Here are two career progression case studies specific to China

Career progression for English teachers If you’re teaching English in China (and chances are that you are), career development of expat english teacher is definitely a possibility. Aside from the annual salary increase every time you renew your contract, you could be promoted to “Head Foreign Teacher” within a couple of years. What an HFT does is sometimes shrouded in mystery, and it varies greatly from school to school. Sometimes it’s just a title, while other times you may find that managing disorderly youngsters is your only responsibility. If you go far enough (five years or more in the same school or training center), you might find yourself offered the position of principal. You’ll need to get pretty good at Chinese first though, since you’ll be dealing with a lot of parents. If you make it to these lofty heights, be sure to remember that while you might be the principal, you’re neither the owner nor part of the board of directors. And you can bet your morning jianbing it’ll be one of those two calling the real shots. Career progression in startups If you go the tech startup route, you’re in for a much less linear progression path, as your company will likely either go bust or become a global phenomenon. You’ve probably heard of Xiaomi, Mobike, OFO and Zhihu, some of the most successful tech startups in China. The thousands you haven’t heard of are not doing quite as well. Joining a startup company anywhere in the world will offer up an insecure future, low pay, unclear goals and the risk of getting laid off at any moment. They can, however, also provide unimaginable opportunities. Who knows? You might find yourself spearheading the company branch in your home country one day. Otherwise, you might find yourself looking for a new job. While great careers in China’s tech sector are possible, banking on this is not without its risks.