Returning students face challenging job markets back in China

The job prospects in China for returning overseas Chinese (ROC) are not as promising as before. For some, it might take half a year to secure a good job, with wages far below their expectations.

If you are heading back to work in China soon, you might be shocked to learn that more than 40 percent of new ROCs earn less than 4,000 yuan (£400) per month, and only 15 percent reach their expected salary of over 100,000 yuan (£10,000) a year.

These disappointing figures were quoted from a recent survey, "The 2011 employment situation of returned overseas Chinese", which was released by the Beijing-based EIC Group, China's largest and most experienced education agency.

It is not surprising that the job market in China for ROCs is becoming fiercely competitive. In 2011 there were as many as 330,000 Chinese studying abroad and the number has risen by some 20 percent on a yearly basis since 2008.  

Commenting on the highly competitive job market back at home, recruitment agencies have said that degrees obtained overseas do not necessarily guarantee a good job back in China. Instead, work experience and expertise are the key selling points, they say.

However, greater opportunities may exist for those who are fully bilingual and equipped with hi-tech and management skills, or specialise in capital operations and the insurance industry.

If your skill-set is less marketable, you may need to rethink your strategy and avoid unrealistic goals. It is best not to limit one's options only to positions at international companies situated in big cities like Shanghai and Beijing.

Setting high goals can slow your job search. As a result, you might be called "sea weed", or "haidai" in Chinese - the word for weed in Chinese also sounds like that for waiting, rather than the usual nick-name "sea turtles," a Chinese term which describes those returning from abroad.

But not all things are doom and gloom. Your work experience abroad might help increase your job prospects in China. And if you are willing to relocate to central and western parts of the country, you might find you are much more appreciated there, rather than competing with other "sea turtles" in economically advanced areas in the east.