Tan agreed to work for a particular major international company, although she could have begun her career with almost any company in China.

Companies doing business in China are so desperate to find well-trained employees that they offer many incentives, such as allowing employees to work the hours they want to and helping them get professional certification.

Companies don't offer these benefits because they believe that workers should be well treated.

Rather, they hope that employees will reward them by being loyal and staying with the company for a long time.

Companies in China have developed procedures through which younger workers often rise more quickly into leadership positions than young people on similar tracks in the West.

These companies also offer different amounts of money as a reward for work of appropriate value. For example, they might award an employee 100 U.S. dollars to take the family out for dinner after completing a project.