Congratulations! You have acquired an internship in China! By now, you must have researched all about how to successfully communicate and work with your soon to be Chinese co-workers. Through the research you have gathered, you must have read about “face’’ and “guanxi’’ a lot. Well, here’s a bit more, with tips and advice from two of our partnered companies here in China!
What is Guanxi or Mianzi?
Here is a quick introduction for those that don’t know these two concepts. Guanxi, or “relationships,” is used to describe relationships in their many forms. These can be between friends, families, or businesses.
You can read more about the concept of guanxi from James here, but it is absolutely essential to conducting business and succeeding in China.
Mianzi or “face”, explained here, is so important in Chinese social, political, and business circles that it can literally make or break a deal! It can be translated as “honour”, “reputation” and “respect,” and the concepts are deeply rooted in the Chinese culture.
So how do you achieve Guanxi and Mianzi??
There are a few ways you can better your guanxi and gain some mianzi- read some comments from our partnered companies on how best to do it!
“Be open-minded, curious, and prepared!” – Marketing firm
The lifestyle and the business environment in China is different than it is in the West, so have an open mind for your new lifestyle here in China. You need to try being patient and understanding of your new cultural surroundings and work with potential language barriers.
Be Curious
Ask lots of questions while you are at your internship! Don’t worry about bothering your new co-workers, they want to help you, so ask away!
You should also engage in conversations while you are at social events, such as dinners, with your coworkers- this a great way of building your “guanxi!” However, you should remember to keep your questions reasonable and appropriate for the situation. You don’t want to ask any questions which might embarrass or cause your coworkers to lose face themselves.
Be Prepared
Even though you might not know much about China in general, the city you are in, or the language, you can always do a bit of research to show you care enough to learn. This might mean doing some research before you visit, and continuing to ask questions and engage while you are there.
“Offer to buy dinner or go out to eat, and asking for help with and opinions on your work.” – Education company
But this doesn’t need to be anything fancy! Even something simple such as grabbing some nice dumplings or noodles at lunch can do the trick. Spending some quality time with your co-workers will be good for your guanxi and networking, and for your daily working life! If your coworkers ask you out for dinner after a long day of work, take the chance and enjoy a good meal and conversations- you will build your guanxi, mianzi and social circle!
Finally, ask for help when you need it. This is still an internship! You aren’t expected to know everything, so don’t be afraid to ask for advice when you don’t know something. Asking a colleague will show you are engaged and interested in the work, and they will appreciate sharing their knowledge of the task with you and gain face. It’s as great to earn as it is to give face!
Feeling ready for that internship now? Best of luck and enjoy your time in China!
Don’t have an internship yet? Check out 5 reasons why you should get one in China!
Do you know these moments in your life, when you are leaning against a railing in a harbour, looking at the waves without really looking? Smelling the salty sea scent and listening to the seagulls screeching, but you don’t listen and smell actively?
In these kind of moments, you will have a talk with yourself and ask in your head with a tremulous voice: “what the heck am I doing here?” At least it was like this in my case.
About Me
I am a 29-year-old German. I worked as a bank clerk for 6 years in Germany. And now after studying two and a half years I landed in Qingdao. How come?
Am I a romantic enthusiast that practiced traditional “fan-tai-chi”? Am I a lover of Chinese poetry? Did I watch too much Kung Fu Panda? Or do I just like to castigate myself learning all the Chinese characters?
No, is the answer to all these questions, it was a reason wedding. But as history shows this can have quite good outcome (not that I recommend this style of marriage). In my case it pumped up the numbers quite high. While I used to ask myself the “what the heck?” question in quite unromantic places, now I can do this on the breath-taking coast of Qingdao.
Qingdao Weather
I am here now since February this year. So, I could witness the change in weather and environment in Qingdao. I was freezing my “lower area of the back” off due to the famous “Qingdao-wind” in winter time. In summer time “Mediterranean” heat let me sweat Niagara Falls out of my body. A big thanks to the inventors of heaters and air conditioners!
Experiences in Qingdao
Although this may sound like advertisement for Air-con, Heaters and Qingdao, it is my utmost honest view of Qingdao. I am now looking forward on all the cool things that I will see and experience here. Why am I telling you this? The reason why is, that from now on, I will try to keep you guys updated and informed about these experiences. Don’t worry, I will not share the hilarious story of how I bought a bus ticket or the tremendously fascinating day when I was doing absolutely nothing.
The goal of my articles, blogging and scribbling will be to give you interesting insights in daily life here in Qingdao. As well as providing you with interesting news and hidden highlights.
I hope that the reading will give you an image of China, maybe inspire you or at least will make you sit in front of the screen smirking.
World Economic Forum (WEF) Background:
In 2007, a Swiss non-profit organisation approved the creation of the World Economic Forum (WEF), which is also known as the Annual Meeting of the New Champions or the Summer Davos. The event takes place annually and the 2017 WEF is held in our North-Eastern Chinese city, Dalian between the 27th of June and the 29th of June. The Summer Davos is held annually in China altering between Dalian and Tianjin. The Summer Davos has around 2000 participants from the Global Growth Companies foundation, which is generally made up of emerging countries with rapid growth, such as China, Russia, Mexico, Brazil and India, but there are also several developed countries involved in the foundation. WEF is a community with members from around 90 countries, involving governments, leaders of major multinationals, civil society, media and academic individuals. WEF’s annual meetings include not only members of the foundation, but also fast-growing regions, global leaders, international technology leaders and competitive cities.
The effects of the Summer Davos WEF in Dalian is noticeable in various areas. There are large number of reconstruction of buildings and roads in the city and increased security measures everywhere in the city center. The number of both international and domestic visitors increased during the week of the WEF. Therefore, most of the flights and hotels are already booked out. The media and press pays increased attention on the happenings and events in Dalian. The World Economic Forum along with many other internationally known events help Dalian to gain international recognition and to become one of the globally known Chinese cities. This enlarged international acceptance will benefit Dalian, by becoming the host of other international events, undergo further projects and turn into a new international trading center of China.
World Economic Forum Welcome SignAims of the 2017 Summer World Economic Forum (WEF):
The main focuses of this year’s World Economic Forum meeting will involve the sharing and circular economy, new technology innovations and green investment to improve environmental management. By discussing these topics, the WEF members try to address the global environmental risks, facing all countries around the world. These possible environmental risks were pointed out in the latest annual Global Risks Report of the committee. Climate change, sustainable growth and environmental protection are the prime discussion cases during the 2017 Summer Davos meeting in Dalian. The WEF committee plans to centralise their concern on the climate change issue, which is one of the most impactful risk and therefore a vital problem, affecting all members of the WEF as well as other countries around the world.
One of the reasons for keeping this year’s Summer Davos meeting in China is because China plays an extremely important role as world leader in sustainable and green development. In 2016, the world’s biggest issuer of green bonds was the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank. However, China is facing environmental challenges, including smog, which is becoming a major issue in most metropolitan cities around the world. Therefore, the 2017 Summer Davos meeting’s top priority focus will be on solving environmental issues, such as smog, in order to improve the urban air quality of populous cities.
Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2017 DalianThe WEF committee believes that global cooperation can be created between public and private sectors in order to create new alliances and counter the existing environmental issues and prevent the rise of further environmental problems in the future. By establishing cooperation between firms in the public and private sectors, the members of the WEF assume that they can demonstrate collaborations, instead of isolation, to the younger generation and attain benefits to all in the future.
Further plans that the members propose to carry out after the 2017 WEF meeting, include investment in green energy, green infrastructure, green transportation and they believe that having a circular economy is fundamental to raise the level of economic growth. Furthermore, China’s goal is to highlight the idea of sustainability and innovation alongside with strong Chinese characteristics and an international appeal. The annual World Economic Forum helps to unite the existing and new fast-growing organisations, which shape the future of business and society. It is an event that highlights relevant global challenges from economic, societal, environmental and political backgrounds, and encourages its members to act in a way that will benefit to everyone in the long run.
Start your career with one of our InternChina programmes, Apply Now!
The establishment of the Liaoning Free Trade Zone (FTZ) was approved in September 2017 and since then, Dalian’s goal is to create a sufficient and stable business environment. The new FTZ will involve three major cities of Liaoning province, including Dalian, Shenyang and Yingkou. Dalian is already part of the Jinpu New Area, which helped to increase its international and domestic trade levels, including international partnerships with South Korea, Japan and Russia.
Sunset at Dalian Harbour
Jinpu New Area is a strategic region for regional co-operation of firms in Northeast Asia. It was formed in 2014 and became the 10th of China’s Big National Districts as part of the 13th Five-Year Plan. The main aim of the Dalian Jinpu New Area is to develop the opening-up and reform of China, as well as to expand the coastal economic relationships in Liaoning Province and to boost the economic growth in the North-Eastern part of the country. The Jinpu New Area was approved by the State Council, in the hope of making Dalian a pilot zone for innovation. Since the formation of the New Area, large number of functional zones have been set up within the district. Some of these functional zones, include tariff-free zone, bonded port areas, national tourist resorts and export processing zones. The New Area helped Dalian to become a global logistics and international shipping centre. The New Area has both economic and geographical advantages for businesses, operating in Dalian and its surroundings.
In 2017, the Chinese government approved the creation of the Liaoning Free Trade Zone. It is made up of three sectors, Dalian, Shenyang and Yingkou. The new Liaoning Free Trade Zone covers state-level high-tech zones, bonded harbour area, the Jinpu New District as well as numerous industrial parks. The regions that will have special customs supervision, will have a focus on the search for institutional innovation that can improve the accessibility of trade, logistics and the processing of bonded services. On the other hand, areas which are not under special customs supervision will focus on exploring potential reforms of the investment system, innovation of the finance sector, the promotion of transformation of the manufacturing industry as well as on the opening-up of the Chinese service industry. The government made registration convenient for companies, which are located at the Dalian Area of China, Liaoning Free Trade Zone, by setting up a special registration service window for organisations based in the Jinpu New Area and by helping companies to adopt a virtual registration service. Reports of the registration shows that half of the firms used the virtual registration mode to settle down in Jinpu New Area. These organisations include firms in the finance, trade, biological science, equipment manufacturing and port and shipping logistics industries. According to reports, Dalian has copied and promoted around 102 innovative measures of the Shanghai FTZ, as well as of other pilot Free Trade Zones.
China’s Free Trade ZonesThere are three main goals that the Chinese government tries to achieve by creating the Liaoning Free Trade Zone along with several new laws. The first, is to focus on speeding up the market-orientated institutional mechanism reforms. In order to do this, the Liaoning Free Trade Zone will mostly be based on the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone and adapt new reforms and accomplish further institutional innovations, which are easily adaptable by the cities covered by the Liaoning Free Trade Zone. These changes should mainly focus on the function of the local government and expand the power of decentralization, improve services and to authorize supervision. These changes should help to improve the business environment and the restructuring and upgrading of industries in the involved areas.
The second, is to focus equally on the introduction, development and show a new image in team building of talents. Introduction of new talents is important and should be done efficiently and high-level talents should be brought from global and international perspective. The involved are should improve the training and education and overall quality of cadres as well as to work hard, overcome difficulties and try to create a dynamic situation of competing for development.
Lastly, the cities in the Liaoning Free Trade Zone should also open-up further to the outside world in order to help to build and achieve a new economic system. They should take part in the international competition and cooperate with other areas, but at the same time fully connect to the national “One Belt One Road” strategy. They should improve their trade systems, so that it meets common rules of international investment and trade, and look for new competitive advantages in foreign trade. Regions in the Liaoning Free Trade Zone can achieve development in its foreign trade system by enhance their technologies, investment attractions and intelligence attractions.
To experience China through one of our InternChina programmes, Apply Now!
6 reasons why you should do a summer internship
You’ve finally handed in that last piece of coursework, those end of term exams are fast approaching (if not already in full swing), and despite promising yourself for the whole year that you’d never do it, you’ve actually waited outside the university library at 7am for the doors to open so you can get the good seat. I’ve been there.
The light at the end of the tunnel might seem as far away as it’ll ever be right now, but before long, it’s all over and you’re left with three months of freedom, a headful of ambition but there’s a good chance you’re still asking yourself the question: What am I going to do with my summer, and how am I going to make it worthwhile? Join your parents for that walking tour of the Pennines? Finally sit down and read all that George Orwell and Emily Bronte that you’ve been meaning to read for the last two years? An internship abroad? (hint hint – it’s the last one!)
So here they are: the six killer reasons why a summer internship abroad is a great way to combine travel with training for the professional world! In short – a solid investment in your future and a fantastic opportunity to make lasting memories!
1 – Gain hands-on experience in the workplace
Joining a company as an intern is a great way to learn how businesses and organisations work in the real world, and not just on paper. This is especially the case for start-ups and small to medium-sized businesses, where you get the chance to see first-hand how businesses grow and transition into larger and more mature entreprises. Far from fetching the coffee and making photocopies, interns play a vital role in keeping the cogs of a business turning and if they excel in their position, can have a real impact on the direction of their host company!
2 – Immerse yourself in another culture
More so than if you were simply passing through as a traveller, interns in a country like China have the time to truly immerse themselves in the local culture and learn about what it means to be a citizen of another society. Because you’ll be working alongside them and sharing your day-to-day life with them, you will learn to eat, drink, work and play like a local. There’s no better way to smash your stereotypes about a country than to go there in person and share a hearty cup of baijiu with your coworkers who have lived there their whole lives!
3 – Prepare yourself for a truly globalised world
Interning in a country like China can prepare you in so many ways for the world of the future – you will gain vital work experience, learn how business is conducted in a country that is rapidly becoming the main trade partner of every other country in the world, learn to adapt to quickly changing working environments and function as part of an international team. Moreover, the skills you acquire during your experience interning abroad will make you stand out among your peers and will boost your future employability to no end!
4 – Help to define your career path
You may find that undertaking a summer internship helps you to discover that hidden specialism you never realised you loved! The flexibility of many internships means that you get a chance to try out the various different areas of specialism in one field of work. For example, you could well find that social media marketing really isn’t your jam, but at the same time you discover that you secretly had a burning passion for events management that you would never have known of unless you tried it out during your internship! You will also make countless contacts in your field of internship that could later prove to be a lucrative entry-point into the career path of your dreams!
5 – Learn a new language
It might seem like an intimidating (or nearly impossible!) feat to accomplish in one short summer, but an internship abroad is completely packed with chances for you to learn the basics of the language of your host country! Aside from the option to attend language classes, your coworkers will no doubt be more than happy to teach you some useful phrases to help you get by (or at least the more useful insults), and the value of being able to communicate to colleagues and business partners in their mother tongue cannot be overstated enough!
6 – Come back with some great stories
Last, and certainly not least, completing a summer internship in a country such as China can be a challenging, bewildering, bemusing, enriching and mind-boggling experience all at the same time! You will be interning alongside people from all around the globe with different experiences, backgrounds and perspectives on the world, which makes for a pretty unique summer. You may have to tackle culture shock head-on, but you will no doubt board your plane home with a suitcase full to the brim with lasting memories, heartfelt friendships, and maybe even a cuddly panda keyring stuffed in the bottom.
To start your summer internship adventure in one of four great cities, apply now!
大家好!My name is Tamara and I just arrived to Chengdu 3 days ago, to start my 6-month internship at the Chengdu InternChina office as a Marketing & Business Development Intern and by that, following a road down the unknown. I am currently enrolled at Heilbronn University, doing my Masters in International Business and Intercultural Management, which is why I figured an additional international internship wouldn’t hurt.
I am also planning to write my Master thesis while being here.
After hearing so much about China in my lectures and reading so much about China in general, the cultural differences and all the challenges in terms of business, I decided to leave my comfort zone – big this time – and experience this country that everyone talks about but barely understands for myself.
After being told many amazing stories from a fellow student and a really good friend of mine about being employed at InternChina, I figured that will be my go-to option.
I applied, got the interview and the rest is history.
Although this isn’t my first time living and working in Asia for a longer period of time as I spent 2 semesters in Japan, China is beyond comparison!
Granted, the first few days have been pretty overwhelming! Not just in terms of the general new environment but also in an even broader sense. Even though I study intercultural Management and know concepts like the culture shock and high/low context and individual/collectivist countries etc., being here and actually living in a culture as different from my own definitely poses to be one of the biggest and most exciting challenges in my life so far.
The good thing though is, I am not alone in it. So many other people have had this amazing experience and „survived“ China. Not just ‘survived’ but also claimed that they have had one of the best times in their lives. That’s why I will challenge myself anew every single day- whether it’s ordering food at a local restaurant, surviving Chinese traffic or just dealing with the bathroom situation as a whole 😉
Writing a CV can be quite a draining and sometimes nerve-wracking experience, often you’ll find yourself wondering where to start, or you might catch yourself doubting yourself every time you get started. However, your CV is one of the most important pieces of written work you’ll ever produce, as it will be your first port of communication with a potential employer. What is put into a CV varies depending on the culture/region that you are applying in.
- Photographs – yay or nay
In Asian cultures it is expected to put a professional photograph into your CV, this is very different in comparison to the West, where photographs on a CV are considered taboo. In the UK it is illegal to request a photo to be attached on to a CV. Whereas Chinese employers see a photograph as essential. The photo is most often passport sized. In the west, putting a photograph into your CV may cause employers to automatically reject your application. So, perhaps it would be a good idea to keep a professional photo handy, just in case.
- Keeping your CV to a reasonable length
A CV should always be kept at a reasonable length – however, this will also vary depending on culture. German’s wouldn’t take a short CV seriously; whereas the English prefer 2 pages – long enough to make it look like you’ve done SOMETHING but not so long that the employer loses interest. In America it’s all about summarising all your experiences onto 1 page. Chinese companies prefer your CV to be 2-3 pages long (longer if you have a lot of work experience). However, don’t leave blank spaces in your CV, this would look unprofessional.
- Structure
When creating your CV, it is important to structure it in a way that appears attractive to the eye of the reader, ensure your resume is easy to look through. Recruiters usually don’t take more than 15 seconds to check if a candidate matches the job requirements. Remember that a CV is your very own marketing tool which is supposed to show off your skills and experience (think of a brochure of your professional life). Make sure you double check your spelling and grammar before sending your CV out, the grammar should always be consistent, and mistakes will never be tolerated, no matter what country you apply for a job.
- Sell Yourself
Make sure you add tangibility to your achievements, this makes what you have done come to life and seem more relatable. If you increased sales, let your new employer know by how much! If you managed a team, let your new employer know how many people were within that team! However, never lie on your CV as it is very easy for employers to double check details.
Nachdem man die Entscheidung getroffen hat ein Praktikum zu absolvieren, steht die große Frage im Raum wo genau dieses durchgeführt werden soll. Dabei kann man grob zwischen zwei Arten von Unternehmen unterscheiden: große, bekannte Unternehmen und kleine bis mittelständige Unternehmen. Beide Arten unterscheiden sich wesentlich von einander, indem ganz andere Erwartungen vom Unternehmen an dich, aber auch andersherum von dir an das Unternehmen gestellt werden.
Eine kleine Hilfestellung in Form einer einfachen Gegenüberstellung habe ich für euch im Folgenden zusammengefasst:
Vorteile eines Praktikums in einem großen, bekannten Unternehmen sind folgende:
- Der erste und für viele sicherlich auch ausschlaggebende Punkt ist natürlich der Name. Ein großer Name wie Bosch, Mercedes und Beiersdorf sticht natürlich heraus und kann euren Lebenslauf ungemein attraktiv machen. Vor allem bei traditionellen Unternehmensberatungen und Rechtsanwaltskanzleien können bekannte Unternehmen das Tor zur gewünschten Anstellung sein. Große Firmen, die täglich einen 50cm Stapel zu bearbeiten haben, fliegen Bewerbungen häufig nur schnell durch. Ein großer Name sticht da natürlich heraus und bekommt eher einen zweiten Blick geschenkt. Ein Design-Praktikum bei Disney wird euch da wahrscheinlich weiterbringen als bei der Boutique um die Ecke.
- Die Chance, dass ihr in ein bereits perfekt ausgeschliffenes Programm kommt ist deutlich höher. Praktikanten geben sich in großen Firmen quasi die Klinke in die Hand, daher werden diese Unternehmen auch viel Erfahrung im Umgang mit Praktikanten aufweisen können. Dementsprechend werden euch immer perfekt auf euch zugeschnittene Aufgaben gestellt und das in einem angemessenen Zeitrahmen
- Mit einem ausgeklügelten Praktikantenprogramm kommt häufig auch ein erfahrener Mentor einher. Das Ziel eines Praktikums ist im Allgemeinen mehr über Arbeitsabläufe und deren Ausführung zu erfahren und neue Fähigkeiten zu erwerben bzw. vorhandene zu erweitern. Ein erfahrener Mentor, dem bereits alle möglichen Fragen in den Bauch gefragt wurden und der jede erdenkliche Situation bereits miterlebt hat, wird euch wahrscheinlicher bei Problemen helfen können und euch jeden zielführenden Lösungsweg nennen können.
InternChina – CV: Ein Lebenslauf mit einer bekannten Firma darauf sticht schneller aus einem Stapel Bewerbungen heraus und hilft beim ersten Schritt Richtung Bewerbungsgespräch.
Natürlich gibt es aber auch die andere Seite der Medaille:
- Bei großen Unternehmen gibt es selbstredend auch viele Praktikanten, die in dem Unternehmen ein- und ausgehen. Dass man damit recht einfach austauschbar ist, sollte schnell klar sein.
- Aus dem großen Stapel an Bewerbungen werden nur die besten Praktikanten ausgewählt, doch für die Aufgaben, mit denen sie anschließend konfrontiert werden, sind sie oft überqualifiziert. Nicht selten bekommt man eine Fülle an „typischen Praktikantenaufgaben“, die nicht allzu anspruchsvoll sind, die jedoch eine Menge Zeit in Anspruch nehmen und aus genau diesem Grund an Praktikanten weitergeleitet werden.
- Recht schnell kann man einen Überfluss an Bürokratie auf der Einen und einen Mangel an Eigenständigkeit und Freiräumen bei der Bewältigung seiner Aufgaben auf der anderen Seite feststellen. Dies fällt besonders dann auf, wenn augenscheinlich banale Fragen und Aufgaben mehrere Stationen durchlaufen müssen, bevor sie ihr Ziel erreichen, was schnell zu Frustration führen kann.
- Erledigt man seine Aufgaben gut und im vorgegebenen Zeitfenster, darf man sich nicht allzu große Hoffnung auf überschwängliches Lob machen. Erledigt man seine Aufgaben umgekehrt wiederum nicht den Anforderungen entsprechend oder im vorgegebenen Zeitfenster, darf man auch nicht auf zu viel Verständnis hoffen.
- Jeder Praktikant hofft natürlich an sein Praktikum anschließend auf ein Stellenangebot dieses Unternehmens oder zumindest auf ein paar gute Kontakte. Die Chance, dass dies auch wirklich passiert, ist jedoch verschwindend gering. Man muss nicht nur doppelt so hart wie alle anderen Praktikanten arbeiten, sondern auch zehnmal so gut sein wie sie, um einen bleibenden Eindruck zu hinterlassen.
- Auch auf ein persönliches Verhältnis mit seinen Vorgesetzten darf man sich nicht allzu große Hoffnungen machen. Das Arbeitsklima ist häufig rein professionell und bleibt bis zum Ende des Praktikums auch so.
- Der Supervisor, der einem bei dem Praktikum helfen soll, ist in den seltensten Fällen immer ansprechbar und manchmal noch seltener auffindbar, da er selbst viele Aufgaben zu erledigen hat und nicht viel Zeit hat.
- Allgemein ist der eigene Einflussbereich sehr überschaubar. Die Verantwortung, die einem übertragen wird, genauso wie die Zuständigkeiten, halten sich in Grenzen, da es genug Angestellte gibt, die die wichtigeren Entscheidungen treffen können.
- Manchmal hat man dann auch gar keine Aufgaben zu erledigen und muss sich selbst über den Tag hinweg beschäftigen.
InternChina – Red Tape: In einer großen Firma ist man nur Einer von Vielen. Man ist schnell ersetzbar und muss mit seinen Aufgaben unendlich viele Stationen durchlaufen, ehe man damit an sein Ziel gelangt.
Zum Vergleich dazu die Vorteile eines Praktikums in einem kleinen Unternehmen:
- Anders als in einem großen Unternehmen, wo oftmals nur das Nötigste im eigenen Aufgabenbereich getan wird und pünktlich Feierabend gemacht wird, nimmt man bei einem kleinen Unternehmen oft eine große Herausforderung an, da man hier nicht nur einen, sondern ermutigt wird gleich mehrere Schritte weiterzugehen und sich um ein vielfaches mehr zu engagieren. Dadurch wird man auch mental viel mehr herausgefordert.
- Das Budget ist meist gering und die Menge an Arbeit groß. Oftmals kann sich ein kleines Unternehmen keinen weiteren Mitarbeiter leisten und stellt daher einfach einen Praktikanten ein. Dieser bekommt so viele verschiedene anspruchsvolle Aufgaben zugewiesen, die es alle zu erledigen gilt. Damit geht aber auch einher, dass man mehr Verantwortung übertragen bekommt und interessantere Aufgaben und Projekte zu bearbeiten kann.
- Man wird daher auch nicht nur als ein Praktikant angesehen, der Kaffee kocht, sondern kann sich richtig im Unternehmen miteinbringen. Man kann seine eigenen Ideen vorstellen und hat eine große Chance, dass diese auch Gehör finden.
- Denn man arbeitet mit den Leuten zusammen, die auch die großen wichtigen Entscheidungen treffen. Man kann ihnen dabei zusehen, auf welcher Basis sie welche Maßnahmen und Beschlüsse treffen und ausführen.
- Dadurch wiederum ist auch der Weg zum erledigen der eigenen Aufgaben viel kürzer und man muss nicht erst 100 Stationen durchlaufen, ehe man den nächsten Schritt gehen kann.
- Mit seinen frischen Ideen wird man schneller wertgeschätzt und bekommt dies auch gezeigt.
- Man wird viel mehr in das Unternehmen eingebunden und weiß welche Projekte gerade bearbeitet werden. So bekommt man einen guten Überblick nicht nur darüber, wie das Unternehmen funktioniert und aufgebaut ist, sondern kann auch jeden einzelnen Ablauf einsehen und nachvollziehen.
- Man bekommt so echte praktische Erfahrung in der realen Welt.
- So wird man aber auch dem kompletten Unternehmensalltag ausgesetzt. Dies bedeutet, dass man quasi ein on-the-job training hat und man schnell weiß, was man nicht weiß.
- Man kann auf diese Art viel mehr Erfahrungen sammeln, mehr lernen, seine bereits vorhandenen Fähigkeiten ausbauen, mehrere neue Fähigkeiten gleichzeitig erlernen und als Mensch wachsen. Gleichzeitig lernt man auch viel über sich selbst. Man merkt, wo vielleicht noch versteckte Skills in einem liegen und wo genau seine Interessen liegen und kann diese daraufhin gezielt fördern.
InternChina – Taking Part: Man kann nicht nur mit den Leuten, die die wichtigen Entscheidungen treffen, zusammenarbeiten, sondern wird in Entscheidungen auch mit eingebunden und wird in Projekte voll miteingebunden.
Auch bei kleinen Unternehmen gibt es selbstverständlich Nachteile:
- Der größte Nachteil ist wahrscheinlich das Verschwimmen von Grenzen, vor allem was seinen Arbeitsbereich angeht. Man wird dabei gebeten Aufgaben zu erledigen, die nicht in der Stellenbeschreibung waren.
- Auf der persönlichen Ebene kann man das Ineinderfließen von klaren Linien als Nachteil, aber manchmal auch als Vorteil sehen – je nachdem wie gut man mit seinen Vorgesetzten zurechtkommt und ob man das überhaupt will. Manchmal kann ein freundschaftliches Verhältnis von Nachteil sein, vor allem dann, wenn man mit bestimmten Aspekten seines Praktikums unzufrieden ist und man zu befangen ist, um es seinem Vorgesetzten mitzuteilen.
- Auch das gesamte Praktikum an sich kann manchmal unorganisiert und unstrukturiert sein. Wichtig ist es, sich vorher genau nach seinen Aufgaben zu informieren.
- Der zukünftige Arbeitgeber muss sich über eure Praktikumsunternehmen erst einmal informieren. Er wird wahrscheinlich nicht auf Anhieb wissen, in was für einer Firma ihr euer Praktikum gemacht habt. Allerdings ist es auch oftmals so, dass sich der Arbeitgeber nicht die Mühe machen wird, sich intensiv damit zu beschäftigen und sich nur euer Empfehlungsschreiben durchlesen wird. Dieses muss daher wirklich glänzend sein.
Das war meine kleine Gegenüberstellung. Sowohl ein Praktikum in einer großen, als auch in einer kleinen Firma hat seine Vor- und Nachteile. Am Ende des Tages muss man für sich selbst herausfinden, was man von seinem Praktikum erwartet und was es einem bringen soll. Ist man sich dessen klar, sollte die Wahl des Unternehmens schnell gefallen sein.
Allen Punkten zum Trotz, ist diese Gegenüberstellung natürlich nicht auf jedes einzelne Unternehmen übertragbar, denn Ausnahmen bestätigen wie immer die Regel.
Wenn auch Du Erfahrungen in einem Praktikum, egal ob in einem großen oder in einem kleinen Unternehmen, sammeln möchtest, dann bewirb Dich hier!
Effectuer un stage en Chine ne vous donne pas seulement l’occasion de gagner de l’expérience à l’international dans l’une des plus grandes puissances économiques mondiales, mais aussi de découvrir un monde des affaires aux standards différents des nôtres. Un exemple très simple: en Chine il est de coutume de donner et recevoir une carte de visite avec les deux mains, c’est un simple signe de respect.
En participant à un programme d’InternChina, nous vous présenterons à votre arrivée certaines de ces différences culturelles, notamment dans le milieu de l’entreprise, afin de vous préparer et de vous éviter des erreurs ou malentendus lors de votre stage.
Internchina – GuanxiL’un de des aspects culturels particulier du monde des affaires en Chine est ce qui est appelé en Mandarin les Guanxi (关系). Appliqué au business, ça peut être traduit comme les relations, le réseau créé tout au long d’une carrière. Cependant, l’utilisation de ce réseau est bien plus développée et poussée en Chine que dans les pays de l’Ouest. En effet, la culture des Guanxi en Chine est ancrée dans les mœurs, et bien qu’elle soit de plus en plus contestée par l’Ouest, il serait difficile pour la population chinoise de s’en défaire.
L’origine des Guanxi remonte à l’organisation traditionnelle de la société chinoise en différents groupes sociaux distincts. Le groupe social d’appartenance faisant partie intégrante de l’identité d’un individu, la construction et le maintien des relations à l’intérieur de ce groupe sont fondamentaux tout au long d’une vie. Les Guanxi sont aussi un outil qui permet aux chinois de ne pas « perdre la face », ce qui est très important dans leur culture. Plutôt que de rendre un problème public, les Guanxi permettent de régler des différents discrètement et de trouver un compromis.
Internchina – Networking
Les Guanxi reposent sur un grand principe : la réciprocité. D’abord dans le sens où les Guanxi sont une relation privilégiée entre deux personnes, qui ne s’étend pas à leurs familles ou leurs entreprises. Ce sont des relations très personnelles. Ensuite dans le sens où il s’agit d’une relation de confiance mutuelle. Quand on parle de Guanxi, il ne s’agit pas seulement de partenaires d’affaires, il s’agit d’une vraie relation de confiance entre deux individus qui ont fait des efforts pour construire et maintenir une relation qui leur est bénéfique à tous les deux. Le dernier aspect de ce principe de réciprocité est le caractère « éternel » de cette relation. Les services rendus par l’intermédiaire des Guanxi ne sont pas de nature à pouvoir être retourné à un instant précis, mais la confiance est telle que les deux parties savent qu’ils le seront, à un moment ou à un autre.
Les Guanxi sont réellement un des aspects traditionnels de la culture chinoise. Tout le monde, même sans s’en rendre compte, utilise ses Guanxi que ce soit à des fins personnelles ou professionnelles. En analysant ce principe aves des critères européens, il peut être souvent comparé à de la corruption. Depuis son arrivée au pouvoir, le président Xi Jinping a commencé une lutte féroce contre la corruption dans tout le pays, notamment en surveillant de près les relations entre grands chefs d’entreprises et grands dirigeants politiques. Cependant, dans un contexte où la culture même du pays a intégré depuis très longtemps cette notion de Guanxi, il est très difficile de définir le point où les Guanxi se transforment en corruption.
Aujourd’hui, avec l’utilisation massive d’internet mais aussi avec l’application de l’économie de marché, avec laquelle les Guanxi ne sont pas en adéquation, cette tradition tend à être moins utilisée qu’auparavant en Chine. Cependant, dans un contexte économique de plus en plus difficile, les businessmans de l’Ouest s’intéressent à cette pratique, dans la mesure où elle facilite bon nombre d’opérations dans le monde des affaires.
Internchina – Business DinnerVous aurez probablement l’occasion d’expérimenter cette notion de Guanxi en participant aux repas d’affaires de votre entreprise d’accueil pendant votre stage en Chine, et nous vous encourageons à en profiter pour vous créer votre réseau personnel! Un repas d’affaire traditionnel en Chine est loin d’être ce à quoi on s’attend. En général, il implique beaucoup d’alcool, de toasts et de “Ganbei” (cul-sec)… Et se rendre au travail le lendemain est souvent assez difficile. Une chose à savoir quand vous trinquez avec une personne hiérarchiquement plus importante que vous, c’est un signe de respect que de placer votre verre plus bas que le sien.
Initiez vous à la culture des Guanxi et faites vous des contact dans le monde entier! Cliquer ici pour commencer l’incroyable aventure InternChina.
InternChina in association with HWAO Consulting would like to invite our partners to an exclusive business talk with Henrik Larsen. This will be a fantastic opportunity for your HR to sample a training delivery by HWAO Consulting and Henrik.
Date: 30th June 2016 (6月30日)
Time: 2pm (下午2点)
Address: An Guang Century Mansion, Floor 5, 2099 Feng Huang North Road, Xiangzhou, Zhuhai (珠海市香洲区凤凰北路2099号安广世纪大厦五楼)
Registration: RSVP to paul.bailey@internchina.com by Tuesday 28th June 2016 – please include name and job title of attendees in the e-mail. Spaces are limited.
(周二6月28日之前，请回复到paul.bailey@internchina.com。 名额有限。)
NB: The talk will be delivered in English.
Mr Henrik Larsen will deliver an insightful presentation on comparisons between Chinese and Western culture reflecting on the cultural differences encountered in the business world. Participants will be invited to join the discussion and share their own opinions and observations that they may have encountered during their own careers.
Mr Henrik Larsen, the principal coach and consultant at HWAO Consulting, has a background in banking, IT, manufacturing, R&D and high-tech electronics. Besides his initial financial education, Henrik also has an engineering degree and IEP from INSEAD as well as being a graduate of the Hong Kong ProgressU, Professional Corporate Coach Certification Program (PCCCP). With experience across three continents, including 18 years of management experience in China, he has a comprehensive understanding of working in cross culture environments. Mr Larsen’s entrepreneurship has led him to co-founding Danish Chamber of Commerce South China and the FISC General Manager forum in Zhuhai City.
HWAO Consul
ting, founded in 2012, is a boutique management consulting provider working with individuals and corporations who desire to better understand and improve their position in China, through business consultancy, board work, workshops and training, and executive, team and expat coaching. HWAO Consulting values harmony, customer orientation, ethics, result orientation and continuous improvement, all of which are reflected in the company’s branding. The Chinese character和 (hé) used in both peace and harmony, combined with a bullseye represents HWAO Consulting’s philosophy; ‘Harmony With An Objective’.
The scope of work that HWAO Consulting undertakes is quite wide, benefiting the client and allowing them to support all the Steps of Change (discovery, assessment, implementation, re-assessment, education, influencing, persuading, facilitating, coaching, and finally auditing or assessing the result). The three main lines of services are Consultancy, Training Workshops and Coaching.
For more information please click here or scan QR code:
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