China - Any Resources for a Summer Internship in Shanghai

Hello,

Hope you all are well. Just wanted to ask for a piece of advice, I'm going into my last year of Uni and am looking into finding an internship in Shanghai this summer. I was wondering if any of you folks had any resources in this area?

I spent 8 months studying abroad in Shanghai from 2010-2011 and fell in love with the city. Would love to get an opportunity to go back and work, even if the internship is unpaid the experience is more valuable to me.

Feel free to PM me as well.

Thanks!

You are starting abet late for a 'summer' internship in SH. You might consider one in the fall, most are unpaid, even the graduate level internships.

Try the AmCham-shanghai.org web site. & look in the jobs area.

If you send me an email (not PM), I will get back to you with some ideas.


Hello,

Hope you all are well. Just wanted to ask for a piece of advice, I'm going into my last year of Uni and am looking into finding an internship in Shanghai this summer. I was wondering if any of you folks had any resources in this area?

I spent 8 months studying abroad in Shanghai from 2010-2011 and fell in love with the city. Would love to get an opportunity to go back and work, even if the internship is unpaid the experience is more valuable to me.

Feel free to PM me as well.

Thanks!

You are starting abet late for a 'summer' internship in SH. You might consider one in the fall, most are unpaid, even the graduate level internships.

Try the AmCham-shanghai.org web site. & look in the jobs area.

+1, agree good start.

+1, agree good start.

When I was 20 years old (17 years ago), I used AmCham to find a decent (paid) internship in Shanghai, but I'm not convinced this was the best strategy then, and it certainly isn't now (IMO). Let's say you want to work for a hedge fund. In the rare cases that HFs post job listings, they get swarmed with so many applicants that the chances of scoring a position are very, very low. It's a totally different story if you have HF contacts in your network, or happen to strike up a conversation with an HF manager at Malone's or Big Bamboo. What I'm suggesting is that the Shanghai job market is more pull oriented than push oriented; it's all about connections. If any of us actually knew the OP and had the means to recommend him, I'm sure we would. In the absence of that, I'd be happy to make simple introductions. Linkedin is also an excellent resource (join groups, especially university alumni associations).

Check with the international office and career center at your school; they may know of opportunities.

When I was in uni I interned in HK and that led to work the next year. I needed to make a lot of phone calls, and probably couldn't have done it if I wasn't close to some Taiwanese who helped me out a lot.

Are you a Mandarin speaker? That might help....

My girlfriend applied for a lot of internships last year and they ALL accepted her. These were all Chinese financial companies and not a foreigner thing. I just know that if you have qualifications they will take you in 1 minute, but the pay is non-existent :)

What I'm suggesting is that the Shanghai job market is more pull oriented than push oriented; it's all about connections. QUOTE]

[QUOTE=benzemalyonnais;18337311]When I was in uni I interned in HK and that led to work the next year. I needed to make a lot of phone calls, and probably couldn't have done it if I wasn't close to some Taiwanese who helped me out a lot.


Yes. And for other job markets in China, not just Shanghai. And for other job markets everywhere. Connections and networking.

As with many things in life, not just in China, connections are important. A friend of mine here is an alum (and ex-Fulbright scholar) of a well-known liberal arts college, and a current student contacted her about internships in BJ, and she in turn put the student in touch with me.

However, guts can also pay off. One of my summer student interns a couple of years ago in Boston just emailed and asked if they could come, and I said yes...I was impressed by her pro-active style and nature (and it helped that she went to my alma mater!).

If the OP has even vague connections to SH, then they should pursue those. It's amazing how easily a 'friend of a friend' can turn into an opportunity, especially at this level.

Unlike US, where internships are well paid, epecially in IT, not the case in China at all, so it can cost money to partake of the opportunity.

tb

When I was 20 years old (17 years ago), I used AmCham to find a decent (paid) internship in Shanghai, but I'm not convinced this was the best strategy then, and it certainly isn't now (IMO). Let's say you want to work for a hedge fund. In the rare cases that HFs post job listings, they get swarmed with so many applicants that the chances of scoring a position are very, very low. It's a totally different story if you have HF contacts in your network, or happen to strike up a conversation with an HF manager at Malone's or Big Bamboo. What I'm suggesting is that the Shanghai job market is more pull oriented than push oriented; it's all about connections. If any of us actually knew the OP and had the means to recommend him, I'm sure we would. In the absence of that, I'd be happy to make simple introductions. Linkedin is also an excellent resource (join groups, especially university alumni associations).

When working in Shanghai, I never joined AmCham as it was ridiculously expensive. But utilized people in it to network - eg met the ex president of Shanghai Am-cham etc.

When working in Shanghai, I never joined AmCham as it was ridiculously expensive. But utilized people in it to network - eg met the ex president of Shanghai Am-cham etc.

Unless you go to tons of events, joining AmCham is a poor value proposition. Sure you get their "book", but almost every single contact is searchable via linkedin, if not google. (I mean no disrespect to any AmCham folks that happen to chance upon this thread, but I speak from experience.)

When working in Shanghai, I never joined AmCham as it was ridiculously expensive. But utilized people in it to network - eg met the ex president of Shanghai Am-cham etc.

There are "5" AmCham's in China. the SH one might be abet pricey for just business networking.
The BJ one is more for government networking & advocacy in the policy area.

No comment on the HK one, or the south china AmCham.

There are "5" AmCham's in China. the SH one might be abet pricey for just business networking.
The BJ one is more for government networking & advocacy in the policy area.

No comment on the HK one, or the south china AmCham.

They are not a bit more pricey, but a lot more (than a rational actor would normally accept). For a typical event, the price for the general public is ~150, and is ~100 for members. Given the fact that the membership fee is ~2500, one would have to attend ~10 events in order to see a positive return.

While it's possible that my math is a bit off, and I realize that AmCham uses its membership dues for the greater good, I just want to point out that joining its ranks is not often in the financial best interests of young job seekers.

There are "5" AmCham's in China. the SH one might be abet pricey for just business networking.
The BJ one is more for government networking & advocacy in the policy area.

No comment on the HK one, or the south china AmCham.

Thanks for the clarification, and yes you are correct that I was referring to the SH one.