Historical interview: the following preserves the research experiences and personal views expressed in the original manuscript.
After years studying abroad, what makes you firmly choose to return to China? How has that experience changed you? Can you quickly adapt to workplace changes and challenges after years away? Many international students share these questions. Is returning to China for employment really the right choice?
This installment invites a former international student who returned several years ago to describe a difficult job-search journey, offering small insights for people facing similar uncertainty.
Studying abroad, then returning home
Returning for development and brighter prospects
I went abroad in 2009 through a China–Canada “2+2” program, studying physics, and completed a physics master’s in 2013. I spent a considerable time looking for work—less than a year—then worked for a small Canadian company for a year. I did not particularly enjoy the work: it was not that the company made me unhappy, but the tasks did not feel very interesting. Jobs in our field also seemed difficult to find that year. Unable to find suitable work, I decided to return to China.
I decided to return in 2015. Encouraged by family and friends, I pursued a doctorate in China in 2016 and graduated in 2019. I now work at a state-owned research institute.
Returning home is a firm original intention for many international students
Many people decide before leaving that they will complete their degrees and find work in China. Many recent colleagues studied abroad, often through joint training; some returned after a foreign master’s. Others went abroad because their doctoral programs offered a joint-training period, so most ultimately came back after graduation.
Some people I know also found job hunting abroad difficult and returned early. Some now hold university positions, and quite a few work in companies. I cannot give statistical figures because I know a limited number of people.
Studying abroad is more than a glossy credential—it can refine you
International study may open a door
I returned with a master’s degree. When applying for or discussing a doctorate afterward, I could approach supervisors in areas connected with optics.
Institutes like ours do not always have very strict subject requirements; they focus more on the undergraduate institution or highest qualification, things that can be quantified. When positions are scarce, recruitment may first consider whether the undergraduate university belongs to China’s 985 or 211 groups. If the undergraduate institution is less strong but the master’s or doctorate is from Tsinghua, that may still be discounted somewhat. Sometimes there are so many applications that some criterion must be used for screening.
The biggest difference is language. People with international-study experience often have noticeably different spoken English and handle international communication more professionally. Other differences, such as ways of thinking or dealing with problems, may not become particularly apparent during those years of study.
But it is not a key that opens every door
Studying abroad does not bring an immediate advantage. Later, a manager may think an overseas returnee should not be underused or may have other expectations, which could influence development. It does not mean higher pay from day one. At our institute, compensation has little connection with having studied abroad.
There are no special benefits for international graduates. Having Beijing household registration may make entry easier. Our kind of institution must arrange registration for doctoral hires, but someone who already has it does not use one of those quotas, so they may be preferred. A stronger university may simply improve the chance of entering a university, company, or other institution.
Returning from overseas study: opportunities and challenges
Intense competition today, uncertain standing tomorrow
Overall I am fairly satisfied with work after returning. Before coming back, I hoped for annual pay of 100,000. The institution initially promised little, simply providing statistics on recent average pay by education level. It now seems that expectation can be met. Even when the economy is weaker, its effect on us is not particularly large, so reaching it seems relatively easy.
My only frustration is intense competition. It is certainly greater in China, in my view. During the doctorate I often saw people leaving very late, perhaps ten at night to midnight. A classmate who started the doctorate with me regularly complained about overtime. I knew people at neighboring institutions, including a biology group whose members often went home at eleven or midnight. Our group was relatively better: perhaps eight or nine.
People now often tell you on weekends what to do on Monday. I do not understand it when nothing is urgent. Just as I prepare to rest, weekend messages arrive assigning tasks for the coming days. What frustrates me most is a sudden weekend message about something arising—it is even harder to bear than being called in for overtime. Being interrupted unnecessarily feels very unfamiliar.
Assigning work by gender? Women are not delicate flowers needing preferential treatment
I feel gender differences are somewhat smaller abroad. People studying abroad seem similarly able to bear psychological pressure. In China, at least for a period, engineering institutions like ours seemed to favor and pamper female classmates, perhaps making them more prone to small emotional reactions. Suppose two people could do the same task and you choose one: she may become upset over some issues, while the other tolerates pressure better. Over time, whom would you choose?
Interview content note: this passage is the participant’s personal historical observation and does not establish general conclusions about a gender’s emotions, resilience, or work performance.
Classmates and friends can also help you get things done
A main disadvantage for overseas returnees is weaker local networks. Graduates in China may know more people in the field, while those abroad have fewer connections and may need to work on that initially after returning.
Talk with former classmates in China when looking for work. Some relatively good positions in the same field may not appear online, or so many people apply online that your application is never selected.
Returning to China for employment is difficult because international students leave a stable studying and living situation for unknown challenges. It can also be fortunate, with many opportunities awaiting those who are prepared.
May every student making this difficult but promising choice realize their aspirations and spread their wings in a wider world.
Contributor: Huangyuan Wandou
Editors: Huangyuan Wandou, Calorie, Honey Peach Oolong
Audio editor: Honey Peach Oolong
Interview: Fantuan
Audio recording: Honey Peach Oolong
This article expresses the author’s personal views and does not represent those of this website. Images were sourced online; please contact us regarding any infringement.
Sources and editorial history
Restored from a complete historical article exported from the PhDSciNet Official Account.
Editorial revision: The personal study-abroad and job-search experience is retained. Statements about recruitment, household registration, pay, and gender reflect observations in a particular historical setting, not current policy, an income guarantee, or a conclusion about group ability.
