Networking

Today I continued my little networking project. I had a meeting with Magnus Sjödin, the former chairman of the Shanghai branch of the Swedish Trade Council. He's has graduated from my university and it was really encouraging to talk to him. I got his number from the guy I met last week and by coincidence he was on his way through town. This guy is pretty cool. Except living for several years in China, he has also lived for many years in Japan and China and has worked for many large Swedish companies there. He said that my engineering background together with some Chinese could be very useful and valuable. That's the best confirmation I have so far that my career choices are not heading down the career toilet.

Since he had lived in Singapore for four years we chatted a little bit about sitting out in the night and eat great food, the warm nice climate, and that Singapore ain't that bad after all. I also mentioned my little extra reason to visit the place.

I think Magnus really wanted to help me to get started with something and mentioned a bottleneck that I lot of companies have difficulties with around here. They don't have anyone in China to verify the quality of goods that they are buying. He said that a company he knew recently bought a container with shower equipment from a Chinese company. When it all arrived it didn't work according to the specifications. They had asked him what to do now. There was not much to do, since there just wasn't any way to send back the goods or get the money back. His suggestion was that I would try to get in touch with companies and help them with just that. Sounds like a plan.

In the afternoon I called a company that makes metal pipes and suggested a discussion about me helping them. He said they were considering a lot of activities in regards to China and that he just an hour ago had signed a contract with a consultant in China. Their CEO is just 36 years old and was pretty easy going. I will go to introduce myself to him tomorrow morning. It will be my test case before I call the other companies on my list.
Soon people around here will be begging for my help. HUAHUAHUA!!

In reality... I would take any job... I would even work for free... But I won't tell them that.