The Dao of Outsourcing

Last night I was introduced to a potential software developer in the Chinese software outsourcing industry.  His English name was Dragon (a very popular name among Chinese men, I have met several Dragon’s over the past couple of years), and he is a 30 year old medical doctor.  Dragon recently decided to change careers and has left the medical profession and returned to University to study IT.  My perception of Dragon was very positive and he came across as professional and well educated, as one would expect from a doctor.  It seemed he spoke decent English but it was still more convenient for us to communicate in Chinese.  In the west, a physician is considered a prestigious career, so I was interested in his reasons for making the switch.  Dragon had a very different perception of his chosen profession as he explained his frustrations with the bureaucracy and inefficiencies of the Chinese medical system and desire for a faster paced career with more opportunities for advancement.

Dragon is a good example of the new generation of Chinese professionals.  Unsatisfied with a stable career (the old iron rice bowl), they seek a challenging career with quick advancement opportunities.  My first thought was he had an inflated perception of an IT career in China.  With hundreds of thousands of newly graduated software developers competing for entry level jobs it is not an easy industry to get into.  But on second thought, many of the 30 year old project managers I had met at software outsourcing companies were managing 30+ man offshore development centers.  When considering the conditions in Chinese public hospitals, I would assume a 30 year old software development project managers salary would double a 30 year old doctor in China.

Ambitious young Chinese professionals like Dragon have noticed the IT salary inflation in China over the past couple of years and want a piece of the action.  The current demand for English speaking software developers in Shanghai and Beijing is higher than supply resulting in increased turnover and higher salaries, but this will balance out in due time as there is no shortage of Chinese entering the software industry.  Although Dragon has a long way to go before he will be working in an offshore development center for an overseas company, he is intelligent and driven and I am confident he will be successful in his newly chosen career.

Related posts:

1. Advice for selecting a Chinese software outsourcing company
2. Overcoming the Software Developer Experience Gap in China
3. Evaluating financial stability of offshore outsourcing companies