Young Talents Met Our Companies in the Career Day 2022

The IX edition of the Career Day was held online on June 7th, 2022. Once again it played an important role in bringing together companies, new graduates, and professionals. To summarize this year's highlights: over 70 job offers were advertised with over 34 companies joining the initiative; 19 leading universities in both China and Italy were involved; over 150 attendees joined the event online.

The news of this edition was the opportunity for companies and candidates to meet and interact in 4 parallel virtual sessions with different industry focus: Consulting, Manufacturing, Retail, and Services. The room offered the chance for young talents to learn more about the companies directly from HR and Business Managers and acquire some useful tips for a successful application process.

The event opened with a welcome address delivered by Mr Marco Midolo, First Counsellor and Head of the Economic and Commercial Office at the Embassy of Italy to the P.R.C., who described the initiative as a useful tool "both for young people that come into the labour market in China and our companies present here and operating in a variety of sectors".

Mr Paolo Bazzoni, Chairman of the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce, also underlined: “Giving opportunities to young people and opening up channels dedicated to them is of primary importance, both in China and in Italy. This is why in addition to organizing a new edition of Career Day every year, we have also strengthened our network dedicated to Young Professionals, a platform for sharing ideas and resources aimed at personal development and professional growth".

Ms Giovanna Gargiulo, from AGIC board, also highlighted the support that the AGIC association provides to young Italian people in China and the dedicated initiatives the group implements.

We were honoured to receive a video message from Ms Huang Junmei, Deputy Director-General, Department of Employment Promotion, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. Ms Huang informed of the latest requirements, conditions, and procedures for foreigners to work in China.

We were also honoured by the video message from Ms Han Meng, Chief Officer of Third Level, Social Insurance Center, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. Ms Han discussed social security measures for new hires.

The seminar session opened with Ms Letizia Vallini, Foreign Teacher at the Italian Department of Nankai University. Ms Vallini focused on the Relevance of Italian Language for Employability discussing the constant growth in the number of students choosing Italian as a foreign language: over 4500 according to recent data. Why study Italian? It gives access to very different sectors, from music, to art, to gastronomy.

The second speaker Mr Daniele Merlerati, Regional Head APAC at Gi Group Holding, provided insights on the needs and expectations of the new generation of Young Professionals in Italy and China. Among these: 1. the need for a leader as a role model; 2. the need for a clear development path within the company; 3. linked to the previous, that of growing professionally, as they do not want to fill the same role for years.

What are the necessary skills that every young professional should have instead? Intercultural skills, ability to negotiate, project management skills, and basic finance skills. As for suggestions for companies: do not underestimate the generational differences; prepare succession plans (a millennial is not forever); pay attention to structures that are too hierarchical (a human leadership, not a hierarchical one); consider solutions such as flex time, short work weeks, hybrid work.

The third speaker Mr Alessio Petino, Knowledge Coordinator at EU SME Centre provided a detailed overview of the European Union institutions and organizations present in China and the job opportunities they offer. “Don't be afraid, be proactive”, was Mr Petino advice. One more tip: the role of the Chinese language should not be underestimated; it is important to consider studying it as it represents a big plus if you want to work in certain areas.

The seminar ended with Ms Elisa Yazidi, Coordinator of our China-Italy Young Professionals Network, who offered an overview of the network: it is designed for recent graduates and young professionals and aims to help its members to better understand the existing job opportunities and the possible paths to follow in their career.

The meeting was moderated by Ilaria Massa, Head of HR APAC, Eni Versalis and CICC Board Member.

The IX edition of Career Day was organized by the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce (CICC) together with the Embassy of Italy to the P.R.C. and AGIC (Associazione Giovani Italiani in Cina), with the support of the Italian Trade Agency.

We would like to thank all participating companies and the universities that like every year proactively supported this signature initiative.