A Well-thought out Idea of Studying in China

Norbert is from the Netherlands, and worked in IBM as a business analyst. Despite having a decent job, he believed that with China's rapid economic and social growth, a good mastery of Mandarin would be beneficial to his personal career. In 2014, Norbert came to Sichuan University to learn the Chinese language.

When asked why he had chosen to study in Chengdu, Norbert said with a smile, "As the home to the giant panda and the UNESCO City of Gastronomy, Chengdu can offer me a lot more than the giant panda and delicacies. In addition, the city and my country's capital Amsterdam are linked closely by regular air flights, so Chengdu is my best choice!"

While studying and living in Chengdu, Norbert finds that the city is becoming increasingly international. "A case in point is that Sichuan inked a friendly provincial relationship with the Netherlands' Friesland in 2001, and Chengdu established a sister-city tie with Maastricht in 2012."

"Usually, at 8 o'clock in the evening in my hometown, nobody is seen on the streets. But here in Chengdu it is a totally different picture. If you go out at night, the people on the streets make you feel that the city is really alive." Norbert said that the city's vitality, as an important reason, attracted him to develop here.

After finishing a semester at Sichuan University, Norbert tried seeking employment but found he had few options other than being an English teacher in Chengdu. With a Chinese friend's help, he was interviewed by several companies. During that period, Norbert realized that it's relatively easier to communicate with the potential employers' HR departments, but harder to get in touch with them. So, he came up with an idea to set up a platform between job seekers and employers. Norbert, who studied international business & management at the Saxion University of Applied Sciences, sensed the huge market demand and decided to start his own business in Chengdu.

Start eChinaCareers.com from Scratch

In June 2017, Norbert co-founded eChinaCareers.com with his girlfriend, a Chengdu native. "In the very beginning, we encountered many obstacles and difficulties due to the lack of experience and interpersonal network. We started to do business in our living room where I usually worked till late," said Norbert, adding that they went through a hard time to launch the platform.