How to find a job using Chinese language skills?
April 25, 2013 3:45 PM   Subscribe

Hey Mefis! I am asking this question on behalf of my brother-in-law who recently got laid off. Does anyone here have advice to give to a guy with a degree in Chinese and minor in business who would like to work in manufacturing/ sourcing for a US company either in the US or China?

My brother-in-law lives in Missouri (20 minutes from Kansas City) with my sister their two young children. He did not get a job doing what he had dreamed of after graduating, but ended up living close to much of his and our families and settled on a job that was good enough...but had no relation to his interests or skill set. They bought a house and settled down in a small town. My brother-in-law is an avid outdoorsman, and was able to hunt and spend time in nature. So quality of life was great until he got laid off. There are not many jobs nearby and he has been frantically applying throughout the region and beyond. They are willing to relocate for the right job.

They are in a scary situation, but in many ways they want to take this opportunity to get the kind of job he has always wanted. I asked what his dream job was and he said his "absolute dream job" would be working for an outdoors/hunting company doing sourcing in China. He is interested in manufacturing and wants to put his language skills to good use. I am sure for the right job they would even move to China.

So my questions are- does anyone have advice or experience on how to find such a job? Any tips on how to approach companies with the desire to work in a field without having years of experience under your belt? Anyone have experience working in China in manufacturing/ sourcing or representing US companies in China? And lastly, if he could not get his dream job any ideas on how he can search for any kind of job that could use his skills? I am sure he would relocate anywhere in the US to get employed. I feel so bad that I can't give much advice, and thought maybe someone here would have an idea.
posted by catrae to Work & Money (6 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: He needs to research the big guns in the retail sports world - Cabela's, Sportsmans Warehouse, REI, to name a few. Those companies do a lot of private label stuff, and at least some of it is directly with a manufacturer.
Alternately he could also investigate the major manufacturers in the field: Bushnell, Kelty, Jansport, Slumberjack (a subsidiary of Kelty, I think). Those are just a very few - any of the above-mentioned catalogs or websites would provide additional brand names to go after.
Then he needs to learn as much as he can about those companies from their websites and press, so that he has some sense for where/how they do their buying. Typically, the person who sources, also is a buyer.
It would be very helpful if he had any kind of background in Supply Chain Operations, because that's a lot of what 'sourcing' is - ensuring the mfg can make (and continue to make) the item you want to your spec.
He should have a good, active LinedIn profile, and then look for connections to those companies he's researched, and try to get 'introduced' virtually, then look for informational interviews.
In the meantime, maybe look for a job in the warehouse/shipping end of supply chain. That could prove fruitful, and give his career the boost he's looking for.
Honestly though, the job he thinks exists, may not - buyers have to work with designers to spec competitive products from a materials/performance/price/benefits view; then they cultivate relationships with suppliers that they entrust these specs and jobs to. Those jobs are highly coveted, and very competitive. Also less glamorous than they may appear from the outside.
Good luck!
posted by dbmcd at 4:48 PM on April 25, 2013


Speaking Chinese is a minor factor because there are tons of Chinese speakers that companies can potentially hire, including native speakers. What is most important is industry experience. If he wants to consider working in China, it would probably be much easier to find a job there than to find it here, but of course the pay will not likely be ex-pat level.
posted by Dansaman at 5:14 PM on April 25, 2013


Best answer: It's always good to network, and it's going to take time - it's really hard to hit the bullseye right off the bat (to mix metaphors), so be prepared for a journey.

The first thing I would do is contact the local government trade promotion office, or a state board of trade or chamber of commerce - all of them, if possible.

Government trade officers are good people to connect with - government officers who focus on promoting the state's industries around the world. They are usually knowledgeable about what companies are doing what, and who needs what.

I live on the West Coast, and my Japanese skills are really useful here. On the other hand, friends of mine who live in Texas' tech belt use Japanese for work, presumably because there are fewer Japanese speakers there, and more going on than where I am.

So maybe your BIL's language abilities will stand out.

That said, from my experience, companies sourcing to China don't really worry about the Chinese-language element, since partners and providers speak English anyway. They can get by.

I also think that serving as a bridge between American companies and Chinese suppliers would be a pretty thankless task. It seems to be cutthroat, and personal relations don't seem to mean anything at all - the polar opposite of how business is conducted in Japan.
posted by KokuRyu at 5:14 PM on April 25, 2013


Best answer: He might think about working with companies that do private guiding and hunting and want to attract Chinese hunters. I know that my mom's little town in South Dakota got very popular with people who just love to shoot pheasants and come from all over the world for the chance. Maybe see if the Fish and Game can use him?
posted by Ideefixe at 5:28 PM on April 25, 2013


Best answer: I had a friend who I think, worked for Mountain Equiptment Co-Op - an absolutely juggernaunt of an outdoors sporting company here in Canada. His job was to help with resolving sourcing issues with Chinese suppliers - which meant alot of strong arming and yelling and tough tactics to keep suppliers in line.

Here is their website on their sourcing practices.

Perhaps given them a shout and see what kind of postions do they have available to help with managing their Chinese suppliers? A long shot - I know.
posted by helmutdog at 5:52 PM on April 25, 2013


Response by poster: Thank you all for these answers. I knew if I asked here I would get a lot of interesting advice that I would have never thought of! Much appreciated!
posted by catrae at 4:05 AM on April 26, 2013


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