In the personnel report compiled by Ben, among the research subjects, family businesses run by "returnees from studying abroad" have an average age of 35 years old, and almost all have received venture capital to varying degrees. At this age, the combination of quality and funding makes the success rate of entrepreneurship for "returnees" relatively high. According to a sampling survey, the most successful entrepreneurs among "returnees" are generally concentrated in the high-tech field. The significant gap between domestic and overseas high-tech sectors highlights the unique advantages of "returnees."
However, more than half of them encounter difficulties, especially those who have only been abroad for one or two years. Besides subjective factors, the problems faced by "returnees" in their business processes include market irregularities, overly complex relationships, low efficiency of relevant departments, lack of funding sources, and shortage of talent. This is reflected in an article on "Lingling's" blog, which provides a detailed view of the original blog posts in recent years.
The intense competition has led to a reverse flow trend, resulting in the first wave of tight employment situations for returnees. A research company states that according to statistics: 57.5% of total "returnees" find jobs within about six months after returning; most choose foreign and private enterprises as middle-level managers, with professional work accounting for 41.6%, and 37.6%. Foreign-invested enterprises remain the largest employers, increasing by 32.7%, followed by private enterprises, universities, and research institutions, while Shanghai remains the preferred city, with Beijing ranking second.
"Returnees becoming ‘sea turtles’" tops the list due to excessive salary demands and personal capabilities. If categorized based on actual needs, the employment of "returnees" varies significantly.
With the increase in the number of returning students, many people consider employment to be a daunting task. Based on materials analyzed by Zheng Jiaweihua, Director of the Family Office of the China Scholarship Service Center, it is generally difficult to say which country welcomes students or professionals.
Popular countries where more students go also see more returning, but not hot countries create employment concerns for students. Several factors need consideration. First, check if the major studied domestically is urgent. Second, review learning and work background. If university study lacks work experience, etc., they will not be welcomed.
In recent years, the employment situation of returning students can be divided into three layers, each with different backgrounds leading to varied treatments upon return.
First, those with both foreign diplomas and work experience, often referred to as "returnee multinational companies." They have studied abroad for many years, have educational backgrounds, and some have extensive work experience abroad. This group is relatively small, but they often possess strong professional abilities and good knowledge structures, along with broad interpersonal resources from foreign networks. Their aim is usually to start their own businesses upon return. Some establish their own enterprises, others lead laboratories or create platforms, etc. Such "returnees" are not only needed talents domestically but also competitive objects for both domestic and foreign enterprises.
Second, those returning from abroad with good work and research experiences. These individuals continue their workplace research after working abroad for a period, recharging to obtain master's degrees. After studying or working abroad, they have accumulated certain experiences. These people face fierce competition in the job market and are favored objects for domestic enterprises and institutions, competing for senior administrative positions in a tough job market.
Third, those returning from abroad with qualifications equivalent to graduates. High school or university graduates directly went abroad to study, obtaining bachelor's or master's degrees, and then returned after graduation. They lack work experience and competitiveness in the job market, similar to graduates. These students have certain advantages in language and cross-cultural knowledge structure, providing convenience for employers to expand international actions.
Due to staff shortages at the beginning of the online ordering company, Han Fei often drove himself to deliver food to customers. (Xian Xian)
Han Fei's business has now taken initial shape. Customers can place orders through the website. (Xian Xian)
Whether feasible or not, because one Han Fei, a businessman who graduated from the University of British Columbia in Canada, returned to China in 2006. He joined a foreign-invested enterprise in Northeast China as an assistant general manager for over six months. However, despite appreciating his work, it did not retain him.
"Actually, my dream was to return and start a business. I mainly wanted to complete my socialization process in China through training," Han Fei said. Then he added that the allure of a foreign managerial position no longer held much significance for him.
"Young people need positivity the most. I don't care how much money I get; I just want to open up a new field for myself." He wasn't random about "blindly rushing ahead"; he always had a clear understanding of reality and moved step by step.
After resigning for a year, Han Fei saw many Koreans in Yantai passionate about golf and attempted to sell golf products. To determine market prices, he went to Qingdao as an apprentice at a golf product store. When recruiting, Han Fei concealed his background: "I feared they wouldn't accept me if they knew my background, so I applied as an apprentice candidate, making it hard for them to understand."
Traveling to Korea initially seemed like a solution with little opportunity due to the financial crisis, which made it an "inappropriate" time. Many Korean companies in Yantai evacuated, quieting the golf market considerably, shattering Han Fei's dream of golf business.
Business failure crushed Han Fei's aspirations. Before speaking about golf, he ran a store as an apprentice and sold rice, engaging in cosmetic research, but none were successful. Originally, Han Fei brought home a patent named "Mineral Cosmetics." He confidently investigated the patent market in Guangzhou, exploring production and operating methods through commissions. However, due to excessively high initial investment and financing difficulties, he decided to abandon this project. For the same reason, he abandoned the rice marketing project in Korea. Nevertheless, the collapse of his business did not discourage Han Fei; instead, it helped him see reality more clearly.
Living in Qingdao, relatives and friends didn't understand why he worked as an apprentice at a golf store: "A returnee earns only a few hundred dollars a month as an apprentice, if I knew, why would I send gold abroad?" With the contraction of Yantai's golf market, his parents strongly urged him to return to Canada: "Don't cancel your life in China, and go back to live in Canada with Ann."
Unyielding Han Fei didn't retreat. He persisted, acknowledging: "During this time, I felt a bit disheartened, but my wife supported me. She often says, as long as you can live in an eight-hundred-square-foot house, you've won!"
Finally, Han Fei found his way to operate — founding a network space company.
Another way to describe how to run a network space company through online ordering
Thinking about it, Han Fei admitted it was a "sudden inspiration." Once, when a friend was shopping on Taobao, it was just lunchtime. "If Taobao could sell food, we wouldn't have to cook ourselves." His friend's unintentional words gave him great inspiration: the internet is so developed now, office workers spend large amounts of time online every day. If the catering industry combined with the internet, the effect should be good.
Bang! Han Fei conducted market research for half a month, invested over 70,000 yuan, and established the first network space company in Yantai. On the company’s website, pictures and various package prices are clearly presented in multiple models; visitors can simply click on a picture to order, saving time conveniently.
When the company began operations, they encountered many difficulties. Starting as a small employee, Han Fei often delivered lunch to their customers. I asked him if returnees felt embarrassed delivering lunch. He replied, "Diplomas aren’t the main thing; hard work and diligence are most important. I never considered myself a returnee; it’s a shared learning experience."
Han Fei's network space in Yantai gradually became known. "Now there are two stores with a total of 30 employees," Han Fei smiled. This is just the starting point of his career; he still has a long way to go.
On February 5, 2010, at 1:12 PM and 46 seconds, suesong8808 said I can understand him! I almost returned to Beijing, but my family strongly opposed development, so I'm still in the U.S. But I like him; I like doing my own thing! I don't want to work for a parent company; I opened a food pipe in the U.S., accumulating more experience and capital, and later I will...
A Sina Weibo user commented on May 12, 2009, at 11:04 PM and 25 seconds: In China, a huge market opportunity exists for many people. The key is to dare to act and execute resolutely.
A user commented on May 11, 2009, at 9:23 AM and 32 seconds on Sina Weibo: “Returnees” put aside their airs, engage in creative practices, fear no hardship, and do not hesitate to achieve anything!
A user commented on May 8, 2009, at 5:23 PM and 36 seconds on Sina Weibo: Network space isn't really that creative; we can probably think of it too, but how many people actually try it? It seems that what matters isn't creativity but execution!
A popular online script describing the lifestyle of young people - "What kind of generation are we?"
From elementary school to university, tuition fees weren't an issue, but after graduating from university, there was no money left... Someone named Zhao Anmeng (a pseudonym) returned from studying in Australia and stayed at home for a while, engaging in some "hikikomori": staying at home, working as a bank card salesperson for a few months...
At that time, we didn't go abroad for studies; talented students returned home; at that time, we went abroad for studies, becoming part of the foreign "education industry"; when we graduated from foreign universities, the financial crisis hit the center of foreign cities; when we became "returnees," people thought that coming back from abroad automatically made one a talented person...
This passage titled "What is our generation returning to?" was questioned by a journalist. With the help of a team, they distributed questionnaires to some returning university students in Hangzhou, asking: Has the value of returning diminished rapidly, or should the current "returnee" be redefined?
Liang Yang doesn't lead the 80s boys back and explains the work "how to represent returnees"
The story of his return appeared during the "second return tide," which can be traced back to the late 1990s when a new wave of overseas students returned to China. At that time, returnees were people who looked up long-term, marked by the flag of "seniority."
In response to the reporter's interview, Zhao Anmeng straightforwardly said he had never called himself a "returnee" after months of working as a credit card salesman before quitting.
[Story One]
An "English underachiever" participated in the employment crisis upon returning, finding a temporary solution.
Zhao Anchang chose to study in Australia for a very important reason related to family connections, particularly because of his poor English skills.
In 1983, Old Zhao Nan, a media professional in Hangzhou, managed to pass all courses except English over four years, struggling with the original concept of university and failing to graduate after three attempts without any results.
In 2005, his father ordered him to study abroad in Australia.
Before leaving, he was surprised to find that students enrolled in English classes, but his results were not ideal.
"Australia can indeed make it easier to apply to schools, but since I couldn't perform well, it still applies to schools," Zhao Nan said, possibly just a 'third-rate consideration.'"
Once, while eating at a restaurant, he drank milk but couldn't remember the word "milk."
After spending a year studying media in Australia, he returned to the country temporarily, discovering that his knowledge and studies didn't align with the domestic situation, and employers weren't interested in his theoretical interests. After a year and a half, he quickly switched to human resource management.
Over the next three years, spending four to five million yuan, Zhao Nan's biggest achievement in Australia was earning his diploma.
Last year, Zhao Anqi graduated and returned to find that people who had been working for three years were already mid-level employees.
He ended up working as a bank credit card salesman. Soon, he realized the gap was too large.
Relying on his parents' old connections, he resolved to join a cultural communications company.
He wasn't happy handling returns, even being mocked by a girlfriend for "looking down on love and seeking low-paying work." He said.
[Story Two]
Monthly salary of 10,000 RMB, I am still Henzhi Grandma Zi Zhu
Undergraduate Abandoned Four Offers from the US to Return and Face Employment Difficulties
"At that time, it wasn't a very arduous task. Just another nationwide award notification, so I returned to the U.S., never expecting that after graduating with a master's degree, it would be even harder to find a job compared to undergraduates." Early in September, Kevin, feeling somewhat disheartened, recently returned to find work just as the financial crisis hit in the U.S., "During the interview, closing one's work situation made him miss the four decent undergraduate offers he had received at graduation."
Abandoning Four Offers in the U.S.
Kevin, born in 1982, graduated four years ago from Zhejiang University's trade specialty. Like many students, he worked while waiting for overseas universities to send acceptance notifications.
"Almost every school offering a trade specialty sees its graduates focus on one area annually." Many of Kevin's classmates easily found work, searching, comparing, and Kevin was lucky to receive more proposals than his peers who were still "fighting for bowls." Kevin had four offers in hand: Deloitte Accounting Firm, China Minmetals Group, and Bank of China Group. "Which one should I ultimately choose? Despite Kevin's predicament, everyone receiving all-American awards notices would be eliminated, advocating seizing wealth opportunities amidst adversity."
"It seemed not hard to find work, so pursuing a master's degree in the U.S. would provide even better employment opportunities." In the fall of 2005, Kevin departed with four envious classmates, heading to the U.S. with high spirits. However, things weren't as good as he imagined.
Facing American Employment Amidst Financial Crisis
"I feel my luck hasn't been good, starting to find work in U.S. schools coincides with the peak of the financial tsunami. The S&P 500 Index (which reflects the economic situation in the U.S.) plummeted sharply, many companies died, some laid off employees, some closed entirely. I just interviewed at a company for a few days, and it went bankrupt."
As his student visa was nearing expiration, Kevin was reluctant to leave and sought other opportunities in the U.S., interning at a futures company while using the practice visa as a fallback to continue testing for the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst). However, after a year passed, no job materialized. He reluctantly accepted a one-way ticket costing 116,000 RMB: Go home. The only solace was that before his practice visa expired, Kevin finally obtained the Level III certificate of the CFA, the highest level of international financial analysts.
Returning Home, Kevin Persistently Applied Online and Sent Resumes. During that time, Kevin's MSN picture remained dark, not daring to ask about work-related issues from seeing students.
Surprisingly, No One Returned Votes Restoring Echoes
"Those who are also undergraduates, many units have imposed penalties, and some have compressed several teams. What should I do if I can't find a way out?"
Upon returning, Kevin restored the principle of voting, casting votes not from these graduating units. He said there was no comparison facing a mentor drawing diagrams secondly, more importantly less: unwillingness, "If we go, can we upgrade to the unit when I've been abroad for so long Qibushibai mixed?"
"I feel suitable jobs are scarce, many positions only recruit graduates. Sometimes, frustration makes you easily forget to find work."
Finally, Kevin's parents "drove" him out of the house.
"My dad bought me a train ticket, letting me go to Shanghai to submit resumes." Thus, Kevin brought his resume, visiting some futures companies and fund companies from home, "Sending it blindly without thinking, truly driven by fear, but staying at home is worse. Good news, human resources treated me relatively kindly, but unfortunately, no one responded."
Working Now or Company Recommendation
"The resume of a returnee, does the recruiter give you even a little attention, let alone having the Level III CFA certificate?" The reporter was curious.
"One pair of human resources desks piled up with many resumes, estimated hundreds, not whether there is anything in your return, among many are discarded, without hope... ..."
At this moment, Kevin's voice suddenly dropped again.
Just as the whole family could do nothing, things took a turn: In October, a private equity fund in Shanghai concluded an interview with Kevin. Kevin didn't remember, but the company had restored voting. Originally, this was the Shanghai branch of the U.S. headquarters' private equity department, and Kevin had always been interviewed by the U.S. headquarters. The boss liked him very much, though unnecessary, still recommended Kevin to the Shanghai branch.
Now, Kevin stays in Shanghai, though his monthly salary of 10,000 RMB isn't high, Kevin remains Henzhi Grandma Zi Zhu.
Edition by Jin Jijie Ling Weng Hao He Written "Why Don't Returnees Become Sea Turtles?"
Seeds Seeds (Human Resources Director)
My cousin is a middle school student studying accounting, participating in exams, obtaining a junior college degree. Then joining this work, balancing work and study, at 22, he joined the Certified Public Accountant examination. As his experience grew, his cousin withdrew from the institution and took the CPA exam. His opponent, a financial "returnee," left a deep impression on his cousin. He believed, "returnees" viewed "returnees" as foreigners leaving and appearing naive, whereas his "native turtle" was immeasurable. Unexpectedly, the result showed that his cousin won. His sister was surprised and didn't understand why the company chose this way. Later, in class, colleagues revealed the entire story collected from interviews.
Originally, the accounting firm used people quite "stingily": requiring Certified Public Accountant qualifications, considering cost and practical value — as the director said: "‘Capitalists’ spend their own money; each point must be worth the cost." The "returnee" started with