Recruiting in China

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.

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.

CHINA Mobile will buy a majority stake in a Pakistani carrier for US$284 million in an arrangement that's expected to be sealed next month, the companies said yesterday.

The venture will be the world's biggest mobile phone carrier's first international deal and is seen as a symbolic start for its global expansion strategy, industry insiders said.

Beijing-based China Mobile will pay cash for an 88.86 percent stake in Paktel Ltd, a unit of Luxembourg-based Millicom International Cellular SA, which operates networks in developing countries.

Paktel, ranking fifth in Pakistan with 1.5 million users, is valued at US$460 million, according to a statement from Millicom.

China Mobile confirmed the deal yesterday but declined further comment.

The arrangement still needs regulatory approval.

"Chinese telecommunications carriers are making strategic moves to focus on international markets as the domestic market is now growing slowly after several years of rapid expansion," said Yi Mingyu, an analyst at Beijing-based CCID consulting, a research firm under the Ministry of Information Industry.

Among all Chinese carriers, China Mobile's growth is still considerable, Yi said.

Hong Kong-listed China Mobile earned 96.8 billion yuan (US$12.1 billion) last year, up 23 percent from 2005. The company's total user base hit 318 million, a 20 percent increase from the previous year, the company said in a statement last week.

China Mobile's development strategy is to invest overseas, especially to explore emerging markets, company Chairman Wang Jianzhou said in September.

China Mobile wants to export to emerging countries the marketing tactics and technology it developed in the rural areas of China, the world's largest market by users.

The company also can't afford the high cost of expansion in Western countries, where mobile penetration rate is already around 100 percent, Yi said.

China Mobile failed last July to acquire Millicom, which operates networks in 16 emerging markets including Latin America and Africa.

"The sale of Paktel allows Millicom to focus on the 16 markets where we have already established strong market positions," Marc Beuls, Millicom president and chief executive, said in a statement.

Career Expert Offers Tips for jump-starting a lengthy job search.

When people think of burnout, they tend to think of overworked employees, but those putting in long hours on the job hunt also may be affected.

Weary candidates often suffer the same problems as overwhelmed workers, including reduced productivity and morale, says Career Expert Tracey Turner.

"It continues to be a very challenging time for job seekers, some of whom have spent many months looking for new opportunities," says Turner. "Switching gears and exploring different career avenues can help the unemployed re-energise and identify new leads."

"Jobseekers don't have to dramatically alter their strategies to be effective. For example, volunteering one or two days a week with a nonprofit isn't a big change, but it could have a major impact if the candidate acquires a new skill or meets someone along the way who can help him or her professionally."

Turner offers the following ideas for jump-starting a job search:

Make the call

You may have sent out a flurry of resumes, but have you followed up on the phone? Find out who the hiring managers are, and call them to express your interest and discuss your qualifications.

Divide your time

A lot of job seekers focus primarily on searching job listings and sending out resumes. But networking is equally important. Spend at least half of your day reaching out to others and making new contacts.

Put your work on the Web

A professional website providing work samples, a printer-friendly resume and your contact information can be an impressive job-hunting tool for any professional. A simple site is fairly easy to create, but if you're not web-savvy, consider hiring a local web design student to develop your site for you.

Create a business card

Develop an attractive card to hand out that briefly describes your expertise and gives your contact information, including the URL to your professional website if applicable.

Launch a publicity campaign

Submit articles in your area of expertise to local business and trade publications, or give talks to nonprofit groups or industry organisations. These activities can enhance your professional visibility and expand your network.

Follow the laws of supply and demand

If your skills and experience are in low demand, identify the positions that are in high demand and try to acquire the necessary qualifications.

Consider temporary work

Working with a specialised staffing firm can help you make new contacts and acquire additional job experience while earning a paycheck.

HONG Kong's jobless rate held at the lowest point in almost six years, fueling wage growth and consumer spending among the city's seven million inhabitants.

Seasonally adjusted unemployment for the three months ending on December 31 was unchanged at 4.4 percent, the government said yesterday on its Website. That's the lowest since January 2001 and matched the median estimate of 15 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. The average jobless rate for last year fell to 4.8 percent from 5.6 percent in 2005.

Banks, transport companies and retailers are benefiting from proximity to the Chinese mainland and hiring workers to expand. A labor shortage has forced employers to raise salaries, helping to spur retail sales and increasing inflation.

"It's a very good number," said Vincent Kwan, chief economist at Hang Seng Bank Ltd in Hong Kong, predicting further declines. "With the jobless rate falling, salaries will rise and that should strengthen consumer spending."

Employment jumped by 9,100 to a record 3.52 million, while the number of people unemployed fell by 4,500 to a five and a half year low of 157,100, the government said.

The Brunswick Purchasing Managers' Index, a measure of economic activity, rose to 57.4 in December, the highest in more than six years, as companies received more orders and production increased.

Hong Kong's "buoyant" financial markets and economy helped to produce "very strong job growth," and unemployment is likely to fall to four percent by the end of the 2007, Kwan said.

10 New Year Resolutions to Help with your Career

It's that time of year again when you have to re-evaluate your career.

It's that time of year again when you have to re-evaluate your career, determine what your next step will be and where you want to go next. So whether your resolution for the upcoming year is to land yourself that killer raise or boldly become the company's next CEO, here are 10 resolutions vital to furthering your career.

1. Put the extra effort into your work

It's so easy to fall into the "doing your time" rut of a nine-to-five job. Why not spend those extra hours working late on those projects your boss needs done by the end of the week? This doesn't mean cramming more work onto your already full plate, but rather taking initiative and doing something extra. The added benefit is that it will make you feel good and proactive, and your boss is likely to notice your hard work.

2. Improve yourself

The New Year is the perfect opportunity to step back and look at what areas you want to brush up on. Don't allow yourself to fall into a 'couch potato' mind-set. Learn a new skill this year that you can add to your CV. Or learn a new language, especially if you wish to take on a new position with an international feel, requiring travelling and socialising with other cultures.

3. Keep on top of what's going on in your industry

Get a "big picture" view of your industry by subscribing to one or more trade publications. Or resolve to read professional publications or attend conferences or workshops in your field.

4. Network, network, network

This year, learn how to network. Maintain contacts from your past while continually seeking out new, beneficial relationships.

5. People skills

Don't forget your people skills. If you don't know how to interview, work with a team or handle your boss, chances are you won't go far.

6. Update your CV

Doing an annual or biannual touch up of your CV is a great idea. If it's been a while since you rewrote your CV, you may want to seek professional CV advice.

7. Go for an interview

Although you should be extremely discreet about it, keeping your options open is the best career move you could make - even if it's just to hone your interview skills and practice your responses.

8. Join a professional association

Join a professional association in your field. It is an excellent addition to your CV!

9. Dream Job

Learn about competitive salary ranges for your dream job. This is especially important if you are about to enter into a job negotiation or are working with recruiters.

10. Work-life balance

Have fun. Looking for a job and boosting your career is hard work. Don't forget to take time out and enjoy yourself along the way. Make time for friends and family, exercise, hobbies and life. Remember, all work and no play...

And finally, right after getting that annual bonus, insulting your boss at the office party and photocopying your behind, remember to stick to your resolutions this New Year.