ć€§ćź¶ć„œ! My name is Nhung, Iâm 21 years old and I have just started my internship at the InternChina office in Qingdao. I am from Germany, and am currently studying Modern East Asian Studies at University. I am here in China to do a language program as part of an exchange program for a year.
InternChina – Coast of Qingdao
Before coming to Qingdao I did a little research on different cities in China and most websites said that Qingdao is one of the cleanest and most liveable cities. They also mentioned that Qingdao has some of the most satisfied and pleased citizens in China, as well as an agreeable climate and beautiful beaches. So far, I can confirm this. The pollution isnât too bad, summers arenât too hot and winters not too cold. However, what has impressed me the most is the Chinese people with their kindness.
InternChina – Skyline of Qingdao by night
On my arrival day, back in September, my flight from Beijing to Qingdao was delayed and by the time I arrived it was too late for me to check into my universities accommodation. As I was standing on the streets a little bit lost, I asked the first person I saw to help me find a hotel for the night. Luckily for me, she was fluent in English, something I later found out to be a rare thing. She not only helped me find a hotel, but also walked me there and checked in for me. She was an example of how kind the Chinese are and gave me a first great impression of China.
InternChina – Beach Day
While at University learning Chinese, I made a lot of new friends. One of them told me that he did a program called Generation UK in Chengdu last year. He said that it was through a company named InternChina and was funded by the British Council. These are two companies which constantly work together. Now he has received a scholarship through them to learn Chinese for half a year in China!
After being introduced to them I took the opportunity and applied to do an internship with them as well.
InternChina – Let’s Tsing Town Together!
Iâve been in Qingdao for six months now and I still wake up with this feeling of being on an adventure. There is always something new to discover or learn every single day.
If you are also interested in an internship in China, get more information about your possibilities here!
My name is Kristina and I am an International Business & Management student from Germany. I did my internship at Captivate Training & Consulting for 3, 5 months.
I gained a lot of experience during my time in China especially about the Chinese culture and business environment.
My daily tasks at Captivate included creating Newsletters, writing blog articles, different research projects, working with a Customer Relationship system, phone calls with clients and e-mail writing. Moreover, I was responsible for the company website which was really interesting. My boss James took me to lots of meetings and his training classes for companies like IKEA. Through his soft skills training I was able to develop new skills and strengthened those I already possessed. I was part of two events which he organized at the Shangri-La Hotel which was an overwhelming experience to the fact that I had the chance to network with more than 50 HR Managers and Businesspeople.
Every last Wednesday of a month, I joint the Qingdao International Business Association (QIBA) which is also a networking event with valuable presentations about important business topics. The most important knowledge I gained was how to do business in China. I received an understanding of the business culture and Chinese lifestyle. This broadened my horizon and build the base for my future. It was an experience I will never forget.
Thank you Internchina for this opportunity and that I was part of the IC network.
China: Das Land der Mitte, inzwischen an der Spitze der Weltwirtschaft und Weltpolitik und zugleich einer der wichtigsten Export- und Importpartner fĂŒr Deutschland.
Doch wie funktioniert das GeschÀftsleben eigentlich in China?
Hier sind einige Tipps fĂŒr erfolgreiche GeschĂ€fte in China:
- Kontakte (Guanxi) sind alles in China. Versuchen Sie möglichst frĂŒh gute Kontakte in China zu knĂŒpfen und diese auch aufrecht zu erhalten.
- Zwischen privat und geschĂ€ftlich wird oft nicht getrennt, daher wird sehr viel Wert auf ein gemeinschaftliches Essen im Anschluss an ein Meeting gelegt, welches ausschlaggebend fĂŒr den Erfolg einer Verhandlung sein kann. GesprĂ€chsthemen beinhalten unter anderem Familie, Gehalt und Hobbies. Die Regierung, bzw. chinesische Politik im Allgemeinen, sollte eher nicht thematisiert werden.
- Visitenkarten. Achten Sie darauf ausreichend Visitenkarten mit einer guten Aufmachung auf ihre China-Reise mitzunehmen. Neben ihrem deutschen Namen kann auch eine chinesische Ăbersetzung hilfreich sein. Wenn Sie Visitenkarten erhalten, nehmen Sie diese mit beiden HĂ€nden in Empfang und betrachten Sie die Karte aufmerksam. Visitenkarten sollten nicht bekritzelt oder einfach in die Hosentasche gesteckt werden.
- Gehen Sie vorsichtig mit Kritik um. In China ist es sehr wichtig sein Gesicht zu wahren. Eine zu geradlinige Kritik kann zu einem Gesichtsverlust ihres GegenĂŒbers und damit zum Scheitern von Verhandlungen fĂŒhren.
- Bleiben Sie aufmerksam und versuchen Sie zwischen den Zeilen zu lesen. Oft werden wichtige Dinge nicht am Anfang genannt; es wird sich eher langsam dem Kern der Sache genÀhert.
- Geschenke! Ein kleines Mitbringsel fĂŒr Ihren GeschĂ€ftspartner wird sicherlich einen guten Eindruck machen. Dabei sollten allerdings Uhren und weiĂe Blumen aufgrund ihrer Symbolik vermieden werden. Rot ist hier die Farbe der Wahl.
- Ein “Ja” ist nicht immer ein “Ja”, vielmehr ist es zunĂ€chst einmal die BestĂ€tigung, dass man gehört wurde. Ob es sich um eine Zustimmung handelt sollte vorsichtig eruiert werden.
- Seien Sie sparsam mit ihren Emotionen. Laut zu werden oder mit der Hand auf den Tisch zu hauen wird eher als Zeichen von schlechtem Benehmen gesehen.
If you are a student and looking for a full time job, internships can seem like exactly what are you arenât looking for: temporary and unsalaried. But these are the exact factors that students and recent graduate can use to their advantage to build their career.
Try on an industry
It is easier and lower risk for a company to accept an intern than a full time employee. Likewise, an intern can start within a particular company and learn whether or not it is what they would like to pursue, without having to worry about abandoning an employment contract. Regardless of what someone studied, if an internship candidate shows enthusiasm for a company then they are immediately more likely to be taken on board. For those thinking about pursuing an internship, first look for companies and industries that strike you as interesting. Internships will give experience that widens ones background beyond what their university major. If you have a no experience in an industry and did not study the relevant course in school, an internship is the foot in the door you need to start building that background. Start with enthusiasm and a time commitment. A 6 month internship could be the beginning of a whole new career.
Use Initiative to Cultivate Project Management Skills
The biggest asset an intern as is their own initiative. Instead of simply looking at an internship as doing tasks assigned by a permanent member of staff, approach it as an opportunity to launch your own project under the companyâs umbrella. Find an area of the company that interests you, this could be within their operations, clients, marketing etc. and as you investigate, start gathering ideas. Notice something that could be made more efficient? Have an idea for a marketing initiative that could improve business? Own it! Donât just mention it under your breath to your manager. Develop a proposal of the project including: what it is, what the goals are, how it connects to the business and what tools you may need to get started. Then ask your manager for five minutes of their time and pitch them the project. Worried that you will get shut down? More likely, your manager will be thrilled at your initiative and ask for an update after you get the ball rolling. Congratulations, you have just launched your first project where you can start measuring your real individual contribution to a company.
Network.
One of the best things about an internship is that you are right in the middle of industry and surrounded by people who know more about it. Take every opportunity to talk to everyone you meet. Share about yourself, your background and most importantly ask questions. People are happy to share their experiences and expertise, particularly with interested young people. Capitalize on this to learn more about the industry and the types of jobs in it. Join relevant groups for your internship industry on LinkedIn as well as Chamber of Commerces. If an event pops up that looks relevant for you or your internship company, let your manager know. Even if they cannot attend, offer do to so. Bring along your bossâs business cards and get to know players in the industry. By networking on behalf of the company as well as sharing what you are contributing to the company, you showcase your initiative that you are a team player and your availability for other projects after your internships ends.
Learn How Work Works.
Life in university is quite different from the private sector. As many students discover after they graduate, daily life of working in something like marketing, is quite different from the daily life of studying marketing. Use your internship as the opportunity to learn the realities of how companies work. This includes the daily flows of work in an industry, the different pressures (that may or may not be related to the job itself) and getting a feel for life inside and outside an office. If you are applying for a white collar position after you graduate, that is a position that requires revolved around an office, one of the strongest things you can have in your experience is previous office experience. It may sound mundane but being previously âoffice brokenâ lets an employer know that they wonât need to teach you the etiquette of email or how to use the company copier.
Itâs Up to You
Ultimately, how much you do in your internship boils down do your own desire to use the opportunity to its full potential. Donât wait for someone else to guide you through your career. From the moment you apply for a position, begin to take ownership of the impact you wish to have and make the internship your own.
Article written by Morgan Dolan | Zhuhai Office Manager
Hello everyone,
This is Philippe, an Intern at InternChina, and last weekend I went travelling to the DanXia Mountains in the North of Guangdong Province.
We took a 1hour bullet train from Zhuhai to Guangzhou were we took another bullet train from there to Shaoguan. The ride was very smooth and the trains are very modern, comfortable and convenient. The Station in Guangzhou is very impressive! From a geeky/architecture perspective, I highly enjoy going to the new train stations being built everywhere, as they all have different design which can be described as âgrand, shiny and humongousâ
We stayed one night in Shaoguan , which has a nice river flowing in the center of it with a lot of ambiance lights. Saturday morning we took a bus and travelled for 1h30 to the DanXia Mountains Geological Park, which is famous for its mountain/rock formations and natural beauty. There is even a rock which is 28m long and 7m large, and looks exactly like a male sexual organ, and another one which looks likes the sexual organ of a woman. Yes a penis and a vagina. The Chinese were all having a great time taking poses for pictures with those rocks in the background, and it was quite funny.
We had a great two days of hiking and walking around looking at the different formations which are all very impressive and quite cool. We found some small trails and wondered off the beaten path, but mostly the âhikingâ routes are all well managed and shown, they can be quite steep but arenât that tough.
We wanted to go up in the morning to see the sunrise, however missed it đ due to being asleep. Â đ That night we stayed in a hotel which was next to the mountains. There were many rooms being offered by the locals, but we decided to stay at a hotel and we actually ended up saving money! As the hotel was placed within the park, when morning came we just walked to the mountain trails without having to pay for a second ticket!
This was a great trip with really nice scenery and also some which is quite funny, only regret is not seeing the sunrise, but I guess that means I will have to go back!!
Philippe
Intern InternChina