5 Ways Changing Cities can Improve Your Job Prospects in China

5 Ways Changing Cities can Improve Your Job Prospects in China
Oct 09, 2019 By Degen Hill , eChinacities.com

China is a big country with thousands of unique and interesting cities. However, many expats who come here for work set up shop in one city and never leave. Changing cities can bring a number of new opportunities, alleviate some of the “China stress” that inevitably accumulates over time, and increase your job opportunities. If you’ve been on the fence about moving, here are five ways relocating to a new city might improve your job prospects in China.

Shanghai at night

1. A fresh start and new enthusiasm

If you’ve been living and working in the same Chinese city for a while, you might feel that things are becoming a bit monotonous. Maybe your city is too small, or in many cases, too big. Changing cities provides the perfect opportunity for you to have a fresh start, both personally and professionally.

New cities are exciting because they bring with them a sense of adventure. Although making a big move is daunting for many, we often need to step out of our comfort zones to achieve growth. A new city could give you a whole new attitude that will improve your job prospects in China no end.

2. New people to network with

A new Chinese city comes with a whole new set of people, allowing you to reinvent yourself and grow your network. Perhaps you live in one of China’s smaller cities where you know everyone and the sense of community is comforting. If you’re looking to meet people in certain industries or attend more international events (such as forums, talks, and guest lectures), however, you might want to think about moving to one of China’s bigger cities.

Big cities and small cities both have their pros and cons. Before you decide to move, I’d recommend figuring out what your goals in China are, and then asking yourself, “Will living in ______ help me achieve those goals?”

3. New job opportunities with different companies/industries

Certain cities in China are focused on specific industries. For example, Shenzhen and Hangzhou are both big tech hubs, while Guangzhou is known for international trade. Shanghai is great for finance, while Beijing seems to have a nice mix of industries, including the arts and humanities.

If you’re looking to change industries (or jobs) but haven’t found many opportunities where you currently live, try looking for work in another Chinese city. Sure, moving can be a hassle, but if you’re not finding what you want (or simply aren’t happy where you are), there’s nothing to stop you from working somewhere else.

4. Your cultural knowledge will make you more attractive to employers

The more you know about China, the better equipped you’ll be to handle things, especially at work. Learning Chinese idioms, being able to talk about your travels around the country, and having contacts in different Chinese cities will make you all the more attractive in the eyes of Chinese employers. Sure, you might have a great CV, but knowing more about Chinese culture through living in different cities reflects, in the very least, your interest in China.

5. Cheaper cost of living (if you move to a lower tier city)

First-tier cities in China are great but, let’s be honest, they can be very expensive. Or maybe you’re just tired of the rat race and want a slower-pace of life. You’re in luck, as many of China’s second and third-tier cities enjoy smaller populations and a much lower cost of living, despite being nicely developed. Some good options include Tianjin, Nanjing, Chengdu, Xi’an, and Shenyang, all of which have a wide variety of job opportunities but remain much cheaper than the likes of Beijing and Shanghai.

Figuring out what you want to achieve in China is also important. If you’re here to save money, for example, it doesn’t make sense to live in a city where rent is one-third of your paycheck.

Moving cities anywhere can be scary and a hassle, but if you do your research, you could find yourself with better job prospects in China. Different cities will be right for different people, but once you find one that’s suited to you, it will make all the difference in the world.

Let us know in the comments which Chinese city you live in and why.

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Keywords: job prospects in China

4 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.

Tadeo116

Thanks, this is really educating

Oct 29, 2019 18:16 Report Abuse

Suru.G

China Is a good place to live

Oct 12, 2019 20:40 Report Abuse

Spiderboenz

Yes, because six years in six different cities says to an employer “ vast cultural knowledge” and not “serial job hopper/can’t hold down a job.”

Oct 12, 2019 16:39 Report Abuse

biggj123

Yeah, I agree, I think if you're successful in one area and already build a network of people and opportunities it better to stay there work off that.

Oct 10, 2019 14:25 Report Abuse