Name: Ella Dan
Job Title: Overseas Sales Manager
Joined EduGlobal in: July 2010
Home Town: Ordos, Inner Mongolia
Education: BA in English, Inner Mongolia University of Technology

What is your role as Overseas Sales Manager?

I am the interface between overseas institutions and EduGlobal. I provide media solutions for our clients, such as Chinese Language Websites, and help them develop these platforms. My goal and EduGlobal Media's goal is to help overseas customers find their optimal media solutions.

How would you describe your average day at work?

Every day is different and interesting. I haven't been working here very long, but so far I spend some time each day studying product knowledge and learning lots of new things each day. I also spend a lot of time emailing clients to receive and manage website updates.

What is your favorite part of the job? The most challenging?

My favorite part of my job is that I'm able to fulfill and satisfy customer requirements. They need my help and I work hard to cooperate with them. The most challenging part of my job is changing institutions from being potential future customers to long-term, satisfied clients!

Why did you choose to work for an international education company?

Well, I was very interested in working for an international company, especially one in the education industry. It means our clients and my coworkers would be international and well-educated, which makes for a work environment that I enjoy. International education is  also becoming a huge industry in China, and has become more and more common as a standard business with lots of potential of becoming a long-lasting developing industry. I see a lot of potential in working in the industry.

How do you see the international education industry changing in the future? How will digital media change it?

The education industry is changing, as more people are seeing international ed as being a standard competitive advantage. In the past, people in China only wanted to go to the most famous schools, like Cambridge. Now, though, they're also seeing the advantage of going to other less famous, but still strongly competitive, universities.

Digital media is changing the industry as it brings more information about many institutions to the market in China. We see that we have more choices and we have an easier time of finding out about these choices.

We hear a lot about how online media is changing, and the way we use the internet is changing. What is your personal web presence like?

I use the internet to chat and connect with my friends and coworkers. I mostly use QQ and MSN to do this, but I also browse Sohu, China Daily, and other (mostly local) sites. I also buy things on sites like Taobao. I also watch videos sometimes on sites like Youku. I don't blog, though. I don't really like to make my personal comments in public like that. I also use some SNS like Kaixinwang and Facebook. I use Facebook mostly for my foreign friends and Kaixinwang for my Chinese friends. I've invited them to Facebook, but they don't often use it.

From your perspective, what's the difference between working for a domestic company and a foreign one?

My first job was for a domestic company that did international trade. Even though there was lots of international work to do, there was a big separation between our international clients and the Chinese offices. It led to lots of misunderstandings in the after-sales process.

In a fully international company though, they understand the international client, so this  issue is much less of a problem, because they can communicate in a western style and understand western business culture. Chinese business culture can be very much "follow the leader." In western business culture, though, everyone has the opportunity to speak out and we can discuss things to find the best solutions. I much prefer the western business culture. It makes me feel more comfortable and at ease.