Working in China After the IB: Advice from Matthew Shairp

Interested in what it’s like to work in China as an IB graduate and non-native Chinese speaker? Read on to learn more about Matthew Shairp, who is currently living this experience.

Matt is Swire Management Program executive who is currently seconded to Swire Properties, working at Taikoo Hui Guangzhou as a Senior Portfolio Officer.

After getting his IB diploma in the UK, Matt decided to continue his education in the country, at the University of Durham. But when the opportunity came to study abroad for one year at the University of Hong Kong, he took it. After graduation, Matt joined Swire and has been working with them ever since.

Although his first position within Swire was in Hong Kong, Matt was recently relocated to Guangzhou. Interestingly, he notes that his working environment in HK was more similar to that in the UK than Guangzhou. Matt believes that the biggest difference he observes between European and Chinese working culture is the importance of relationships, or “关系 guān xì”.

From his experience, maintaining good relationships with both colleagues and clients is key to a successful career in China. In his time here, he realized that interactions with clients aren’t as directly “transactional” as they are the establishment of a “long-term partnership”, where the guān xì element plays a much larger role.

In the day-to-day experience, Matt notes how colleagues in Guangzhou consider each other friends outside of work, which was quite surprising to him when he initially started working here. Despite not being Chinese, he doesn’t seem to struggle building guān xì with his colleagues, as he is able to find common ground with them.

Matt says: “Everyone loves going out for food, which is a great way to bond.”

Language is an intimidating barrier for people considering working in a foreign country. Matt agrees that language is “very critical” in adjusting to a new environment, but believes that it is possible to conquer this barrier with hard work and a genuine desire to learn.

When he first came to China, Matt spoke no Chinese outside of basic phrases from the classes he had taken in preparation for his move. At Swire, Matt received strong support in his learning process and was able to pick up crucial parts of the language. However, he emphasizes that, as a bit of advice, one “should try to get as good as you can”, as language acquisition isn’t something that comes without personal effort.

Additionally, Matt believes that earnest learning and understanding of culture is equally important to language acquisition. Many things in a work environment can change quickly, so Matt says it is crucial to have a genuine interest in learning how things are done and keeping up with any changes.

For students looking to work in China in the future, or overall build a strong CV in university, Matt also has advice based on his experience. As a university student, Matt participated in and took on leadership positions in many sports and societies that he was interested in. Although clubs like Ski Club, rowing and football may seem unexpected on a CV, he believes that his ability to commit to those clubs and show leadership within them showed his passion and enjoyment for his employers reading his CV.

Similarly, even in the job or internship search process, Matt’s advice is to try jobs that pique personal interest. Although he has been with Swire since graduation, he only chose this profession after trying out many short-term summer internships at different fields from start-up work to HR, finance, and civil service. Some internships showed him what he liked, while others helped him eliminate future options he knew he would not enjoy.

Overall, for people looking to work in China in the future, Matt’s advice is to work on Mandarin and to keep an open mind throughout the process. Though it takes effort to constantly improve and change with the market, Matt believes that the effort can pay off. He chose to work here because he believes this is an “innovative and exciting” part of the world that is “increasingly setting the pace” for business, and he has so far enjoyed seeing how people are willing to try new things in professional settings.