Need a job? Got a job but thinking about the next step? We’ve done the leg work for you and found five hot, growing industries that are scouting for new talent, as well as the venues and networking events that will take you to the top. By Lily Kuo, Juliana Loh and Blake Stone-Banks

Industry: Food and Beverage

The Field: In a city filled with bars and restaurants catering to Westerners, getting a job might not be too tough. Keeping the right job is another story.

The Game Plan: From sous chef to events planner, Beijing is teeming with opportunities for expats to sink their teeth into the F&B scene. “It can be easy to find a position doing PR and promotions if you’re bilingual,” suggests Daniel Webster-Clamp, general manager of Block 8. “You don’t need a diploma. It’s about good people and management skills.” The highlight of the industry for Webster-Clamp is when Block 8’s restaurants, club and rooftop deck are all slammed, but the staff expertly handles each order with composure. “At 9pm, it’s clockwork. There’s this incredible buzz when everything’s working exactly as it should.” But don’t assume this line of work is just sipping martinis with high rollers. “People see me smiling at a party and think it looks easy, but they don’t know what I do behind the scenes from 10am to 2am to make the moment work.” So how did Webster-Clamp get his start? “When I got to Beijing, I went out every night getting to know managers, getting to know reps from Belvedere and Grey Goose. Once you have set up a network with alcohol reps and managers, you’ll get ivited to the key events, and get to know who’s who.”

Industry: Fine Arts

The Field: You can wave your MBA around all you want, but the real money is made out in 798, where local and international collectors, curators and museums vie desperately for a piece of China’s next art sensation.

The Game Plan: “The great thing about Beijing's art scene is that it’s all right there for the taking,” enthuses Chinese Contemporary Gallery Director Alessandra Henderson. “The galleries and artists are all here, and everyone is open to talk with you.” Those interested in breaking into the field can make connections at art openings, lectures and parties. Even just sipping a cup of coffee at Timezone 8 provides ample opportunity to meet with some of the biggest names in the contemporary art scene. Henderson made the connections that got her position while studying abroad as an art history and East Asian studies major. So what are the key qualifications to succeed in Beijing’s über-chic fine-arts field? “The first and biggest is a genuine passion for contemporary Chinese art. Get out there and meet people. Meet all the artists and gallery owners.” For Henderson, the highlight of her job is the opening of a new exhibition. “The artist comes for the opening, then we go out to dinner afterwards to discuss the show. It’s the interaction with the artists that I like most.”

Industry: Advertising

The field: Advertising is a glamorous industry. It is exclusive, engaging and full of perks. But with prestige also come long hours and a grueling climb to the top.

The strategy: If you’re going to get a job in advertising, you need to know your stuff, be aggressive and knock on every door you find. Show yourself as an individual with ambition, confidence and experience by cold calling and sending CVs coupled with strong work samples. Industry seminars and conferences are key places to network, but make yourself visible by hitting up corporate events and the city’s hottest clubs and bars as well. Apart from referrals and applying via job websites, consider sending your CV to headhunters, where agencies often go to hire for senior positions. "Experience and skill sets are important, but personality plays the most important role,” says Barry Ngai, the group business director of Interone Worldwide. Ngai points out that ad agencies want people who are intuitive, enthusiastic, punctual and 100 percent dedicated to their positions. Hint: Don’t arrive late for your interview. Ngai throws out one final pointer, “It's important to be true and honest. Don't put up a front; just be yourself. Personality is the most charming quality one possesses."

Industry: The NGO Sector

The Field: The NGO scene in Beijing includes some of the city’s brightest expats, determined to make a difference for China’s environmental and social well-being.

The Game Plan: “The best moments are those when we go to talk to people, and their eyes light up as they realize our ideas can effect real changes in China’s environment,” raves Robert Earley, the Clean Fuels program manager at the Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation (iCET). A trained engineer, Earley works with iCET to promote clean, energy-efficient transportation technology in Beijing and beyond. “In my field here, it’s very important to portray yourself as an environmental professional. It’s not enough to just care about the issues. You need to have practical solutions.” Like many of Beijing’s environmental professionals, Earley made the connections that scored him his job while mingling at Green Drinks, a monthly networking party at The Stone Boat for people working on environmental issues in China. So how does one make his mark (and difference)? “Experience is most important,” says Earley. “But I think that cultural flexibility and understanding the differences between NGO culture in China and the West is necessary to succeed and be effective.”

Industry: Hospitality

The Field: High-end hotels were once the heart of expat and tourist life in Beijing, but 2008 has seen the glitzy luxury give way to more intimate boutique hotels and personalized services.

The Game Plan: “I’m not a machine, so when I promote something, it has to be something I believe in,” explains Dolores Semeraro, communications manager at The Emperor Hotel. For those looking to break into Beijing’s hospitality scene, Semeraro emphasizes finding the right fit. “Every Beijing hotel has different features, whether it's a classic 5-star hotel or cutting-edge boutique hotel, and the communication strategies have to be different as well.” To make the right connections, visiting hotel bars and attending industry events are essential. Another resource is China Hospitality News (www.chinahospitalitynews.com), which keeps us up with the industry's latest news and gossip. To rise to the top, however, patience is golden. “Success in hospitality needs years of experience, and you have to be ready to start from the beginning,”Semeraro explains. “When I started I was doing photocopies, but I was in the field and knew I was right where I wanted to be.”

ASK BEIJING NETWORKING

Getting hired is often as much about who you know as it is what you know. So we hooked up with Alexander Rivan Ronalds from ORIENTED, the largest international networking organization in Asia, to explain to us all the secrets of networking.

How do I start networking?
By participating. There’s a plethora of networking events like charity balls, parties hosted by chambers of commerce or social nights like ours. Woody Allen said 80 percent of success is showing up. That goes for work as well.

Should people network before they come here?
In Beijing, I think you have access to a much different group of people. Here it’s much easier to break into the upper echelon of management. But at the same time you need to practice before you get here. First impressions count. If you haven’t practiced networking and you haven’t built up that conversation capital, you’ll have a harder a time.

What are some tips for how to act at a networking event?
You want to make friends. So act casual and be friendly because. People don’t want to talk to someone that’s high-strung. You have to build conversation capital and talk with people like you normally would.

What do you mean by conversation capital?
Networking is a skill. People have to want to talk to you. And for that to happen you have to have something interesting to say. It could be anything from describing your job, something that happened to you that week or your favorite drink. It’s the art of how to talk about these things. Really, how you say something is more important than what you’re saying. Also it’s very important to show interest in what the other person is doing.

How can I be sure that I’m making interesting conversation?
In general, if you care about what you’re talking about, you’ll be interesting. So the key may be to steer the conversation toward what you’re interested in and see if that gets the other party involved in the conversation.

How do you approach people at a networking event?
This can be the most difficult part. Just remember that everyone is there to network. They also want to meet other people. So just be friendly to who you’re around, conversations will snowball and those people will introduce you to other people that they have met. It’s just about breaking the ice. Also, a beer never hurt.

You said there was a plethora of networking events. How do you choose which ones to go to?
You have to go to them and feel out the crowd. Each networking event draws its own people. ORIENTED brings a crowd of young professionals, usually expatriate and Chinese whereas chamber of commerce events are usually expat-focused. And Fortune Club has done a great job tapping the local market. You just have to find the one that fits you.

What’s the best way to connect with locals?
Definitely going to these networking events. You could go the Peking Opera, but I think everyone only does that once.

How did networking help your own career?
Beijing’s a unique place to be. There are a lot of jobs here that can’t be filled because people abroad aren’t willing to move here.
I was able to find some really great opportunities that people my age in the States would not have been able to find. I think that goes for absolutely every industry here. Every week I get people coming to me to see if I can use my network to help them the find the right people to fill positions.

A ROUGH GUIDE TO NETWORKING

Our unauthorized guide to hobnobbing with Beijing’s best

Succeeding is all about who you know. Networking events are obvious and effective platforms for meeting others in your field. ORIENTED at Block 8 brings in crowds of young professionals, both foreign and Chinese, while chambers of commerce events attract older expats. Other groups include Inspired, a more personable group for expat partners, the International Newcomers Network for Beijing newbies and the Fortune Club, a hive buzzing with enterprising Chinese businesspeople. While such organized networking events are a great place to start, we thought we’d point out a few more informal places, where many of us make our most important connections.

Buy a Drink for Your Future Boss

Go where the people in your field go. Many professionals frequent upscale venues that mix quality cocktails like Q Bar and Block 8. Located in the Kerry Centre Hotel of the CBD, Centro is a hub for after-work meetings. The Opposite House’s new club Punk is an upscale but relaxed place to chat and make contacts. Bring your business cards (in Chinese and in English), but don’t start talking business right away. Stay casual, and the conversation will turn to your goals in time.

Play on the Same Team

Naturally, successful people in the industry are often the most aggressive. You’ll find them on the tennis court talking junk or pummeling the other team on a rugby field. The city’s most popular leagues are Beijing Devils Men’s Rugby, China Club Football or weekly biking groups like the Peloton or MOB. Yoga Yard is also a hit for these stressed out business execs. If you’d rather watch than play, hit up sports bars where the crowd gets rowdy like Goose and Duck, The Den, Paddy O’Sheas or the swanky All Star.

Show You Care

Work for a cause that you care about, and you’ll meet like-minded people, as well as develop a reputation for your commitment. Sports Beijing is a non-profit that organizes youth sports and recruits volunteers. CAI and Compassion for Migrant Children also looks for teachers for weekend classes or camps. Find more organizations on our site.

Get a Taste

Wine tastings often attract a very classy crowd. If you know your wines you can impress but if not, be friendly and ask for the guidance of hot-shots who do. They'll like you even more after you let them talk for ten minutes about the oaky finish of the Malbec. Importers hosting consistently good events in Beijing include ASC Fine Wines, The Wine Republic and Jebsen Wine. Check out the best Wine & Dine events on our site or get on an importer's newsletter.

Be Devoted

Aside from Sunday or Saturday services, religious organizations host a slew of small groups and social events for members to get plugged in. Chabad Lubavitch of Beijing is a group for Beijing’s Jewish community, the Beijing International Christian Fellowship is the largest interdenominational congregation in Beijing and the Congregation of the Good Shepherd is another major interdenominational congregation that also organizes a choir.

Show You’re Cultured

Literary talks, lectures or cooking classes are a great forum for conversation. We recommend The Hutong, run by long-time Beijing expats or The Bookworm in Sanlitun. Its branch at the Yin Yang Community Center in Shunyi hosts lectures targeted at families and health. You might also want to check out the city's top art exhibitions (see p. 17), as well as special film screenings (see p. 14) and community events and author talks (see p. 50).