling a few times. I left with a good feeling...but no definite answer. One week, they said.
One week...that was fair enough.
However, a side of me, in its naivete, had hoped for something sooner than that. Wasn't the year of the sheep supposedly calm and smooth? 
So, I began with plan B--call my "guanxi" (contacts). There were a few that seemed a bit "cold" at first...but I endeavored to contact everyone on the list. Surprisingly, I got a positive response from everyone, and a willingness to help.
One "guanxi" came through in record speed. The next day, I was whisked off, in my auspicious suit, to his classmate's company. Also in the internet/IT sector, this classmate was supposedly in desperate need for someone such as myself. Before I knew it, I was in the classmate's office, on the verge of discussing the work.
But, the discussion never came to fruit. No, he cut right to the chase instead. Plunking me in front of a computer, he asked me to gather information on some hi-tech products and call the companies to inquire about possible cooperation on importing. I understood his Chinese...but I was bewildered by the situation. I knew NOTHING of import/export procedures, nothing of negotiating such arrangements...and, for that matter, little about the products he was interested in.
A friend called, which was my opportunity to politely leave the scene. I endeavored to have some parting words with the boss...but he was engaged in a meeting.
An employee escorted me to the door. I left my resume with him, only as a courtesy gesture, and didn't look back.
Then came Plan C...the Yellow Pages. John and I photocopied several sections of the Hangzhou Yellow Pages: Internet companies, IT companies, Media, Foreign Trade, and (as a last resort) schools. Thousands of phone numbers...representing thousands of hidden jobs.
Calling them, now that's the hard part.
I'd once found jobs through the phone book back in the US, and found it a useful tool. Simple, direct, and effective. But that was in my OWN country.
You can't tell which companies want foreigners from the Chinese Yellow Pages. John and I made a ton of calls, with little success. It wasn't rejection, per se. They just couldn't afford me or use me.
Of course, there was Foreign Trade. John said these were marketing jobs. Taking business trips and doing sales wasn't feeling so appealing to me. And I felt exhausted at the thought of making phone calls all day.
So, John suggested a "Contingency Plan" (aka patience in the wake of uncertainty). Trust, confidence, peace of mind...they became more elusive in the absence of work.
And, I made a resolution. If the internet company accepts me, I stay in Hangzhou. If not, I shall head to Shanghai. Period.
As for my expectations...well, I gave up on finding work before John left for graduate school this weekend. Instead, I actually began envisioning the "bliss" of teaching English, should that be my destiny. And I imagined a new life in Shanghai that could very well soon be mine. In the end, I would find happiness, I promised myself.
Well, yesterday was the "final day" of that week. I hardly slept the night before. But, I secretly looked forward to the news, regardless of the result.
Unfortunately, there was no answer...no one was there to answer the phone. I was a little despondent. I'd have to hold out through the weekend, and who knows how much longer...
I drowned my fears in movies that afternoon, until John came home. His impish head stuck through the door, I told him about the lack of a result. And he disappeared for a moment...
When he returned, he gave me a Valentine's Day card. It said (in Chinese): "Congratulations on being accepted as CEO to the John company."
"Don't worry," he told me. "We're in the same company. I'll be helping you to settle down in Shanghai."
I'm a CEO...who says I haven't found work yet? 
作者：wanderer 在 海归商务 发贴, 来自【海归网】 http://www.haiguinet.com
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