Why the West is flocking East, and the East is going West

The grass, it’s been well said, is greener on the other side.  The most recent evidence of that comes from this report ( from The Wall Street Journal), which claims that Western graduates are flocking to China for their internships because they believe that having China work experience on their resume enhances their employability. Given that economies in the developed West are down and out, and unemployment runs high, these young graduates are following the dictum “Go East, Young Man!”, inverting the slogan of an earlier generation that went West in search of fame and fortune.  The report quotes a London-based recruitment consultancy as saying that applications for internships in China had more than tripled over the past two years. A couple of years ago, the New York Times flagged a similar trend with a report that claimed, with a touch of hyperbole, that Shanghai and Beijing “are becoming new lands of opportunity for recent American college graduates who face unemployment nearing double digits at home,” and that “even those with limited or no knowledge of Chinese are heeding the call.” That report, with all its oversimplifications, got a royal smackdown from expatriates working in China who are more familiar with the on-the-ground difficulties of navigating the employment market in China. Writing at Forbes.com, Shanghai-based market research consultant Shaun Rein wondered if it really was as easy to make it in China. “The answer quite simply is no. Starting a career in China can be very worthwhile, but there are major downsides. Before racing across the globe to launch your new life, you need to think very carefully about whether it is worth it and, if you decide it is, how to guarantee yourself a meaningful experience.” [caption id=“attachment_17958” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Chinese students are paying up to $15,000 to Western consultancy companies for advice on how to make it to US universities. Photo by RDECOM”]  [/caption] But if the West is eyeing China as a land of opportunity, the inverse is just as true. China today sends more students to American colleges than any other country, and the competition for a shot at admissions to top universities has spawned a thriving education consultancy industry in China. According to the New York Times, Chinese students are paying up to $15,000 to Western consultancy companies for advice on how to make the reverse crossing – to US universities. Even within China, young graduates are being advised to “go west” – to western parts of China, that is – for jobs. Some 6.6 million students will graduate this year in China, and labour officials acknowledge that the employment situation they face will be tough. Yet, in all this criss-crossing, students and career-seekers aren’t just seeking schooling or employment opportunities. They’re also in it for an exploration of alternative cultures, however challenging they may be, and for honing their survival skills in environments vastly different from what they’re used to. In the end, it’s that demonstrable ability to kick themselves out of their comfort zones that could end up unlocking the most numbers of doors and opportunities. Whoever said East and West “shall never meet” evidently had it wrong.