Industry issues: Urgently seeking advice from all the senior colleagues at Haichuan
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I am a recent undergraduate graduate with a degree in computer science. I have recently contacted an instrumentation company called Xi’an Kobold Instrumentation Company, whose headquarters are in Germany; the company’s website is http://www.kobold.com/. It is registered as a foreign-funded enterprise, as indicated on its business license, and its registered capital is less than 200,000 yuan. The company covers an area of about 1,500 square meters and deals in the production and sales of products imported from Germany by Kobold as well as locally produced items. It has few employees – less than ten (my family has some doubts about this…). The position I intend to apply for is that of sales engineer. I would like to ask those who are more experienced whether it’s worth working for such a company and whether there is any future potential in it. Please give me some advice. P.S. This is my first post as a newcomer, so please be understanding
Is there something wrong with the post? Why aren’t the seniors responding?
I’ve never used any Kobold products, so I don’t dare to comment; it seems there are quite a few instruments manufactured by them available online. You should check whether this company in Xi’an is a direct investment by Kobold, and what the nature of the production cooperation is (technology transfer or a production facility in China?) ). It’s actually fine for a company to be small; it might have just been established, so there’s more room for growth. Moreover, sales work is also a great way to develop one’s skills.
Thank you to the senior colleague above. 1 Regarding what the senior said about “checking whether this company in Xi’an is directly invested by Kobold”>> The manager said that it is invested by the German company Kobold; the current manager is a 50-year-old technical engineer from the former Xi’an Instrument Factory. 2 As for the “production cooperation model,” I’m not very clear about it since I haven’t started working there yet, but judging by the scale, there are 1–2 production lines (5–7 meters long… actually I’m not even sure if that’s what’s called a production line). The company claims that high-end components are mainly imported from Germany, but due to the limited market in Xi’an, mid-to-low end components seem to be produced locally. 3 The company has been in operation for 5 years; they told me about the benefits offered, including two days off per week, as well as social insurance and paid leave after one year (I’m still quite skeptical… I don’t know what to think)
Are there fewer than 10 employees in total? For 2 production lines, 80% of the components are imported for assembly – so how many sales staff are there? What about after-sales support? Warehouse? Technology? I can’t understand it. .
Reply to 5# Non-stick Snail: Are there fewer than 10 employees in total? For 2 production lines, 80% of the components are imported for assembly – so how many sales staff are there? What about after-sales support? Warehouse? Technology? I can’t understand it. . Hello, senior colleague upstairs. First of all, thank you for your reply. I have been to this company a few times; they rent an entire floor in an industrial building, with an area of around 1,200–1,400 square meters. The company’s technical/operational staff consists of 2–4 experienced engineers, and it seems there are no full-time sales employees. From our conversations, it became clear that many orders come in via phone or fax from existing customers, and the supervisor also said that it might not be necessary to travel frequently. The senior colleague upstairs mentioned that components are imported for assembly – does this mean that the company isn’t very strong, or is there some other reason? Please clarify this for the newcomer
Every industry has its own set of requirements. Abroad, there is a push towards low-carbon practices, so high-carbon-related tasks and factories are shifted to countries like ours. The labor force here is extremely cheap; in our workshops, a worker earns around 1,000 per month, and they rely on overtime work to make ends meet :(
Reply to 7# Non-stick snail: Well, the salary offered here isn’t high either; it’s just over 1000. My family also wants me to work as a city enforcement officer (apparently there’s a permanent position available). It’s frustrating… I shouldn’t stop studying* and get a degree in city management
It’s a matter of personal preference – many people choose to start working in any job after graduation in order to gain experience. Of course, some of them end up becoming low-wage laborers over time. Why not consider leaving one’s hometown and trying something new elsewhere? Also, the starting salary for sales positions is usually around 1K, which is a bit low.
Who here is familiar with the sales of instruments and meters? Please share your thoughts
If it’s a direct investment, then it’s okay. Because there are many joint venture factories in the country these days that are just pretending to be what they’re not; some even have no connection at all yet still dare to operate. Based on what you’ve described, it’s similar to what many manufacturers say: the key components are imported originally, while the machining and assembly are carried out domestically; it’s really difficult to tell for sure. This is not a sign of weak technical capabilities on the part of the company; it’s due to the fact that foreign technologies have not been fully transferred, out of considerations of confidentiality. To be a salesperson, one must first understand one’s own products, including their strengths and weaknesses as well as performance metrics. Only then can customers trust your products and your skills, making it possible for them to make a purchase. It’s not that simple in reality; there are often various kinds of embarrassments, which is why I call it a lazy approach.