Today was a pretty full packed schedule as usual. We had class from 8am until 12pm, and then afterwards we had our internships from 2pm until 6pm. My internship is at Import/Export Company called Jiangsu Sainty Runlong Trade Company Ltd. This company is an international multimillion-dollar company that is traded publicly on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. With over 450 high-caliber employees, there is a lot to learn from this corporation. I have had the pleasure of working under one of Dong Laoshi's old schoolmates, Zhang Yong, who is currently the general manager assistant of the company. He has placed me in the Machinery I/E section of the company.
I started out by helping one of the employees on his 3D printer project. He is trying to sell his 3D printer to consumers in foreign markets such as the United States and Canada. However he keeps receiving feedback from the consumers that they cannot understand the Owner's Manual because of the poor English used to write it. My coworker then thought that me being there was the perfect opportunity to correct this problem, and at the same time make the company seem more legitimate because someone working there was able to write English well. After giving me this task, he said that he was going on a business trip to Beijing, and that I should have this assignment done by the time he gets back next week. I think he over-estimated how long it would take to do the assignment, because I was able to finish my work early the next workday.
Since my coworker wasn't around, I went to the floor manager and told him that I was done with my assignment. I then proceeded to ask what else I could do to help out around the office. The floor manager then began to praise me for my diligence, and asked if I would like to help him on his project. Of course I could not turn this opportunity down, and immediately agreed. He then began to tell me that he sold food additives to wholesale buyers around the world, though he could not sell any to the United States or Canada because his English wasn't very good. He asked if I would be willing to be their foreign agent, and contact buyers in the United States and Canada. He was even willing to pay me commission for any contracts I received, and immediately got me a work email at the company.
I couldn't be any happier with the events of today, but it kind of made me wonder. Its absolutely ridiculous for an unpaid intern to receive a part time paid job after only two days of working there, no matter how diligent that person may be. Especially since I know absolutely nothing about food additives, or even chemicals in general. He didn't ask for my job experience, work references, or even my resume. I know that the obvious advantage is that I can speak and write English well, but with over 450 well-educated employees, many of which who have studied abroad in the US, why would I be put in charge of this foreign operation? I began to wonder if it was only because I am a white American. Did they think that having a white American working on their team makes them seem to be more of a legitimate company? This experience has finalized my previous thoughts that it is easy for Americans to do well in the Chinese business environment just because of their ethnic background. Chinese businesses see the West as an opportunity for growth and education, and want to make a connection with this newly opened frontier. In this case I just happen to be the connection.
- Ryan L.
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