One of my best friends, based in Nashville, Tennessee, is worried about his career prospects. He’s turned 40, had a decent job as an IT developer but this has been sent to India. He was furious but now he’s just depressed. Where to start? Many are worried that their jobs will be off-shored to India and China. You can look at tis two ways. As an opportunity or a setback. Here’s some ways you can take advantage of this right now.
5 Careers Opportunities for IT Professionals in China
Before I start, I’m in China so I see things from the other side of the fence, so to speak. I’ve worked in the US, UK and most of Europe. I see where he’s coming from and the future is indeed bleak if you’re in the US IT industry, at least in the QA, technical writing & coding.
It’s not if it will happen, it’s when.
For those who are looking at China, especially Shanghai and Shenzen, the skills most in demand are:
- Project Management – Asians are terrific workers but lack leadership skills. PM is a (relatively) new discipline here and as companies develop they need people who can put shape on the deliverables.
- HR – likewise, there is a shortage of skilled HR execs who can develop a strategy and show Management the career paths they need to develop to attract, nurture and retain talent.
- Legal – as China goes global, it needs people in the legal field to help with contracts, litigation, procurements and other such issues. Mandarin skills are a plus, but not always mandatory.
- Finance – Shanghai aims to be the Asian hub for Finance. They’ve recently opened a new Nasdaq-type stock exchange. So much money is getting plowed into its Finance Centre. You have to see it! The financial world involves interacting with bankers all over the world – and the default language of all business communications is English, which brings us to…
- Communications – Chinese CEOs want to improve their English. Can you help? Chinese Marketers want to refine their campaigns. Can you help? Chinese HR Depts want to hire the right people. Can you help with the interviews? Chinese exporters want to arrange meetings in London, New York & Amsterdam. Can you be there to help?
Remember, there are more BMWs per head in Beijing than any other city on the planet! Lot’s on business to be done here.
Opportunities for Entrepreneur
Saying that, I see many opportunities here. Let’s take a step back for a second. Many Indians, Chinese, and Europeans made the move to the US to better their careers. I’m sure you know some.
- They’re hard-working, right?
- They studied English (a foreign language), right?
- They made the move to a new country and survived, right?
Well, it’s the same for you.
It’s do-able.
Unless you’re held back by domestic commitments, which are understandable, then moving to Asia is worth considering. Maybe now it’s (possibly) the turn for US folks to move to these countries to find work. I know this is hard to swallow for many people, but well… why not?
There are so many opportunities for people in India, Singapore, China, and now Vietnam (the new low cost dev centre). And no, you don’t always need to speak the language but if you do, just learn it.
One of the most successful web marketers in the US is John Chow, a guy who moved from China as young man. Today, he’s minting it.
How to get started
- Read the China Daily http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/ to get an insight into China today
- Read China Tech News http://www.chinatechnews.com/
- Connect with me on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/ivanwalsh where I share links, photos and videos
- Signup to LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/ and connect with me http://www.linkedin.com/in/ivanwalsh there.
LinkedIn is an excellent gateway with some really super groups where you can ask questions and get real feedback. It’s for business professionals and has been the most productive social network for me.. I really recommend it.
If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section so we can share with others.
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