Career Advice Detail China

Information Technology

Information Technology jobs in China

Sector overview

Information Technology is a growing industry in China. It has created large social value and simultaneously driven development of other industries. Key positions within the IT industry include software engineering, network planning, IT consultantancy, games design, and internet security.

However, technologies are changing all the time, so those wanting a successful career should be committed to continuously learning and updating their technical skillset.　　

Top employers

• HUAWEI 华为
• ZTE中兴通讯
• Hisense海信
• UTSTARUT斯达康
• Haier海尔
• Lenovo联想
• China Mobile中国移动
• China Telecom中国电信
• Digitalchina神州数码中国
• Neusoft东软
• Founder北京北大方正
• Foxconn富士康

Sources of vacancies

• IT Yingcai IT英才网
• IT recruitment IT招聘网
• IT talent 中国IT人才网 - A key website directly affiliated to the MIIT (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China)
• Ali IT Recruitment 最大IT人才招聘
• IT jobs中国IT招聘网
• IT REN IT人

Forums

• CSDN (中国IT第一门户)
  The most popular and specialized IT website in China. Focuses on IT issues and IT careers.
• 52RD (我爱研发网)
  52RD is a research and development-oriented site, but also contains modules relating to job hunting.
• Chinaunix
  Suitable for students who are interested in operation systems or databases. Includes some job information.
• Javaworld
  Forum for Java users. Includes recruitment section.
• TangRen community
  Sales and Marketing IT roles.

Advice

What are the common IT career paths? 

Even if you don’t have an IT background this doesn′t necessarily hinder your chances of starting a new career as most employers look for more rounded individuals with more transferable skills.

There are a number of full-time and part-time courses available to you that you can study at a university or via distance learning. 

The most common route of entry into the IT sector is via the Trainee Software Development or Analyst Programmer avenue. Trainee Developers and Analysts can also referred to as Web Designers, Database Analysts or Technical Support – the role is often very similar, but different sectors will choose a title that reflects their specific field of expertise.

From here your career would typically progress into a Senior Developer or Programmer role before advancing up the career ladder as a Systems Analyst, Project Manager or Consultant.

Obviously, not all positions are centred around the programming route. Some of the most popular and sought after roles in IT are within graphic design which allow more creative individuals to flourish.

On the less technical side, areas such as IT sales and marketing are more business-orientated and place less emphasis on specialist know-how and more on commercial acumen.

Provided you are prepared to undergo continuous professional and personal development, maintain your thirst for industry knowledge and keep abreast of technological developments, IT offers opportunities to take your career in almost any direction

It’s not just your knowledge and skills that will help your career to develop, your personal attributes will be a great asset too. The importance of interpersonal communication, business insight, leadership skills, and an understanding of how IT is integral to the strategic decisions, profitability and overall functionality of an organisation cannot be underestimated.

All types of organisations hire IT professionals, from small scale one-man business looking to hire the services of an IT consultant to a large scale multinational organisation with an IT department of over 200 staff. It is up to you to decide which environment is right for you. 

How can I make a long-term IT career plan?

In 1965, Gordon Moore, the founder of Intel, predicted that computing technology would increase in value at the same time it would decrease in cost. 

In other words, Moore’s Law argued that as the pace of computer technology continues to double its capabilities and becomes smaller, quicker and smarter, it inevitably becomes more affordable. How right he was.

Moore’s Law will inevitably characterise the future of the IT industry. The next decade promises much with developments in voice recognition, cloud computing and mobile technology. We may even see the end of television as we know it.

By its very nature, the IT industry is constantly on the look out for the next innovate user experience or application that will precede all that has gone before it. But what does this mean to your future prospects?

There′s no disputing the fact that both personal and business use of IT will continue to grow. Consequently, skilled IT practitioners who can combine technical and ‘soft’ business skills (communication, team-working, business acumen, etc) will forever be in demand. That demand can carve out a long and rewarding career path for those who have the IT skills that are in short supply.

It′s up to you to stay in touch with the IT world, decide the areas where you feel will be in demand in the future, and focus your efforts on developing your skills. be careful not to throw all your eggs in one basket.

If you′re spent thousands on training courses to become an expert in Java, what are you going to do when a new technology replaces it?

When making career goals, make sure they are SMART:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Realistic
• Timely

Whether you go for a managerial route, into consultancy or to start your own business stay one step ahead of the game and become a pioneer in the industry, boldly going where no IT professional has gone before.

Source: Monster