SHANGHAI: Jonathan Rideout
dressed smartly to attend an evening event for more than 100 participants.
Like the others, Rideout, an American, wrote his name on a name tag and stuck
it on his shirt, then set out to chat with people.
After simple greetings, he introduced himself in English, followed by a
name-card exchange.
Shortly afterwards, Rideout was surrounded by several people who showed
interest in him.
But Rideout was not here to size up a prospective mate; he wanted to find a
job in Shanghai.
The event organized by Fortune Cookie Club was to provide a platform for
business professionals, expatriates and head-hunters to have more options.
"In China, job hunting is a matter of whom you know," Rideout said. "It is
not difficult to get a job, but it's difficult to find a job with a good
salary."
According to the Shanghai Municipal Labour & Social Security Bureau,
50,000 foreigners work in the city, and in the past three years, the number has
been rising by more than 10 per cent annually.
The foreigners hail from more than 150 countries, the top five of which in
terms of numbers are Japan, the United States, South Korea, Singapore and
Germany.
However, the increasingly competitive market and stricter hiring regulations
have posed difficulties for young expats.
No longer can they get jobs just because they're foreign; now it is more
about what assets and skills they can bring.
A foreigner who wants to find a job in a new city has to first establish a
social network.
The Fortune Cookie Club was launched four years ago, featuring its various
monthly events and weekend activities to socially unite the up-and-coming
business people from Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong and the cities of the Pearl
River Delta.
