The China Business Show and Network

Willy Franzen — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:00:26 +0000

Yesterday, we told you about Coutorture’s internships and how we found out about them on Twitter. We were able to scrounge up some secondary sources to provide more information, so we’re pretty sure that we didn’t send you down a dead end. Today’s post is about The China Business Show and Network, whose internships we also found out about on Twitter. In this case, though, we don’t have much else to go on. We’re going to tell you what we know about The China Business Show and Network, and then leave it up to you to find more info about the internships.

What’s the China Business Network?

We first heard about the China Business Show and Network in a tweet from Christine Lu where she said:

guys, i just got a lot busier for fall. now looking for 1 or 2 interns for The China Business Show and Network. yes, it’s paid. DM me. thx!

That intrigued us, so we started digging for more information. Here’s a descriptive quote from the China Business Network’s About page:

If the gap in business culture and landscape between China and the West were a physical bridge, it might be immeasurably long, spanning two vast and vastly different terrains. It takes more than any one person to bridge the gap, or act as a guide on both shores. It takes a Network.

The two founders of The China Business Network are “China Hands” who worked together in Shanghai, then returned to the USA – Janet Carmosky after 18 years in China, 1985-2003, and Christine Lu after 5 years, 1999-2004. Their re-entry brought them to the realization that business people outside China faced a search, often with unsatisfactory results, for resources able to give them a useful understanding of China, and to execute in China. Meanwhile, professionals in China invariably struggle to work effectively in one culture during the day and another at night; to keep up with the challenge of staying informed and relevant in two divergent worlds. Both sides have things to teach and things to learn.

They China Business Network is facing these challenges by building a site that allows individuals and organizations to connect with others who have the skills and knowledge that they need for success. It sounds pretty cool. They’re also putting out an internet TV show called the China Business Show that interviews well known business people about issues relating to China. It seems like the China Business Network is quickly becoming the site for people who want to become more knowledgeable about doing business in China.

The China Business Network’s mission is to provide the open platform where everyone with something to offer -organizations and individuals – can profile themselves, index their skills, locate partners and customers, contribute to the conversation, learn, and reach the entire, targeted community of international business professionals active in China.

As for the internships, we don’t know what they’re in, where they’re located (probably not in Chia, maybe Los Angeles, CA?), or how you should apply (besides tweeting @ChristineLu). We do know that they are paid internships for this fall. If you have a fascination with China, and a love for business, then you’re going to have to take it upon yourself to do some research and find out more about interning at the China Business Network.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have any more details on internships with the China Business Network? Share them in the comments below.

Christie’s

Willy Franzen — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:55:18 +0000

There are a lot of ways to get Fall internships. You can apply blindly. You can try your hand at networking. You can find great internships here. You can even bid on internships in auctions. Yes, that’s right, parents are now buying their kids internships at auction. Today we will be talking about auctions and internships, but Christie’s is not auctioning off their internships. They must maintain their aura of international glamour, and to besmirch their name by selling internships to the highest bidder would not be wise. Founded in 1766, Christie’s is now the “world’s leading art business with global auction sales in 2007 that totaled $6.3 billion.”

Going Once, Going Twice

To many the idea of a live auction is extremely intimidating. The prices seem exorbitant, the cultural norms are hard to figure out, and there’s always a chance that you will lose control of yourself and bid more than you can afford. The truth is that even Christie’s, one of the most respected names in the industry, can be quite approachable. The prices of items that they sell range from $200 to over $80 million – there’s certainly some room in there for almost anyone. Christie’s also offers an online video introduction as well as guides on How to Buy and How to Sell at their auctions. Christie’s main focuses are on fine art, jewelry, photographs, wine, furniture; however, they are likely to deal in almost anything that generates cultural interest.

Sold! to the College Kid Sitting in the Back Row

Christie’s has “85 offices in 43 countries and 14 salerooms around the world including London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Tel Aviv, Dubai and Hong Kong.” Internships are offered in New York, Los Angeles, London, Amsterdam, and Hong Kong. In NYC and LA, the internships are seasonal with distinct Summer, Fall, and Spring programs, but in the international cities it seems like they don’t follow such a strict schedule. The description of the New York internship program can be found below (the description for the LA program is quite similar):

Christie’s Internship program offers a hands-on introduction to the inner workings of an auction house and to the New York art world. The Internship will start with a brief orientation, after which each participant will be assigned to a department where he/she will work for the duration of the summer program. Participants will attend weekly lectures on fine and decorative arts given by Christie’s specialists, as well as periodic museum and gallery visits. In addition, all interns are welcome to attend auctions held in our main saleroom at 20 Rockefeller Plaza (49th Street).

Applications for Spring and Fall internships at Christie’s are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis, so you might as well apply as soon as you can. You should include an excellent cover letter and a resume in your application. The preferred application method varies by location, so be sure to take a look at their Internships page to be sure that you are sending your application to the right person.

We often hear that interning at auction houses entails hard work and low pay (Christie’s offers the minimum wage to it’s paid interns and also offers unpaid internships for people who commit to fewer hours), but it’s hard to pass up the glamour of working at Christie’s. We wish that we could tell you more, but you’ll have to do the rest of the research on your own. It will be good practice for becoming an expert in 19th Century Sporting Paintings, or whatever you choose to pursue.