All job search websites in China can be roughly divided into two parts: Chinese websites and websites specifically looking for foreigners to work in China.

1. The first category of Chinese job search sites has many more vacancies. Among the most popular are the following:

• liepin.com - in my case, this is the most relevant website. I was able to find most of my Chinese companies through this website.
• 51job.com - I received my first job invitations and offers on this site. I didn't use it very often after that.
• zhaopin.com - I can't say that this site was particularly useful to me, but I also have my resume posted here.
• zhipin.com - a less popular job search site, but it still has a lot of technical job postings.
• lagou.com - another site with a large number of vacancies for IT specialists.

NB: These are Chinese websites, and you'll need to ensure your resume is translated into Mandarin. Experience shows that most HR specialists don't speak English. These websites are suitable if you're already in China. However, you can try searching for jobs and companies from outside of China, although you may have difficulties registering and accessing the websites from outside of China.

P.S.: Many Chinese use kanzhun.com to research the company they've been invited to interview at. It's similar to glassdoor.com. The site features company ratings and median salaries. The ratings are provided by former employees. They also share internal problems and gossips. This site isn't an indicator for foreigners, but simply another source to get more information about the company.

2. Websites posting vacancies for foreign specialists.

• hiredchina.com - as far as I remember, the site is not available outside of China. There are a lot of vacancies related to English teaching and very few for highly qualified specialists.
• laowaicareer.com - another website aimed at employment of foreigners.
• chinajobsdaily.com - one of the sites that our readers recommended to me.
• foreignhr.com - also has many different vacancies for different teachers in China.
• echinacities.com - another website with job openings for foreigners in China.
• eslcafe.com - a website for English teachers. The site posts, among other things, vacancies for English teachers in China.

NB: These websites are primarily focused on finding teachers, as English teaching positions in China are currently the most in-demand niche. These websites operate on the principle of headhunters: if a company hires an employee, the website receives a commission on your behalf. This is important to understand and take into account.

Worth special mention:

• linkedin.com - You can find companies that interest you here. Large companies post their openings. I've received several job offers through LinkedIn. But I wouldn't consider it a primary resource, nor would dismiss it.
• Wechat - is home to a huge number of themed groups where job openings are regularly posted. These groups include expat groups based on cities, skills, or interests. In China, referrals are quite common. Plus, if an employee brings a new person to the company, they are usually paid for the referral.

Tip #1: Submit your resume directly to the positions and companies you're interested in. China is a very large country, and competition is fierce. Therefore, HR managers at most companies are too busy to search for suitable candidates. They often don't have the time to sort through the huge number of resumes they receive.
Why is this? Most HR managers at large companies and brands have the following logic: our company is well-known, and everyone wants to work for us just to get a line on their resume. So why bother looking for someone truly valuable? The exception, perhaps, is positions that HR needs to fill urgently with candidates with specific skills.

Tip #2: HR calls – should I go for an interview? You don't always know the HR motive for inviting you for an interview. There can be many different motives. For example:
- HR KPI for interview volume;
- demonstrating their effectiveness and importance to management by inviting a foreigner for an interview;
- commercial espionage – no one plans to hire you, but they simply want to learn about market situation from a direct competitor, or what tools/channels/methods are best to use in their work...

Tip #3: Demand information about the company and the position before going to the interview.
If you received a call from HR at a company where you didn't submit your resume, be sure to ask for detailed information about the company, its services, and the position they're hiring for. Also, be sure to clarify whether the company is willing to meet your financial expectations.
Why this is important, based on my experience. At first, I was getting calls from various companies. I'd show up for an interview, and it would turn out that:
- the company was too small to obtain permission to hire a foreign specialist;
- the company wasn't ready to meet my financial expectations. The most epic incident that happened to me was after several interviews with various company employees (from the HR manager, department employees, department heads, and the company CEO) and approaching the moment to discuss employment and salary details, the HR manager said, "You suit us, we're ready to hire you at X salary!" And my corresponding reaction was, "Have you seen my salary expectations, right? They're twice what you're offering!" HR: "Yes, but we thought..." Ultimately, a wasted day.
- HR doesn't always read your resume carefully. I'd even say many don't read it at all. During peak season, Chinese HR's job is to invite as many people as possible to interview. Some candidates will then be eliminated after an interview with HR or an interview with the department/company manager. Therefore, if you're invited to an interview, it doesn't necessarily mean you'll be offered a position that matches your previous experience or that interests you.

Tip #4: "Without a document, you're a bug!"
That's exactly what our professor used to say. And this statement accurately reflects the attitude of managers toward the staff of major Chinese companies. Competition in China is fierce. Getting into a prestigious university in China is extremely difficult. Therefore, there's a clear system for assessing individuals and professionals based on the rankings of the university they attended. If you graduated from a university with the goal of entering a top university in your country or a department in a top-ranked field, be sure to mention this during your interview. This demonstrates to HR that you've already passed a real screening process, demonstrating your high abilities.

Tip #5: Do you have any certifications?
As in the tip #4, certificates mean nothing, but they are another signal for both HR and the company's management when it comes to hiring you and meeting your requirements during negotiations.

Tip #6: Do you change jobs frequently or what you shouldn't say about the reasons for changing companies?
In China, you'll undoubtedly be asked about the reasons for changing jobs. What you shouldn't say about your former employers:
- NEVER speak negatively about your previous companies or colleagues. In China, this is considered bad manners and primarily paints you in a less-than-ideal light, as someone prone to conflict.
- Don't mention that you were underpaid, that you didn't receive a raise, or that your salary wasn't competitive in the industry. This will be interpreted as implying that there was no reason to pay more.
- Don't mention that one of the reasons for changing jobs was constant overtime, or that the overtime was unpaid, or that the company imposed too many fines, or that these fines were excessive. These are rather tricky issues, and they need to be understood. On the one hand, when you mention overtime, the HR officer will perceive it as inefficiency – you couldn't get everything done on time, which is why you were constantly working overtime. If this is a performance issue, why should the company pay you for it? On the other hand, regardless of your performance, you may find yourself being asked to work overtime by your manager. More precisely, they may demand that you appear busy after work.
- Don't talk about having a new dream, retraining, etc. In China, such things indicate inconsistency. Who wants to hire someone who has one dream today and another tomorrow? Even though the company may close within 3-4 months, no one wants to hire someone who's unstable.
- The project or department was disbanded. No one wants to hire losers. If you were part of an ineffective team, you're unlikely to bring anything useful to the new company.

Tip #7: The following reasons are considered as a valid reasons for changing jobs:
-Company relocation to a new district, city, or province. Surprisingly, China has a fairly large number of Tier 1 cities, and a change in office location can mean an employee has to travel 1.5 to 2.5 hours each way to reach the new office. Therefore, this reason for changing jobs is quite acceptable.
- You've moved to another city. Oddly enough, this is also a valid reason, but in this case, you'll also need to consider the reasons that prompted you to move to a new city or country.
- The company went bankrupt or the team was disbanded. There are a lot of companies in China, and competition is fierce – those who were successful yesterday may be bankrupt today. This is a valid reason only if you didn't cause the company's bankruptcy.
You can think of other reasons for leaving on your own, but remember that HR may interpret your answer completely differently.

Tip #7: "You're hired!" – why shouldn't you rejoice?
Chinese companies have a probationary period. And while in our countries, failing a probationary period (unless it's a money scam, as some companies do) requires a complete arbiter of innocence, here the situation is more complex. During your probationary period, you must demonstrate your value to the company and earn your salary.

Tip #9: Welcome to the galleys!
Working for a Chinese company can be a test of your endurance. Why? Because the business culture is different. It's not customary to contradict your boss. Labor standards aren't highly respected. Just because a company works from 9 to 6 doesn't mean you won't be expected to stay at work until 7, 8, or 9 PM. It might be because someone told your manager that his subordinates should work harder. In China, hard work isn't measured by efficiency, but by the fact that someone stays at work after hours. Therefore, before applying for a job, check the work schedule, whether you'll be required to work on weekends, and whether the company welcomes overtime. HR will likely ask you this question, and if the main concern is getting hired, then answer yes to any questions about overtime.
Note: In China, overtime is usually paid extra, but you should keep in mind that overtime is paid at the established average rate. This may lead to the fact that in your particular case, each hour of overtime work will be paid several times less than the average weighted hour of work during normal hours.

Tip # 10: Why you should read the contract and discuss all the terms right away.
I don't know about other countries, but in China, I think this is especially true. When you're hired, you might find that during your probationary period, you'll receive 10-30% less than the agreed-upon salary. HR will inform you of this after you've worked for a while. Or you'll only find out about it when you're not receiving your full salary. This should be discussed with either the company director or the head of HR right away. The same applies to taxes. You should also clarify with your employer whether the stated salary is pre-tax or net.

Tip #11: Money is not important.
Remember, if your boss tells you that money isn't important, it often means the opposite. When they tell you they'll give you as much money as you need to solve a work issue because money isn't important, they usually won't give you anything. If they expect you to sign contracts or secure new clients, and they tell you, "No problem—money isn't important." They mean just the opposite. They're giving you another chance, but your carte blanche could soon run out.

Tip #12: Unleash the undercover agent in you.
Remember that once you started working for a Chinese company, you need to learn to reveal as little information about yourself as possible. Never tell anyone how much you earn. Try to limit the information you share about yourself—your colleagues will be watching you closely and making conclusions based on their cultural codes, paying attention to even the smallest details.
For example, Chinese women are expected to wear new clothes every day. They might not be the best quality, but a change of wardrobe is essential. Men are also subject to scrutiny from Chinese women, especially foreigners. I once received a question from my subordinates about why, with my salary, I don't change my clothes and always wear the same ones. I had to explain to them the concept of a minimal wardrobe, where you have a lot of the same things. That is, five identical shirts that you change every day, but don't think about what to wear today. They were stunned and confused.

Tip #13: Never believe what you are told 100%.
In China, they won't tell you the truth to your face, so as not to ruin their relationship with you. They might just tell you half-truths, leaving out essential facts. Therefore, when you're told something, you always need to dig down to the smallest details. The same applies when signing documents.
Example: My manager asked me to draw up a KPI plan for me and my subordinates. In my plan, I specified the necessary conditions: "The plan will be completed when and only when..." I received my plan for signature, but without specifying these conditions: "These are just formalities and numbers that will be reported to the top. Your conditions will of course be met, don't worry." What do you think happened after the company failed to meet these conditions and the KPI wasn't achieved? "But it's your signature, and there's nothing about the conditions!"

1. Work visa. Due to stricter working conditions, the issue of obtaining a work visa should be discussed during the interview. Is the company willing to formally employ you and assist with obtaining a work visa? It's also worth discussing whether the company is willing to cover the costs associated with obtaining the work visa.

2. Salary. Your offer or contract should clearly state your salary: during the probationary period and after it. Your salary during the probationary period and after it may be the same.

3. Salary review terms and indexation. In China, prices are increased by 10% every six months to a year due to inflation. The increase usually occurs after the Chinese New Year. Therefore, salaries are usually increased once a year to cover this inflation. It's advisable to discuss the terms of salary review/increase with HR before starting work at the company, so you can have the opportunity to raise this issue later, if necessary. In normal companies, salaries are reviewed twice a year.
4. Work Schedule. When signing a contract with a company, you need to understand that most companies in China operate on a short-week schedule (one Saturday is day off, next one is on) or a 5.5 day working week schedule (working until lunch every Saturday). Therefore, I would recommend paying attention to this.

5. Overtime. When signing the contract, it is also important to clarify the situation regarding overtime. Ask your employer to include a clause regarding overtime. Overtime should be calculated based on your current hourly wage, and not a fixed weighted average for all company employees.

6. Provision of Housing for Employees. Some companies provide housing for their employees or partially or fully reimburse rent. Therefore, you should also clarify this issue with your employer and also reflect it in your employment contract.

7. Health Insurance. Not all companies provide insurance, but as a foreigner applying for a job in a Chinese company, having insurance is advisable. Healthcare in China is not cheap.
8. Medical examination. In some companies, this is not mandatory, but paid medical examinations are available.
9. Vacation. We are all accustomed to paid vacation. In China, each company regulates paid vacation policies separately. Some companies do not provide paid vacation for employees with less than one year of service. Therefore, you should discuss this with HR. It is advisable to receive at least five days of paid vacation.
10. Airfare home and back. This option is only relevant for teachers or those who were specifically brought to China. Some contracts include provisions for paying for airfare home once a year.
11. Sports. This is not mandatory, but some companies also cover sports-related expenses. For example, renting a basketball court for company employees, a football field, a badminton court, table tennis or a swimming pool.