NYIT Co-Hosts Career Fairs in China

In a first-of-its-kind event, six American universities, including NYIT, jointly organized career fairs for China-based students and alumni. More than 1000 students and graduates from the six universities participated in the fairs, which took place in Shanghai and Beijing on two consecutive Saturdays in August. The event was co-hosted by NYIT, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Southern California, the University of Minnesota, Ohio State University, and Indiana University.

Together, the universities attracted more than 120 companies looking to hire China-based graduates of U.S. universities. In addition to well-known multi-national companies like Bloomberg, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and PayPal, many large Chinese organizations such as Sohu.com, Ningbo Motor Industrial Co., and Youku Tudou sought new hires.

“In the past, it was mostly non-Chinese companies entering the Chinese market who were looking to hire grads with international skills and experience,” explained NYIT international student support specialist James Huang, who traveled from New York to China for the events. “Now, many more Chinese companies are expanding overseas, and there is more interest in international graduates than ever before.” Huang also noted that the government encourages companies to hire returning Chinese who earned degrees abroad.

The 70 NYIT alumni who attended, all of whom are currently employed, participated at all levels, from becoming acquainted with companies to sharing resumes and sitting for interviews. “All of these companies are here because they trust the quality of these grads, and all are hiring,” said Huang.

Electrical and computer engineering graduate Hao Gu (B.S. ’12, M.S. ’14) said, "I have submitted some resumes and talked to HR people, and I feel good. I want to express my thanks to NYIT’s China alumni office for their efforts to offer so many good positions for fresh graduates." Gu currently works in the aerospace industry.

In addition to the career fairs, where alumni interacted with company recruiters, career services professionals at the six hosting universities and human resources managers at the hiring companies engaged in a half-day seminar about hiring overseas returnees. These seminars, hosted by NYIT Associate Director, Employer and Alumni Relations, Lei Tong, explored the changes taking place in the Chinese economy, where the total number of students returning to China in the past three years exceeds the total from the previous 30 years. Employers and career services personnel discussed ideas to create a more efficient job market for returning overseas graduates and the companies who need their skills.

To learn more about opportunities for Chinese students and alumni in New York, contact James Huang.

To learn more about opportunities for Chinese students and alumni in China, contact Lei “Tony” Tong.