In this time of increased personal mobility and global connectivity the world is nowhere near as big as it once was. The days when you made a home for yourself near the place you were born are long gone and, certainly in places like the UK, multiculturalism is now well defined and spreading. Whilst a discussion of the cultural implications of such movements is beyond the scope of my question it does present an interesting challenge…
Going on holiday somewhere exotic is one thing. Relocating there is a completely different proposition.
I don’t usually like to talk about myself here but I’m going out on a limb today - ever since spending a few months living, working and travelling out in China last year I’ve wanted to go back for a longer dose of the excitement, energy and adventure I found there, but am struggling to find the right path. The traditional route is to study Chinese or teach English out there, neither of which really appeal to me – I ideally want to work and use the skills I have to do something both personally enriching and meaningful to a wider audience of some sort.
I may be asking too much but luckily I have age on my side (I’m 23), a lack of personal responsibilities, and a valuable few years of experience working as a technology consultant (loose definition!). My investigation has so far proven that finding an opportunity out there is probably going to come down to a large amount of research and an even bigger dose of luck. I am however willing to bet that someone out there within a few degrees of separation of here (if not an immediate connection) knows of some opportunity and it’s just a matter of making that connection which is partly why I’ve written this post.
So what to do? Preferably something related to technology and the internet but am quite open to something new. Finding a job with a local company is probably out of the question as I’m currently in London and don’t have a Chinese work visa. The best route appears to be through a western company who require native speakers with the appropriate skills.
The challenge I have set myself is to relocate myself to China (or possibly elsewhere in east Asia) within 1 year or less. It’s not that I’m unhappy with what I currently do but would like to try something a little different before it’s too late!
Any help or advice anyone might be able to offer would be hugely appreciated - I’m easily contactable either by commenting below, the contact page or via my profile on LinkedIn. Thanks!
I’m back from my short expedition to South Korea & China - in short I had a great time; saw some amazing places, took lots of photos, met some interesting people and ate a lot of delicious food! My time in east-asia has often been quite surreal and the last two weeks were no exception. Perhaps it’s a fascination with the unfamiliar which keeps me going back but you can be sure that it this is not a chapter I’ll be closing anytime soon.
I’m suffering quite a bit from jet-lag and the backlog of work which has greeted me at the moment but in the coming weeks I’ll be posting about it all with a special series planned to examine how Beijing is rapidly evolving and the implications of the upcoming olympics - don’t expect anything too profound though!
Have you ever clicked on an online ad purposefully? I never have and over the years have instinctively learnt to filter them out subconsciously; I simply don’t give them any focus or attention, I go straight for the content. I may possibly be atypical but this begs the question of whether pouring money into online advertising really brings a worthwhile return on investment. A recent study adds more fuel to the fire as it found that “only 6% of people online are contributing 50% of the clicks to display advertisements” and that the majority of these click-throughs did not convert into sales.
I don’t click on web adverts/sponsored links ever, if you force a pop-up ad on me goodbye
I don’t buy the special offers in supermarkets unless it is something I was planning to buy anyway
I don’t window shop, I know what I want before hand, I go get it (sometimes after viewing online)
I don’t follow fashion, I use things till they are worn out usually (exception: Apple)
I don’t read spam, you better have an unsubscribe option for your newsletter
I don’t like personalised advertising ala Facebook Beacon but I don’t mind Amazon style recommendations
I am not a marketers dream. Maybe it’s a male thing?
Aside from this unfortunate reality there is a side to marketing in general which I find particularly unethical; playing on peoples sensibilities to sell them things they don’t really need or want. It also sometimes feels like a lot of these things are targeted at those most vulnerable (e.g. children / those with low income) which is pretty deplorable if we contend any notion of social responsibility. Even the concept of viral marketing has been sabotaged by those wanting to make a quick buck making me even more cynical about the whole business.
Coming full circle, the only real way to build audience or a brand is to provide something which is genuinely useful to the consumer (What is good content?). If you can manage this then to an extent it will market itself. Gimmicks/promotions only have a short life cycle and presentation will only get you so far; once the illusion is gone those valued eyeballs wont be coming back…
Feel free to comment if you disagree or have a different point of view
Having being born in August 1984 I fall squarely in the year of the rat (a wood rat to be precise) according to the Chinese lunar calendar. A single cycle takes 12 years to complete and with the 2008 lunar year just beginning we’ve now moved into the year of the rat which, according to superstition, will be particularly unlucky for yours truly (good thing I’m not superstitious!).
I find Wikipedia’s definition of rat people attributes particularly amusing:
“Being the first sign of the Chinese zodiacs, rats are leaders, pioneers and conquerors. They are charming, passionate, charismatic, practical and hardworking. Rat people are endowed with great leadership skills and are the most highly organized, meticulous, and systematic of the twelve signs. Intelligent and cunning at the same time, rats are highly ambitious and strong-willed people who are keen and unapologetic promoters of their own agendas, which often include money and power…
Behind the smiles and charm, rats can be terribly obstinate and controlling, insisting on having things their way no matter what the cost. These people tend to have immense control of their emotions, which they may use as a tool to manipulate and exploit others, both emotionally and mentally. Rats are masters of mind games and can be very dangerous, calculative and downright cruel if the need arises. Quick-tempered and aggressive, they will not think twice about exacting revenge on those that hurt them in any way. Rats need to learn to relax sometimes, as they can be quite obsessed with detail, intolerant and strict, demanding order, obedience, and perfection.”
Perhaps there is something in all this nonsense after all?! I found the last point particularly apt!
If you follow the various social news networks (Digg, Reddit etc.) then you will probably have read about the “war” being waged online against a certain creepy cult (evangelised by an equally creepy actor) by a loosely organised group called Anonymous. What really stood out for me is their rather effective “press releases” on YouTube. Complete with monotone computerized voice, ominous rolling clouds and militaristic soundtrack these guys certainly know how to set the tone:
Awesome. Part 2 here. Good luck with exposing the cult for what it is.
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