The Most Popular Jobs Among Expats in China

China has become a popular destination for career development owing to its economic strength. There are various job opportunities open to expats. At the same time, many of them find it enjoyable to work in China in that the working environment is pleasant and their Chinese colleagues are very friendly. Some people are interested in finding out what types of job are popular among expats in China. It’s a bit hard to answer this question as one man’s meat is another man’s poison. However, there are three types of jobs that are more or less “ubiquitous” among expats.

1. English teacher

Many expats work as English teachers in China. It’s considered relatively easy to find a teaching job in China. English is the most widely spoken language in the world, and many Chinese parents know how important it is for their kids to have a decent knowledge of the English language. Therefore, they are willing to spend a fortune to allow their kids to receive an excellent English education. Consequently, numerous English training centers and international schools are eager to find professional and experienced native English speakers.

2. Senior Manager / Director

China’s economy has been growing rapidly in recent years, which made the country a competitive destination for foreign investments. Many multinational companies have opened branches or representatives in major cities in China. As a result, China’s economy is in urgent need of foreign talents who can implement efficient management strategies, taking into account the local enterprise culture.

Some expats don’t think it’s easy to work at the management level in Chinese companies due to the cultural differences and local employees’ mentality. On one hand, Chinese employees always listen to their superiors and have a strong sense of collectivism. On the other hand, they are reluctant to express their own opinions on work-related issues as they fear that it would have a negative impact on their career. Many non-Chinese senior managers or directors strive to bring changes to this type of centralized management.

3. IT Specialist

China’s IT industry is developing at an unprecedented speed. The development of information technology has created numerous job opportunities for both local people and expats. Meanwhile, it also poses a demand for highly-qualified IT specialists. In terms of innovation and information technology, there is still much room for development in China. So, China has been trying to attract foreign IT specialists to make contributions to the development of its IT industry. Many expats work in those fields like artificial intelligence in China at the moment.

We hope this post will be useful. To find out more interesting facts about life in China, check out one of our blog posts Best Cities to Learn Chinese in China