Mandarin Consultant: Job Opportunities for Chinese-Speaking Students

MANDARIN CONSULTANT
David Peckham
Engineer – 7 years
Management Consultant - PwC 13 years,
- PA Consulting Group 6 years
Now - Director of Mandarin Consultant
University of Sussex
6 February 2013
© Copyright Mandarin Consultant

PRESENTATION IN TWO PARTS

Part 1: Getting a Job in an International
Company

Part 2: The Recruitment Process and
Steps Chinese Candidates Find
Difficult

PART 1
Getting a Job in an International Company


Why are you here? . . .

•  Determined to work for an International company?
•  Considering all options including International companies?
•  Confused about career options and choices?

•  Just here to get out of the cold!


Graduate Schemes in International Companies
What are they? . . . .

•  A job! – usually paying between £20,000 and
£35,000 per year
•  A unique opportunity to be trained while
working – probably the most important training
in your life
•  Usually results in a professional qualification
often recognised internationally
. . . . . but competitive

Internships in International Companies
What are they? . . . .
•  Working in a company usually for 2 to 8 weeks in the
summer vacation (but other variations exist!)
•  Sometimes paid, sometimes only expenses
•  Opportunity to try out a sector/company
•  Opportunity to develop “competencies” and
strengthen CV
•  Often results in a graduate scheme job!
. . . . . but also competitive

The Current Economic Situation
Plenty of bad news . . . .

UK D
oubl
Rece e Dip
ssion
!

100
an RBS fires ,
Goldm fire jobs 000 les
to 5,000 people in C s
Sachs Lon ity o
200 don f

Maybe I should go back to China??? . . . .

Interesting Statistics . . .

2010 – 2011 2011 – 2012
Graduate Graduate
recruitment up recruitment up
5.8% about 6.0%

Estimated Estimated
2010 – 2011 2011 – 2012
Chinese UK Chinese UK
Graduate Graduate
recruitment up recruitment up
about 12.0% at least 12.0%

Plenty to go for if you want to go for Graduate Schemes. . . .

Why is this . . .
Economic
Performance

Approximate 5 year Economic Cycle

5 Years Later -
Stop Graduate Staff Promotion
Gap in Management
Recruitment


Why Go for International Companies
Graduate Schemes? . . .

•  It’s a job!
•  A unique opportunity to be trained
•  Exposure to global ideas and methods
•  Working alongside international experts


What do You Need to Get onto a Graduate
Scheme?. . .
More qualifications
and certificates?
ü A Good Bachelors Degree
ü Well developed “competencies”
A Masters Degree?
ü Motivation
ü Internships (these help!)
Work experience? ü Competency developing work
experience

Successful Role Models/成功榜样：
Silas S. S. Yang
Senior Partner, PWC, China

Stephen Yiu
Chairman, KPMG China

Chris Lu 
Chief Executive Officer, Deloitte China

Albert Ng
Sub-Area Managing Partner, Ernst & Young’s China

** All started and have had excellent professional careers in international
accountancy firms.

Part 1
THE END


PART 2
The Recruitment Process
Steps Chinese Candidates Find Difficult


Typical Job Application Process

Online tests
CV
Assessment
Covering Application Interview JOB!!
Centre
Letter

This is a SELLING process

What do we mean by “Selling”?
Matching:

Your Skills And Attributes

to

The Requirements Of The Job

You need to understand both these parts

Sell on Benefits not Specification

This car is the safest in Europe Benefit
Automobile Association

This car has 0.5mm steel box sections front
and rear with shear stiffeners at 150mm
Specification centres allowing high energy crumple zone
absorption together with side bars . . .

What attributes are companies looking for. . . ?


Attributes Companies Look For
Chinese International
•  Hard working •  Motivated
•  Loyal •  Team worker
•  Take orders •  Leader
•  Know their place •  Good communicator
•  Obedient •  Questioning
•  Contacts (Guanxi) •  Having fun at work!
. . . . . And others . . . . . And others

There are clear differences in requirements. . .

The Competency Based Application Process


For the Type of Jobs You Will Be Applying For . .
Organisations are looking for key competencies including:
•  Motivation and drive
•  Leadership and teamwork
•  Communication and persuasion skills
•  Innovation
•  Problem solving abilities
•  Awareness of the business world and implications
•  Genuine motivation behind the application
•  The “Ah HA!!” factor – original thinking

How do Organisations Test for Competencies? . . .

By Asking “Competency” Questions . . . .
Typical competency-based questions start . . .

Describe a time Give an
when you . . . example of . . . .

Describe how
you . .

These questions aim to probe your
Tell me about a abilities and skills in a practical setting
situation . .


Examples of Competency Questions . . . .
•  Give me an example of a problem you have faced in the
past. How did you solve the problem?

•  Tell me about a time when you taught someone else
something

•  Describe a situation where you inspired others to meet a
common goal

•  Tell me about a time when you worked successfully as
part of a team

Answering a Competency Question

•  Think of the purpose of the question
•  Formulate your answer to address this purpose
•  Use the STAR method to structure your answer

Purpose might include . . .
•  Enjoys trying different things
Tell me about a time when •  Adventurous
you were unsuccessful
•  Innovative
•  Overcomes difficulties

Another Inevitable Question:
(This is a motivational type question)

Why do you want
to join our
organisation? The Matching Is Between
Your Requirements
And
What The Organisation Offers

You need to be clear what your requirements are . . .

Some Examples of Requirements

•  High value, intensive training

•  Working with world recognised experts

•  Rapid assignment of responsibility

. . . . . And there are others

This is a better way of answering this question!

Non-Competency Questions . . . .
These need to be thought through

•  Tell me about yourself

•  What is your main weakness (area for improvement)?

•  Why did you choose the university you went to?

•  Why did you choose the course you took?

•  What do you see yourself doing in five years time?


Other, Non-Competency Questions . . . .
These have been asked in interviews recently

•  How many cows are there in the UK?

•  How many people are on the London Underground at
any moment?

•  How many pingpong balls can be fitted into a 747
aircraft?

These test your thinking process

The Assessment Centre


Purpose of the Assessment Centre
To Test Your Ability to Work Effectively in a
Simulated Working Environment Typically . . . .
•  Working in teams

•  Processing/analysing information

•  Decision making

•  Presenting ideas and cogent arguments

. . . . all under pressure

Typical Structure of the Assessment Centre

•  e-tray exercise

•  Online tests

•  Group discussion/analysis

•  Presentation

•  Partner/director interview

Lasting about five hours

Issues for Chinese Candidates in the
Assessment Centre
Reading business English under pressure Positive contribution to Group Discussion

•  Daily reading exercise •  Cultural issues – deference
and politeness
•  Practice with English friends/
classmates •  Look at requirements on PwC
video of group discussion
(now on YouTube)
Partner/candidate interface
. . and the real issue
•  Cultural issues – deference
and politeness Doubt!
•  Choice is a two way street!


ACADEMIC
LEVEL

JOB SEEKING
SKILLS

JOB
LEVEL

ACADEMIC
LEVEL

JOB SEEKING
SKILLS
The Job Seeking Skills Equation . . .

JOB
LEVEL

Mandarin Consulting helps Graduates and
Students get jobs in International Companies . . .
Through a structured programme designed specifically
for you that helps you through each part of the
application process . . .

. . . . Supported by our international coaches who have
great experience of major companies and a track record
of successfully helping candidates get these jobs


How can Mandarin Consultant Help You?
•  Help you understand your strengths and weaknesses

•  Help you to choose the right sector, right companies and right
positions

•  Prepare you and teach you job application skills
until you get an OFFER!

YOU provide your strong drive, determination and
willingness to learn and improve.

A Three Stage, Structured Programme . . .

STAGE 1
PREPARATION

STAGE 2
APPLICATION

STAGE 3
INTERVIEW AND
ASSESSMENT CENTRE

Stage 1 - Preparation. . .

Career Intensive Covering
CV Research
What advice workshop letter
revision advice
We Do and plan coaching* revision

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5

Initial Attend One Research
What CV and Covering
documents/ Day
Letter preparation
sectors and Ongoing
You Do Career plan Workshop companies

*Not one on one

Stage 2 Application. . .
Group Practice Sessions
What
We Do 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
application application application application
revision revision revision revision

Week 11
onwards

1st 2nd 3rd 4th
application application application application
1st submission submission submission submission Total 30
What Applications
application
You Do 2nd 3rd 4th 3/week Submitted
preparation
Application Application Application Application
preparation preparation preparation preparation


Stage 3 - Interview and Assesment Centre. . .
Group Practice Sessions

What 3rd
1st 2nd Interview
We Do Interview Interview Coaching Ongoing to job
Coaching Coaching offer
1st
AC Coaching


1st 2nd 3rd
Interview Interview Int Prep
preparation preparation
What 3rd Ongoing to job
You Do Interview offer
1st 2nd
1st
Interview Interview
Ass Centre


Questions?

223a High Street Kensington, London W8 6SG 北京海淀区中关村善缘街1号立方庭2-609室
Tel: +44 20 73761037 电话：+86 10 8244 7189
Email: info@mandarinconsultant.com 邮件: mandarinconsultant@yeah.net
Website: www.mandarinconsultant.com 网站：www.mcilcn.com


Mandarin Consultant: Job Opportunities for Chinese-Speaking Students

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