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Navigating Greater China and Beyond: Reflections from #CSEAAPAC

As a person who started my professional journey in China many moons before, opportunities across Greater China today are fast-paced, geographically diverse, and ever-evolving, as evidenced by this esteemed Alumni Panel.
by Chris Barlow, 2023 APAC Conference Committee member and Director of Corporate Engagement & Career Management at University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business.

As a person who started my professional journey in China many moons before, opportunities across Greater China today are fast-paced, geographically diverse, and ever-evolving, as evidenced by this esteemed Alumni Panel.

The panel was part of MBA CSEA's 2023 Asia-Pacific Conference, which took place in Singapore March 20th through 23rd. In the panel, we connected with alumni from Greater China as well as international alumni with Greater China work experience to hear their advice about job search strategies in the China marketplace.

According to panelist Yvonne Liow, Chief Representative (Overseas) for the The China Association for Promoting United Nations Procurement (CAPUNP) – Digital Economy Committee, Ph.D.'s and other professionals with multinational corporation executive experience are in high-demand in China today, especially related to technology.

According to Jianyi Nie, Consultant for ZS, for an MBA it's not just about managing your job search, but managing your life path and the impact for your next job step.
Eric Zhou, Senior Consultant at EY, commented on being a career switcher who worked for seven years in automotive procurement. His industry experience combined with functional abilities allowed him to pivot into consulting based on experience and knowledge gained.

According to Henry Xu, Innovation Manager and Head of Lyve Labs Singapore, Seagate Technology, being curious and asking questions is the best way to uncover business growth opportunities. Is the status quo enough, or do we need to challenge ourselves by better asking questions? This also requires a person to be able to culturally themselves.

A quick reflection on their MBA experience from the panelists:
  • Cultural intelligence is a soft skill which is particularly useful in helping us bridge geographies.
  • Personal reflection: what are your inner motivations to drive a career plan? The MBA develops self-confidence. Personal motivations drive professional success beyond money.
  • Get to know and cherish your peer network in the program. Those relationships and friendships will last a lifetime.
  • The MBA experience provides great opportunities – take advantage of lifelong learning through leveraging associations and trade groups to network with and develop new skills.
  • Take a macroeconomic view mapped to your interests: where are the life sciences hubs – for example.
  • Leverage the alumni networks to generate connections and learn about what is happening in these geographies.  Get connected.
If I were a 21-year old again today, these are professionals I would be privileged to learn from. I'd be eager to find many opportunities across the Greater China region.
 

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