interviews
1980s China Journalist Larry Johnson – Video Interview [imported from Seattle Guanxi]
Apr 2nd
Welcome to Seattle Guanxi’s first video interview. We hope to do many more of them. Our first is with Larry Johnson, a prominent Seattle-based writer who worked as a journalist in China in the 1980s and was part of a lot of firsts at the time. I meant to only interview him for about three minutes, but he had so many good things to say that the interview lasted nearly nine minutes. Video is below as well as a full text transcript, if you prefer to read instead of watch.
Beth: I am here today with Larry Johnson who has some really good work experience in China in journalism. Larry, first of all, can you tell us your background and give us your spiel about yourself?
Larry: Sure. I was a journalist in California and I got an offer to work with a magazine in China called “China Reconstructs,” and it was a one-year contract, and my wife and I both actually got an offer to do that. We went. This was way back in 1987, and we were there from ’87 to ’88.
Beth: I know this is a really loaded question, but what were kind of your strongest impressions of China at the time that you’d like to share?
Larry: Well, the most stark contrast between China and the United States at the time was that it was very regulated, authoritarian. We, for example, we were the first journalists working for this magazine, it’s called China Reconstructs, that we didn’t have a socialist background or a communist background. We were the first just regular journalists hired by the magazine. But, one of the things they did was they kept really tight control over you, and they watched you at all times, and the people where you lived, there was a hotel called the Friendship Hotel where we stayed, and the maids, everybody there, cleaners, they were all reporting to the government: what you did, where you went, who your friends were, especially who your Chinese friends were. So it was a pretty authoritarian atmosphere.
Beth: So did you get to travel in China at all for your work?
Larry: We did. We traveled all over. And this was another first. They allowed us to go as reporters and photographers for the magazine to Tibet, for example, which was pretty unusual to get to go to Tibet at that time. And also, we went to some of the Special Economic Zones they were setting up, starting in the ’80s, to bring in investment from overseas. We went to Fujian province, and that was pretty exciting. It was a thriving industrial area, bringing in factories from Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong. So, we traveled and wrote and took photos for the magazine quite a bit.
Beth: At that time, and in China, how did you get your story ideas and find people to interview?
Larry: Well, it wasn’t hard coming up with story ideas, because China was one of the main topics for magazines and newspapers all over the world. In fact, before we left, we set up a little news service of our own, where we sent stories back to about half a dozen big newspapers across the country. And they would suggest ideas, and in our everyday work for the magazine, we’d come across story ideas that were great. It was a great environment for journalists at that time.
Beth: So did you work at all with people who would be seen as PR people, or was that kind of nonexistent at the time?
Larry: It was funny. They were all rolled into one. Journalists in China were seen as PR people, basically, at that time. One of the funny stories for when I was working for the magazine was one of the stories I did for them, they assigned me to go out and do a story on an old China hand, someone who had been in the country for years, from overseas, and helped them get established in various fields. This was a very successful businessman. So I went out, and I interviewed him at his hotel, took photos, came back, wrote the story up, sent it to my editors, and they immediately came over and said, “Wait a minute, you have your byline on this story. You should have his byline.” So, it was like, “What? I’m a journalist. I just interviewed this guy. And you want his byline on the story?” You know, and I’d done PR before, so if they’d said, “This is going to be a PR assignment,” I would have understood it, but I was really kind of shocked and offended that they were treating me as a journalist as a PR person for this guy. And it eventually ran, despite my protests, under his name.
Beth: I also wanted to ask you if you’re familiar with the term “guanxi.”
Larry: Oh, of course.
Beth: How do you define guanxi, because it’s one of the words in our blog title?
Larry: Well, guanxi at the time, just basically bribes, and still is. I mean, I haven’t been to China in years, but I understand that guanxi is still, kind of an everyday thing. For dealing with, especially, government officials, you want to take them presents. That’s another nice name for it. You give them presents, and you’ll get what you want. When we traveled, and we traveled quite a bit, we would hire someone to get our tickets for us because they knew how to work with guanxi. We didn’t. We’re used to going up, getting in line, paying our fare, and getting on. Well if you do that, at the time we were there, you would never get a ticket to a plane or train, or you wouldn’t get into hotels or anything. So we’d hired someone, they’d give them a little extra, so they could give to the officials some present, in this case, money, and you’d get a really nice ticket, better than most people.
Beth: One thing that’s kind of famous about Chinese journalism is the blur between advertising and editorial content, and bribing journalists and things like that. Did you ever get bribed yourself as a journalist or was it different because you were a foreigner?
Larry: I think it was different because I was a foreigner. No one ever offered me bribes. They knew I was working for the Chinese magazine as a quote: “foreign expert,” and so I was never approached, never offered anything. Actually I went to a travel fair. A bunch of travel agents in China. They suggested that I do things like come to their area of the country and write a story about it, and they would pay certain fees, you know. But they do that in this country, too, they offer to pay your plane travel or train ticket or whatever to do a story on it. So it didn’t seem any different than what I was used to in the United States. But I know, my colleagues, they were offered money and talked about it a little bit, and we talked about the differences between journalism in this country and the way it was done in many other countries overseas at the time.
Beth: So I see that you have copies of magazines with you. Would you like to show them to the camera?
Larry: I do. This is a copy of the magazine when we were working for it in 1987. It was called “China Reconstructs,” and it was founded by Madame Sun Yat-sen, originally. And then in 1998 or 9, maybe 1989, they changed their name to make it sound more modern. “Reconstructs” sounded like the old communist idea, so they changed it to this, and it became a little more modern. More use of color, a little bit better magazine. It’s still basically a PR magazine for the country. I would not call it a journalism magazine. It’s more finding good things about the country to write about, good things, good people, and putting on a good face to the world.
Beth: This has been really great. Do you have any final thoughts that you’d like to share?
Larry: Well, I think, I would just encourage people to do things kinds of things, to go somewhere overseas, especially in countries where journalism, public relations and public affairs work is considerably different than what we have in the United States, just to get the difference and kind of understand how other people operate.
Beth: Lastly, how can we find you online?
Larry: I’m on Facebook. I’m on Twitter, under @larryjohnson. I have my own web page at larryjohnsononline.com.
Video: Google Goes GaGa – My Favorite Quotes
Mar 28th
In honor of Lady GaGa’s 25th birthday, I’ve embedded her Google Goes GaGa interview and written up my favorite quotes from it. I’ve also embedded the performance of hers that was the tipping point in my belief that’s she has genuine charisma and talent as a live performer instead of just as an artistic director and composer.
Google Goes GaGa: same video on YouTube and Youku
Favorite quotes from this interview:
“The most important thing I think with creativity is that you honor your creativity and that you don’t ever ignore it or go against what that creative image is telling you because of what society is projecting on you.”
“My whole life is a performance piece, so I don’t need to have my picture taken to feel that I’m in a moment of art.”
“Honesty and the truth is always what will set you free.”
“If the artist is constantly molding ourselves and changing, abridging what we do for the machine, then the artist becomes part of the machine. I don’t want to be part of the machine. I want the machine to be part of me.”
“I do believe that women in pop music have a very bad rap, and I think people have learned to expect very little of us, and I think it’s unfair. It’s very prejudiced.”
“I worship my fans, is what I’m trying to say. They are my religion.”
Speechless on The Ellen DeGeneres Show: same video on YouTube and Youku
As a background on my Lady GaGa fandom, she is not my favorite celebrity or pop star – that would be Adam Lambert – but I love her music, and she is one of my idols. She is my age, and I find her passion and drive to succeed in her career as well as her willingness to be controversial in order to live up to her potential inspiring. She was the only celebrity I blogged about in 2010, and she was the go-to celebrity example I used in my classes in China.
NGO Public Relations in Uganda – Interview with Jessica Lomelin
Jul 2nd
A few months after I moved to Beijing to work as a gallery assistant, my classmate and fellow student leader from the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication‘s public relations program Jessica Lomelin interviewed me about my experiences abroad for a blog post. After Jessica moved to Uganda to work as Invisible Children‘s communications assistant this past February, I had to take advantage of the opportunity to in turn interview her about her public relations experience abroad.
Back in the United States, Jessica was already a young public relations professional to admire, winning the Liz Cawood Award for community service from the Greater Oregon Chapter of Public Relations Society of America as one of the top students in our program’s graduating class and going on to work for the Seattle office of Weber Shandwick after graduation.
Now for the interview:
How did you decide that you wanted to move to Uganda to work as Invisible Children’s communications assistant?
Last year, I was living in Seattle, and although I was very happy, I knew I wanted to work abroad. In the recent years, I studied abroad and traveled internationally, but I knew I was ready to take my work to a global level. I’ve had my taste of working stateside for international organizations, but I decided it was time to be on the ground and in the heart of the work I was passionate about. I was fairly open to different regions and as I was talking to a friend about my interests, she reminded me about the work Invisible Children (IC) was doing.
I did not have a strong knowledge or impression of Africa, but I was always very impressed with IC. They are a global organization founded on youth advocacy and movement. Given the scope of my work, I was also impressed with their use of media to share the story of a war that took place and changed the lives of those in northern Uganda.
I kept my eye on the organization’s web site and one day came across a communications assistant position. Not thinking further than that day, I applied for the position. Never in my mind did I think, “How will I do this?” or “could I even live in Uganda – a war-torn area?” For some reason, during the entire application process, I just had a sense of peace and ease in what I was doing. It just felt like an ideal fit for me. It was challenging and relatively unfamiliar, but extremely intriguing and promising.
How did you get a job in Uganda when you were still in the U.S.? What about you as a candidate do you think impressed Invisible Children the most?
I think this position was unique in that they knew their candidate would likely be from out of Uganda. It wasn’t easy, but the interview and transition process required a lot of patience, late nights/early mornings, and on-going skype calls. Luckily, the office’s headquarters are in San Diego, so they also served as a great support and resource for answering questions and providing information.
Now, living in Uganda, I understand the disadvantage a candidate would be in by living outside of the respective area. Particularly in development, employers not only look for work experience and skill, but also character in terms of cultural sensitivity and immersion, as well as open-mindedness and patience. Unfortunately, that is not something you can often portray through a resume or even a phone interview. With that said, it’s crucial to tap into personal networks, which I believe will put you at an advantage.
I think (well, hope, hehe) that what made me stand out as a candidate was my balance of professional experience with personal desire and passion.
What I quickly learned is that one can have a great heart and good intentions, but if they do not have appropriate job experience, they will not be seen as a strong candidate. Development is a very competitive field and very time and labor intensive, so employers have to be selective to find candidates who have a motivation to improve certain conditions, but also have unique skills that a local employee could not fulfill. With that, I think they were impressed with my international travel and experience of working with international staff and within different working environments. I’ve been very committed to non-profits and philanthropic organizations and am very knowledgeable about major global issues. Most importantly however, I have professional journalism and communications experience. I’ve worked at two global public relations firms, have extensive knowledge of Adobe programs, and am very comfortable using social media tools. Having had this experience in a professional setting and for global clients proved accountability and high quality in my work and experience.
During my interview, I was able to speak confidently about my work experience as well as respond to hypothetical scenarios of working in international settings with people of different culture, background, and work ethic. Being born in Mexico, as well, gave me a sense of living in a culturally sensitive area.
That is my interpretation, anyhow! They may answer differently ;)
What were the easiest and most difficult aspects of transitioning from corporate agency PR in the U.S. to NGO PR in Uganda?
Ha, what is funny is that I don’t think any transition aspect was easy! The months leading up to the move and up until a couple of months ago were terrifying. I definitely received bold comments of “So you’re leaving a salaried job in a global, corporate agency (during the economic downfall, mind you) to take an unpaid internship that in six months would make you unemployed?” Now, I’m able to counteract that statement confidently, but at the time I’d have panic moments of “what am I thinking!?”
What gave me ease was knowing the amount of support and encouragement I had from friends and family. As well, I learned to put less pressure and expectation on myself, and accepted that in taking risks, there may be some hiccups along the way. I think too often we put such high expectations on every single professional move that we often set ourselves up for failure. Being okay with the outcome and having faith in my decisions made me relax and look forward to what was to come. A huge lesson for me during the transitioning period was that no move or opportunity is a wasted one. If on paper it was deemed a “failure,” in life, it could be seen as a growth and learning experience.
You’ve done quite a bit of personal fundraising for your trip. Could you take us through an overview of your planning and implementation process for this?
Yes, fundraising was crucial! To be honest, it was one of the most difficult aspects of the pre-trip phase. I’ve never felt comfortable asking for things, let alone money, so it was a component of my pride I had to swallow and accept. I had to be honest with myself that I wouldn’t be able to do this without the support of others.
After talking it through with friends and colleagues, I approached the fundraising as “help me help Invisible Children support the people of northern Uganda.” Knowing that it was something I couldn’t do alone, I positioned this as a group effort. Thinking back to basic elements of PR helped me as well. I don’t think the difficulty lied in asking for support, but rather, continuing the relationship and assuring that the donors felt satisfied in their contribution. Just as you would handle a donor, client, or stakeholder, there requires a delicate inter-personal relationship. I know that the economic climate is an extreme burden, so I was very appreciative of people’s support – no matter the monetary value. Given my work with IC, I particularly wanted to focus on youth and reiterate mass advocacy. Meaning, emphasizing the idea of what support would be like if 500 people donated $5. Donations don’t need to come in mass quantity, but in large volumes. I knew it would be a big time investment, but I wanted to bring people along on my journey and serve as a lens into this world and experience.
With that said, I created a Web site, along with videos explaining the work I was doing. I used my social media knowledge to create material that was impactful and visual. I create a digital package that contained a variety of materials – videos, FAQ’s, and bios of northern Uganda, Invisible Children, and myself. I encouraged people to pass it on to interested friends and families. I then contacted Seattle-based organizations and pitched myself for potential product or monetary support. Although it was a bit difficult to get actual funding, I did receive support from Nike and Emergen-C! Hey, every little bit counts, right?
Once someone donated, I listed them on my Website, thanked them via Facebook and Twitter, and sent a personal thank you letter. Now being in Uganda, I send frequent emails with pictures and personal stories. What is important now is maintaining the relationship and involving the advocates in what I’m doing.
What about Uganda do you wish more people outside the country knew?
That the country is full of beauty and opportunity! Due to the media exposure, people only associate Uganda with the LRA and conflict in northern Uganda. Although it is important to be familiar with the history of the war, it is more important to realize that an immense amount of work and rehabilitation has since occurred. The country has been peaceful since 2006 and is focusing on bettering the community through health, educational, and agricultural initiatives, to name a few.
What I love is the character of the local people (speaking primarily in Gulu district). Considering what they’ve gone through, it is incredible to see these people persevere and continue to live their lives with hope, respect, and determination. I’ve encountered the most selfless, genuine people I’ve ever met. I came to Uganda thinking (as a Westerner) I’d be providing a service and assisting the community. What I quickly realized, however, is that this experience is very reciprocal and I, in fact, was learning a great deal from the community.
Northern Ugandans do not need pity or sympathy. They need outlets to share their stories and resources to thrive and live a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.
What will you do once you finish your 6 months at Invisible Children?
Ah, that’s the golden question! Stay tuned and you will soon find out.
Just kidding. I’m considering a few options, but it is still too soon to tell. I am definitely staying abroad and every day, I’m realizing how much I love my life in Uganda and how I want to stay in Africa. I love working with a development organization that has allowed me to use my communication knowledge and passion to tell IC’s story and shed light on the community. I’ve been fulfilled in more ways that I could imagine, and lucky for me, it is only the beginning!
Any other thoughts?
Working abroad, particularly in the development sector, can be challenging and often emotionally draining, but entirely possible. I suggest tapping online resources (Idealist.org, Relief Web and MyDevJobs) for job and internship postings. As well, start volunteering for local organizations and seek mentors who can serve as a wealth of knowledge. Do extensive research to help narrow your focus on a particular initiative and region.
Most importantly, however, continue to share your passion with others and tap into your networks. You’d be amazed at the groundswell of support you will get to take this leap of faith. Moving abroad may be terrifying and unpredictable, but entirely worthwhile.
You have nothing to lose, but everything to gain.
***
Please contact me at Jessica dot lomelin at gmail dot com or on my Website, www.jessicalomelin.com if you have any questions. I’d love to hear from you!
Jessica visiting a family in the countryside of Uganda
Photos in this post were taken from Jessica’s Facebook profile.
Update July 12, 2010: Jessica’s coworker was killed in Uganda’s World Cup terrorist attack. Read the blog post on his work and memorial fund here.
Student Interviews Me about PR and China
Jun 14th
Jaclyn Simmons, an ambitious public relations student at Georgia Southern University, flattered me by choosing me as the subject of a long interview for a class assignment. I warned her that I’m not a public relations practitioner (though I really want to be), but because I’m an “international” PR person, specifically in East Asia, she wanted to interview me anyway.
Read the interview on Jaclyn’s blog here.
Jaclyn is majoring in public relations and minoring in Japanese, which it sounds like she is already fluent in. She will be studying abroad in Japan in the fall. She found me through the social network PROpenMic, a site that began shortly before my graduation. I’ve been less than active on it since graduation but I’m glad I kept my profile so that Jaclyn could find me. I know Jaclyn’s professor for this assignment Barbara Nixon through PROpenMic and Twitter.
UO PR Grads Who Now…Teach English in Korea
Oct 2nd
Since February of 2009, three of my fellow graduates from the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication‘s public relations program have all begun teaching English in South Korea. All three students were interested in international cultures while in college and active in public relations on campus, specifically the Oregon Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America. I felt the phenomenon was worth blogging about and interviewed them for this post.
Branden Johnson graduated in 2008. He served on the UO PRSSA Executive Board as PRSA Liason and directed our student-run firm, Allen Hall Public Relations, both during his final year.
Regina Mitchell also graduated in 2008. She participated in Allen Hall Public Relations and served as the guest services manager for the 2008 UO PRSSA Regional Activity.
Bryan Saxton graduated in 2009. He served as the 2008-2009 Web Chair on the UO PRSSA Executive Board and as 2007-2008 Public Relations Officer for International Student Association, one of the most active groups on campus.
Now, for the interview:
What made you decide to take up teaching English in Korea?
BJ: I was working at a small marketing agency in Portland last fall when I was laid off due to the increasingly dire economy. Teaching abroad was something I had wanted to do for years. Korea never would have been my first choice, but I found a Seattle-based recruiter on CraigsList, and had a job offer in less than a month. As opposed to a lot of other countries, the money and benefits in Korea are some of the best you’ll find right out of college. I have cheap health insurance, a generous salary, a pension plan, and my school pays my rent. They paid for my flight, helped me take alll of the necessary procedures to become a resident alien, and provided me with a furnished apartment in a nice area.
RM: I am going to be completely honest when I say the first thing that caught my eye about teaching in Korea was, well, the money. Korea is so wonderful and generous to their foreign teachers and offer the greatest benefits– free accomodation, high stipend for enrollment and finished contracts and a solid salary. Also, I figured it would be more worthwhile to immerse myself into a country I knew little about. I always wanted to travel and so all of this was made possible with the program I entered!
BS: MONEY! That, and the opportunity to travel. This is the most cost-effective way I know to run around Asia. I also have a lot of friends in South Korea, and it will be nice to reconnect with them. Other reasons include: living in a big city, adventure, doing something with my life that I didn’t see myself doing 5 years ago, ect.
Do you think your education in the J-school/PR program has helped you in your new job? If so, how?
BJ: I think my journalism degree has definitely helped in terms of being an effective English teacher. I am confident in my writing and comprehension of grammar, which were both fine-tuned in the J school. I also think that my leadership roles on campus contributed to my teaching abilities. Classrooms — especially kindergarten classrooms — are dynamic places that present unique and often challenging situations. A teacher has to be flexible yet maintain control and respect. It’s not easy, but my college experience prepared me in ways I never expected.
BJ: I think my journalism degree has definitely helped in terms of being an effective English teacher. I am confident in my writing and comprehension of grammar, which were both fine-tuned in the J school. I also think that my leadership roles on campus contributed to my teaching abilities. Classrooms — especially kindergarten classrooms — are dynamic places that present unique and often challenging situations. A teacher has to be flexible yet maintain control and respect. It’s not easy, but my college experience prepared me in ways I never expected.
RM: If there are a few things that I can thank the Journalism school for, it’s definitely the writing and public speaking practice. I’ve been challenged a few times on things such as English grammar, and I continually have to present lessons that are exciting. As a public relations major, it was essential to impress a client and perform to your best while connecting to your audience. The same is true with teaching.
BS: Not sure yet as I haven’t started working. But I’m pretty sure our command of grammar, punctuation and writing conventions will be helpful because we’ll be able to teach those to students.
What do you want to do after your contract is up (if you know)?
BJ: I’m still undecided about my future after next February. I met my boyfriend here, and a lot of the decision depends on his plans. I would be willing to stay another year or two, but I’m also anxious to get back to the States. I want to go back to get my master’s in elementary education, but first I have to do another year of undergrad to finish some prerequisites. Coming to Korea has taught me to let life take you where it will. This has been an amazing experience and I don’t want it to end. But, it has prepared me to take the next challenging steps in my life and career, and for that I am excited to move forward.
RM: After the contract, I will move back to Seattle and spend some time thinking of my next steps. During that “down” time, I could see myself either coming back or continuing ESL teaching abroad in another country. There’s a lot out there!
BS: Not sure yet. Work in PR? That’s what I want now, but that could change in a year or two. Right now I just want to travel, save up a bit of money and have some fun.
Some final words from Branden:
“Get out there and find what makes you happy. I graduated with a job in marketing and now I teach kindergarten halfway around the world. And I love it.”
I’m a Star
Feb 5th
Jessica Lomelin interviewed me on my experience working in China for a blog post, which was mentioned to a large lecture full of International Communication students at the University of Oregon. Jessica and I got to know each other last year from working in the same groups in two of our public relations classes and serving on the Executive Board of the University of Oregon Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) Chapter together. She’s now a team assistant at the Seattle office of Weber Shandwick. You can read the post on her blog here. For those of you behind the Great Firewall of China, I’ve copied and pasted the full text below:
One of the things I love most about public relations is that it is a limitless job and thrives for people that are curious, open-minded and eager. Public relations although primarily conducted in the United States, requires people to think globally, wether in regards to campaigns, event planning or media relations. We most often see Senior-level practitioners have the chance to work abroad, but I always love re-telling stories of young pr practitioners who took their chances and began their careers…abroad.
I interviewed Beth Evans, a former classmate of mine at the University of Oregon, who upon graduation, decided to move to Beijing, China. She has been there for about six months and has already fully immersed herself in the culture and has been a valuable tool to many companies she’s worked for.
Q: What influenced you to work abroad?
A: I can’t remember a specific time when I decided I wanted to work abroad. I studied abroad in Beijing in the fall of 2005 and didn’t want to leave, which is when working abroad became a definite possibility. Since then, which country I worked at became a low priority as the industry, city size, and job duties were all more important.
Q: How much did networking come into play when finding a job? What was more influential, your network or your skill set?
A: Networking was definitely more important, especially because in Chinese culture, relationships are everything. The way I got the job was through my college roommate that asked a friend who worked at a famous gallery in Beijing if he knew of any openings. The friend knew my boss, and my roommate guided me through the interview and application process. Most recent Chinese graduates have no work or internship experience, and I was a native English speaker.
Q: What was expected of you upon being hired?
A: It’s a bit difficult to say what was expected of me because I was trying to interpret this through the language barrier. Probably the most important expectation was that my English proofreading skills would be excellent as that was my biggest advantage over a Chinese employee.
Q: What qualities do you think employers look for that Americans have that would be an asset to their organization?
A: By far the most attractive quality Americans have to employers abroad is a native English speaking ability. I know this is not true in all countries, but Chinese people think American English, especially the West Coast accent, is the best kind of English. At both my jobs I’ve held in China, I’ve been the only employee who only speaks one language fluently, but I’ve also been the only native English speaker. This skill, combined with my journalism degree, has allowed me to write or be the last reviewer in all important English-language materials.
Q: What have you learned from working abroad that you couldn’t have learned in the US?
When I was in the U.S., I heard many professionals and academics talk a lot about the importance of learning how to work in a global economy, but I only got to hear the American perspective. Here, I get to find out what people from other countries – and not just China, because I’ve worked with people from South Korea, Canada, and France, as well – think it means to be a global candidate. For most people I’ve met here, this means being able to speak at least two languages fluently.
Q: What do you suggest someone do when wanting to work abroad?
A: My biggest piece of advice for people who want to work abroad is to meet and stay in contact with people who have lived abroad. Some of my mentors didn’t understand why I wanted to move to another country immediately after graduation, and working abroad has been challenging, both before I got here and now. However, spending time with friends who moved away from their home countries at age 18, or going to UO International Career Networking Committee (ICNC) events where I’d meet alumni who worked abroad.
In a close second is that I strongly suggest that people improve their language skills as much as possible before they begin work abroad. I only took two years of Chinese before working here, and while my Chinese has improved a little by living and working here, it improved much more efficiently when I studied it in the classroom, even in the U.S.
Q: Any fun characteristics about working in China you can provide?
A: I think it’s fun how international the workforce in Beijing is. Most office workers here speak at least two languages fluently, and many companies have employees from at least three countries. Chinese companies also find a lot of excuses for employees to eat, drink and be merry together. After major gallery exhibition openings, the president would pay for all the artists and staff to go out to a nice dinner and karaoke to celebrate. The president also took me out to Pizza Hut – a really nice, expensive restaurant chain in China – to celebrate my joining the company.
Q: How was it working in Beijing during the Olympics?
A: The Olympics actually affected my daily life and entertainment a lot more than my job duties. People in Beijing think that it’s not cool to be interested in both art and politics or both art and sports, so my coworkers were extremely apathetic about the Olympics, and our gallery was even closed to change exhibitions during the Olympics. I wrote a post on the Olympics’ relationship to the art district I worked in. My current job is at a small agency that did a ton of events during the Olympics and even had the International Olympic Committee has a client, and I’ve heard all these great stories. I’ve been meaning to interview my boss for a blog post on it.
If you’d like to find more information on working in China, visit Beth’s PRSSA country profile post!
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