International students seek opportunities at job fair

The exhibition area hosting Shenzhen enterprises at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center in Futian District was packed with young jobseekers Saturday morning, when a large employment fair kicked off with 1,825 enterprises from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area offering more than 65,000 job openings across the region.

Jobseekers explore opportunities at the employment fair, part of the 2025 “Million Professionals Converge in Guangdong” initiative, held at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center in Futian District on Saturday. Photos by Lin Songtao

Part of the 2025 “Million Professionals Converge in Guangdong” initiative, the two-day job fair featured a dedicated APEC Economies Recruitment Zone for companies seeking to hire overseas returnees and international students, with roles available in regions such as Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

The recruitment drive targeted recent graduates, interns, domestic and overseas students and skilled elites, drawing registrations from over 1,700 universities at home and abroad, and more than 150,000 students in total, official figures showed. 

Opportunities covered the full talent spectrum: nearly 9,000 doctoral positions, over 12,000 master’s positions, and more than 35,000 bachelor’s positions. Some companies such as Fangda, Xpeng, and Sunwoda offered over 8,000 associate/technical roles. 

Compensation was highly competitive: almost half of the positions carried annual salaries above 200,000 yuan (US$28,500); more than 4,000 roles offered between 500,000 and 1,000,000 yuan; over 600 roles exceeded 1,000,000 yuan.

Samin Mohammad Abdullah (2nd L), a student from Bangladesh, waits in line with fellow jobseekers at the employment fair held at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center on Saturday.

Attendees included a diverse mix of international students and postgraduates. Bruno Ribeiro Amorim, a Brazilian postgraduate majoring in business administration at Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen, sent out about seven resumes to large international companies for roles relevant to business development, logistics, sourcing and procurement.

“All these roles are very interesting to me. There were positions open in Brazil, but right now my main interest is here. My objective is to stay here in China and learn from Chinese enterprises and do business here for many years.”

Samin Mohammad Abdullah from Bangladesh, a student in computer science, is focused on technology consultant or analyst positions and enjoys working with AI, with an eye toward an R&D career.

Belarusian student Kulaha Stanislau, who has an engineering background for his bachelor’s degree and now studies business administration at HIT Shenzhen, is seeking fintech roles that combine finance, data analysis. “I have had deep discussions with a financial company.”

Stanislau said that working in China requires a deeper understanding of the local environment and hands-on industry experience beyond the student context, so he is eager to gain that exposure. “Shenzhen’s vibrant startup hubs and strong entrepreneurial support make it an ideal place to learn, test ideas and scale impact, which is why I am committed to finding the right fintech opportunity here.”

Bazina Daria, from Russia, is drawn to international marketing operations in consumer goods firms, where she can apply skills in global strategy, market analysis, and cross-cultural communication.

The two-day fair draws registrations from more than 1,700 universities at home and abroad, with over 150,000 students participating.

The fair attracted major employers and research institutions, drawing more than 40 Fortune 500 companies — such as Huawei, Tencent, and BYD — with core positions on offer. Over 300 listed companies, including TCL and UBTECH, posted significant recruitment needs, while more than 400 “specialized and innovative” enterprises showcased their potential. 

Attendees also found stable career paths with over 250 central and State-owned enterprises, like China General Nuclear Power Group and China Southern Airlines. Furthermore, the event featured expansive platforms for research and professional talent, including 50-plus institutes such as the Guangdong Academy of Sciences and Pengcheng Laboratory, as well as over 360 universities and hospitals like Sun Yat-sen University.