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Job Search in Overdrive

At the beginning of the New Year, we urged candidates to get their searches started off right. With the New Year comes new hope and the realization that there might be a better job out there. Well, as the first month of 2007 draws to a close, recruiters need to prepare themselves for the onslaught of candidates who are ready to take the necessary steps to find the right position. We¡¯re now in the midst of what is generally the busiest season for recruiters:

¡±We¡¯ve always seen a spike in activity throughout January as people resolve to build a better life in the New Year. But it seems this is compounded by the poor weather and in particular the lack of daylight at this time of year, which contributes to a poor sense of wellbeing. It seems depression is the motivating factor for many a job search: ¡®I¡¯m unhappy = perhaps a new job might make me happy¡¯ seems to be the train of thought.¡± (From Recruiter Magazine)

It¡¯s not just depression that leads quiet and active candidates to move their searches into high gear at this time of year. Bonus structures, vacation time, and advancement opportunities are often determined by where you are and how you¡¯re doing in the early months of the year. So, as things pick up, it¡¯s important for recruiters to communicate with candidates and hiring managers in order to make the right match. It¡¯s also important to realize that you might be inundated with even more resumes than usual, which means you¡¯ll need to spend a little extra time responding to candidates.

For candidates, realize that the market can be a little flooded right now. This doesn¡¯t mean you shouldn¡¯t get involved. It just means you need to be as prepared as you possibly can:

¡±We all know that your resume is key to your job search. January is a great time to make sure it is up-to-date.

¡±Think about your target job, employer, and overall market. Make sure your resume is tailored to the outcome you want. Include industry key words and format your resume according to any industry standards.¡± (From Job Tuition)

Take the time to get your materials in order and to do the research that will help you better understand what specific companies are looking for and what you have to offer them.

As always, good luck to all involved as the job search heats up.

Marketing and Sales Manager for Compressor Valves Business

Company introduction:
Client company provides Precision Metal Components and Mass Finishing Solutions to its customers. Both these business divisions are powered by our superior competencies in precision mass finishing technology. The corporate name reflects the emphasis on Precision Technology that the company places and also provides for growth in additional areas in which this Precision Technology can be leveraged.

Report To: GM
Location:Shanghai

Responsibilities:
1. Market development for CV Business
2. Key accounts management
3. Achieve Sales projections
4. Strategy to get bigger market share with existing customers
5. Japan and Korea Market Development
6. Assistance in localization program for company
7. Participating in Exhibitions, designing campaigns , corporate presentations, etc
8. Contribution to development organic and inorganic strategies for company

Requirements:
1. Engineering background- Mechanical or related
2. Experience: 4-5 years in sales and marketing

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
‘topjob_mkt166sh#dacare.com’ (Please replace “#” with “@”)
* In the email subject MUST you plus the position name (in either En or Ch)

Services Trade With China Boosts US Jobs, Payments

January 23, 2007 — The dramatic expansion of trade and investment in services between China and the United States has benefited both economies substantially and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future, according to a new study by Oxford Economics. The study shows that the US could add as many as 240,000 new, high-paying service industry jobs by 2015 as a result of the growing trade with China, in which the United States has a balance of payments advantage.

The study, “The Prospects for US-China Services Trade and Investment,” was released today by the China Business Forum, the educational and research arm of the US-China Business Council (USCBC).

“This study shows that the future benefits are clearly significant for both the US and Chinese economies if China continues to open its service sector to foreign providers,” said John Frisbie, president of the USCBC. “The US is the world’s leading service economy and this is an important area for growth.”

Trade and foreign investment in China’s service sector already benefit both economies, according to the study. The United States has a services trade surplus with China, worth $2.6 billion in 2005. Net US service sector exports and income of service sector investments to China, worth $3.1 billion in 2005, currently support 37,000 jobs in high-productivity sectors of the US economy.

If the pace and scope of China’s service sector reform accelerate, the US services trade surplus with China could increase to around $60 billion by 2015, and extra income from US service-related investments in China would be worth $7 billion. The average US household would be better off by about $500 per year in 2010 as a result of this growth in services trade with China. By 2015, the US benefits would include the 240,000 new service sector jobs.

In the long run, US service sector exports to China could reach between 1.5 percent and 3.5 percent of US GDP. The US service sector trade surplus with China could be worth around 1 percent of US GDP, while inflows of profits from US service sector investments in China could contribute a further 0.5 percent of GDP to the US current account of the balance of payments.

“Our research shows that implementing China’s World Trade Organization commitments is an essential first step to maximizing the advantages for both economies of service sector trade and investment. If China increases the pace and scope of reform in the sector, the benefits will be even more substantial and long-lasting,” said Erik Britton, director of Economics at Oxford Economics and lead author of the study.

If the impediments to service sector growth in China are fully removed, the average Chinese household would be better off by $300 to $400, or RMB 2,300 to RMB 3,100, per year by 2015. The benefit would amount to an additional $138 billion in GDP (in 2006 prices). In this scenario, the growth in service sector trade and investment will add up to 7 million jobs in China in relatively high-paying, high-productivity service industries by 2015.

“As China’s economy shifts toward one based on services, consumption — and possibly imports — may rise. This would provide even more opportunities to US companies selling to China,” USCBC President Frisbie said.

About the China Business Forum and the USCBC

The China Business Forum, Inc. (www.chinabusinessforum.org) was established by the US-China Business Council (USCBC, www.uschina.org) to promote broad-based policy discussion and greater understanding in both China and the United States of the economic systems and business methods of each country and of the role of commerce in the overall relationship between the United States and China.

The USCBC is the leading organization of US companies engaged in business with the People’s Republic of China. Founded in 1973, the USCBC provides extensive China-focused information, advisory, and advocacy services, along with events, to nearly 250 US corporations operating within the United States and throughout Asia.

About Oxford Economics

Oxford Economics (www.oef.com) is one of the world’s leading providers of economic forecasting, analysis, modeling, and advisory services. Oxford Economics supplies a range of “off-the-shelf” products and services in addition to customized economic consultancy services, with staff in London, Oxford, and Philadelphia.

reparing for a group interview

Companies recruiting several people at once such as call centres favour group interviews. It allows many people to be assessed simultaneously while also providing candidates with a look at what the company is all about.

Jacqui Whyatt of the Chandler Macleod Group says group interviews do not follow the traditional question and answer format. Instead, candidates take part in a number of group problem-solving activities.

Often role-playing will be involved with one candidate acting as the angry customer while another plays the staff member applying a solution that the group has come up with. Candidates might be asked to stand up and tell everyone a bit about themselves and why they believe their attributes suit one of the roles on offer.

The best way to prepare is ask for a job description. Spend some time thinking about why your skills and personal attributes would suit that description. Some CareerOne readers have told me companies fobbed them off when they asked questions. Don’t sweat it if that happens; just get on with your research. Read up on the company using its website as a source but also visiting a library to look at newspaper clippings if need be. Rehearse talking about yourself and role-playing with family members. This helps calm nerves and enables you to practice a firm handshake, good eye contact and listening skills as well as speaking clearly and loudly enough for all to hear.

Ms Whyatt said corporate dress is the only way to go even if you know the company has a casual dress code.

China’s 1st OTC market likely to be in Tianjin

CHINA’S first national over-the-counter equity bourse is likely to be set up soon in the northern city of Tianjin as part of moves to build a multi-layer capital sector, industry sources said yesterday.

The establishment of the OTC exchange is now subject to a final nod from the National Development and Reform Commission, the nation’s top economic planner, said people with direct knowledge of the plan.

China’s mainland has two main boards in Shanghai and Shenzhen, a small- and medium-sized enterprise board in Shenzhen as well as an OTC trading system for Beijing-based technology firms.

Analysts believe the OTC bourse, to be sited in the Binhai New Area, a state-backed economic zone, will bolster Tianjin’s lure as a new financial hub apart from Shanghai.

“I guess that’s more or less related to political balance,” said a senior stock analyst in Shanghai. “On the southern coast, we have Shenzhen as a financial center and on the eastern (coast), Shanghai. And now it’s time to have a northern one.”

Tianjin’s OTC market will only be available to institutional investors, the sources said. Companies traded on the bourse can apply to list on the main boards if they meet the listing criteria, sources said.

“The OTC bourse in Tianjin will be open to host all domestic companies that temporarily fail to meet main-board listing requirements,” said a Tianjin-based source.

The sources noted setting up the Tianjin bourse will basically complete moves to create a multi-tier equity market. Big cap firms will list in Shanghai, medium ones in Shenzhen and small firms may trade on the Tianjin OTC market, they said.

Senior Engineer

Company:A top semiconductor manufacturing company, USA

Job Purpose:
To provide supportive functions to the organization to ensure that customer quality issue is being addressed.

Location:SuZhou

Description of duties:
1.Support customer’s engineering and quality request and visit.
2.Perform Customers Return analysis and disposition
3.Monitor & Improve Field Quality
4.To provide on-site training & other engineering support to customers
5.To lead the team to meet the field quality goal
6.Other duties as assigned by the supervisor.
Report to Section Manager or above.

Minium Required Knowledged Skills And Abilities:
1.Effective communication skills in both English and Mandarin with customers and internally.
2.Strong analytical skills in problem solving
3.Good in writing reports and presentation skills with understanding of Assembly, Test Mark and Pack and Distribution processes.
4.Good knowledge of CCAR/RMA/FA process.
5.Help build and maintain effective teams.
6.Independent, resourceful and takes initiative.

Minimum Qualifications:
1.Degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering/Computer Engineering with preferred >4 relevant years experience or equivalent OR
2.Diploma in Electrical and Electronic Engineering/Computer Engineering with preferred>10 years relevant experience or equivalent.

Dimensions (In Terms Of Headcount, Budget And Decision Making)
Determine the resources to close customer issue.

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
‘topjob_eng037sz#dacare.com'(Please replace “#” with “@”)
* In the email subject MUST you plus the position name (in either En or Ch)

Multinationals can learn from Chinese companies

Multinational companies hoping to stay out front in China should start by understanding the workings of the nation’s economic growth engine.

Many Chinese companies have grown at such an astounding pace that observers have wondered how so much change is possible in so little time.

It is the “Chinese Miracle” all right, but its roots lie in Japan and South Korea.

The nation began its quantum economic leap by borrowing a three-phase strategy first used in Japan and South Korea: They established local manufacturing, often for low-cost sourcing to multinationals; they acquired know-how and technology through licensing and joint ventures; and they bought assets and brands abroad to secure global positions.

But unlike their regional counterparts, Chinese companies have mostly done away with sequencing, instead condensing three phases into one. It took Japanese and Korean firms on average 25 years to reach global leadership; Chinese companies will achieve this in 10 to 15 years.

Such a shortcut taken by Shanghai Automotive Co Ltd. Started in 1984 as a manufacturer of farm tractors, the company later built its auto manufacturing arm, borrowing innovation through government-negotiated agreements, including those with GM and VW.

It also purchased a stake in South Korea’s Ssangyong Motor to blunt challenges from regional rivals. And in 2000, the company bought two models from Britain’s Rover Group to sell under its own brand.

Last month the automaker announced it will acquire the joint-venture assets of its parent company, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. The $2.4 billion deal brings all of the company’s partnerships under a single umbrella, making it the largest publicly traded carmaker in China.

In addition to compressing their build, borrow and buy phases, companies like Shanghai Automotive move ahead by harnessing the innovation and energy common to most start-ups, combined with the centralized, coordinated planning of nationwide turnaround projects.

We call this the “start-around” approach, one which has helped key players in China quickly overcome weaknesses and adapt to market changes.

Another reason Chinese companies can advance so quicklyis that they typically start off targeting the low-cost, lower-quality segment, where the high volumes make up for small margins.

These volumes put companies on a fast learning curve, accelerating the growth process and preparing them for the rapidly growing middle market. It’s what we call the “good enough” market, the segment of acceptable quality goods at unbeatable prices, and it’s a breeding ground for global competitors.

For foreign multinationals, the way to get ahead in China’s fast lane is to take advantage of what these companies are missing in their race to secure a global presence. There are three important areas where Chinese companies get stalled.

The most significant is customer loyalty, in terms of both the end consumer and intermediate distributors. Chinese companies historically dealt with fewer distributors, relying instead on mega-retail channels. Customer insight takes time to develop, and global firms have many more years of experience to draw upon.

The battle for talent will also be critical, as firms seek out people with global experience. Multinationals are experienced in developing strong leadership, and will rely on their best-in-class programs for recruiting, developing and deploying management.

Then there’s innovation. Corporations today are unlikely to repeat this mistake. Constant innovation and compressed product cycles will characterize Chinese and multinational firms alike.

Not only development phases, but various industries and sectors will be integrated: One day soon, R&D will converge across cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and food industries.

Emulation will become progressively more difficult; Chinese companies may find themselves continually playing catch-up.

In the end, however, it’s important to remember that the race will be won by those who endure the longest. Here, China has another advantage: The centuries have taught its people to be patient. With their emphasis on quarterly earnings, today’s multinationals may have yet another lesson to learn from China’s companies: the idea of thinking forward in decades.

Steve Ellis is worldwide managing director of Bain & Co. Orit Gadiesh is Bain’s chairman and Paul DiPaola heads Bain’s Shanghai office.

Pfizer cutbacks may set trend

PFIZER Inc’s plan to eliminate 10,000 jobs, or 10 percent of its workforce, may ripple through the pharmaceutical industry and prompt similar cuts from rivals such as GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Sanofi-Aventis SA.

Pfizer, the world’s biggest drug maker, said yesterday it would close two US factories, consider selling one in Germany, shut down five research centers in the US, Japan and France, and reduce its European sales force by 20 percent, according to Bloomberg News. The plan will slash annual spending by US$500 million to US$1 billion.

Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Kindler is deepening cuts after Pfizer reported a 43 percent drop in fourth-quarter profit and generic copies of top-selling drugs began eating into revenue. Glaxo, Sanofi and other drug makers facing competition from cheaper copies would benefit by following New York-based Pfizer’s staff reductions and site closings.

“In the face of stalling sales with limited new-product flow and significant generic competition for a lot of the big brands, it does make sense that the industry unilaterally disarms” after a 15-year expansion, said Deutsche Bank analyst Barbara Ryan yesterday in an interview. “Pfizer is the 800-pound gorilla.”

Drugs generating a combined US$23 billion in annual sales, or almost 10 percent of the US market, lost patent protection last year, according to health research firm IMS Health Inc. Cheaper copies can drive prices down as much as 80 percent.

Alice Hunt, a spokeswoman for London-based Glaxo, and Steve Brown, a spokesman for London-based AstraZeneca Plc, declined to comment on how Pfizer’s plan would affect their need for sales staff. Jean-Marc Podvin, spokesman for Paris-based Sanofi, declined to comment before the company’s February 13 earnings release and press conference.

At Pfizer, fourth-quarter revenue rose less than a percent to US$12.6 billion as generic competition weighed on sales of the antidepressant Zoloft, Pfizer’s third-biggest drug. The company repeated a forecast that revenue won’t grow this year and next year above last year’s US$48.4 billion.

Pfizer’s sales will plummet after 2011 when it loses patent protection for its Lipitor cholesterol pill, which accounts for almost half of profit, analysts predicted. In the fourth quarter, revenue from the drug declined to US$3.34 billion from US$3.36 billion a year earlier. The product’s sales for 2006 rose six percent to US$12.9 billion, missing the company’s goal of US$13 billion.

Pfizer shares gained nine percent in the New York Stock Exchange in the past 12 months, underperforming a 13 percent rise in the 14-member Standard & Poor’s 500 Pharmaceutical Index.

Breaking Down the Recruiter Bill of Rights (Part 5)

We¡¯ve reached the half-way point of our Recruiter Bill of Rights, and we¡¯ve come to a topic that some candidates shy away from: Salesmanship. A top recruiter knows that a candidate can have a great background and huge plans for the future, but never even get close to landing the job they want because they simply can¡¯t or aren¡¯t willing to sell themselves.Now, we¡¯re firm believers in hiring qualified people for the job, but if you have the skills a company needs, you have to show them that or you can quickly get overlooked for somone with less experience and less ability. Companies want to know how you can help them, and recruiters want you to demonstrate that you fit that company¡¯s needs. Not everybody is fond of throwing out the sales pitch, but it will help recruiters help you, and it will help you get closer to the job you want. The folks at Guerilla Job Hunting summed it up rather perfectly, so we once again go back to their quote for inspiration:

¡±Employers don¡¯t care about what you want to do or even who you are until after they¡¯ve hired you. So stop telling them about your dreams and start selling to their needs.¡±

We¡¯ve often talked about the need for urgency on the part of hiring managers. Urgency can play a part for candidates, as well. This doesn¡¯t mean that we want people to take the first job that comes along or to engage in suspect search practices with sub-par search tools just to land a job quickly. However, it¡¯s important to stay focused on the present and to give hiring managers and recruiters a sense of what you have to offer right now:

¡±It¡¯s not about your past or what you used to do for someone else. It¡¯s about how you come across right now, in the present moment. That means you have to sell yourself so people get a powerful snapshot of you . . . one that makes them sit up and pay attention to you!¡± (From Job Search Secrets)

We don¡¯t want you to pull cheap tricks like coming in dressed as a clown or singing a song in your interview in order to ¡°get noticed.¡± We just want candidates to give recruiters and hiring managers the best possible chance to match them to the right job. This means candidates have to know what they have to offer and what a company is looking for. We¡¯ll provide the tools to make that happen, but candidates will have to take it from there.

Tariff cuts may ease trade surplus

CHINA will further reduce import tariffs on energy, raw materials and advanced technology in a bid to ease the country’s growing trade surplus, Fu Ziying, assistant minister of commerce, said over the weekend.

The rapidly expanding trade surplus is “threatening the economy with the danger of rebounding investment and rising inflation,” Fu said at an economic conference in Beijing.

China aims to narrow the surplus, which jumped 74 percent to a record US$177.5 billion last year, in an effort to adjust economic structure and curb rapid foreign exchange inflow that floods the world’s fourth-largest economy with liquidity and adds pressure on its currency to rise.

China’s exports rose 27 percent, and imports gained 20 percent in 2006, according to government data cited by Bloomberg News. To slow exports, China raised export taxes on oil, steel and nonferrous metals in November. In the same month, it cut import tariffs for alumina, the raw material for aluminum.

In September, it cut export incentives for steel and textiles.

The commerce ministry will further cut export rebates, Fu said, without elaborating. It will also adjust toll policies on companies that import raw materials and then export processed products, he added, without providing further details.

A more flexible currency is helping the government’s effort to ease the trade surplus, Fu said. The yuan rose 0.31 percent to 7.7739 against the United States dollar in Shanghai last week, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System. It has risen 6.3 percent since a fixed exchange rate of 8.28 to the dollar ended in July 2005.

The government has asked the Export and Import Bank of China, a state-owned policy lender, to increase lending to importers, Liang Xiang, assistant president of the bank, told reporters on Saturday.