Ask the headhunter

M.C. asks:

After my master’s in electrical engineering, I worked as an analog/mixed-signal design engineer in Singapore for ten years before joining a Chinese chip company. Over the last few years, I’ve been employed by several other SMEs in China. Although my job titles there were managerial, I was essentially doing the job of a principal engineer as I was designing IP entirely from scratch myself.

Unfortunately, each new job required a new work visa, work permit, resident permit, health check, zero-criminal-record certificate, and so on. Each time, I also had to relocate back to Singapore, where I had to stay for at least a few months before returning to China, so I haven’t been able to stay in China continuously. For my last job, I got a three-year residence permit because I was granted a PU invitation letter by the Chinese authorities. In part, I received the letter for having filed a patent for an invention in Shanghai. In part, it was an additional document that was required for visa application in China during the COVID restriction period. Effectively, I was upgraded from type-B to type-A status under China’s foreign worker system. I have to say that these foreign workforce policies aren’t very favorable for long-term employment and career progression unless you can get permanent residence.

I also have ambiguous feelings about the policy for the transfer of know-how to foreign companies. Especially its application to foreigners working in local companies is very controversial. Know-how is an extension of someone’s ability and experience; it’s not really transferable.

I had a particularly bad experience in my last job in Singapore. I worked for a company where I had to write a quarterly report about an IP database that was licensed to them. I uncovered problems with the access scheme to this database – only my access was officially recorded. So, either the scheme was fraudulent or there had been unauthorized access. I decided to blow the whistle. In response, I was forced into resignation via constructive dismissal. My server account was removed, making my work impossible. My performance record in the HR system was deleted before I had even resigned. To top off the workplace bullying, one of the patents I had filed was used in an IEEE paper after my dismissal by people who had their own inventions but had chosen to put their names on the paper anyway. The company has since closed down for reasons unknown.

Forced transfer of know-how is a sham that’s especially popular in research environments. It’s unjustly taking over the work of someone else or taking credit for the work of someone else. This can have severe consequences. In a separate case in another research institute, an American engineer tragically took his life. Instead of being subjected to an investigation for misconduct, the institute denied all responsibility and accountability. In my case, the company violated its whistleblowing policy on non-retaliation, or perhaps the policy itself is a sham.

The headhunter answers:

You’ve had an interesting and adventurous career as a chip designer. When you unexpectedly found yourself working in a corrupt and fraudulent organization, you had the choice to conform, leave or take a stand. You chose to act as a whistleblower and confront the issues head-on. Although this decision left you with some scars and lingering frustration, it also provided valuable lessons.

Reflecting on this experience, what did you learn? How might you handle a similar situation in the future? With your professional background, you have the potential to work anywhere in the West. However, your application skills could use some refinement. It’s important to focus on the positives in your initial introductions. Highlighting your strengths and achievements will help you secure a job more quickly.