Young professionals in China are exploring their skills and resilience to adapt to the new wave of digital commerce, aiming to expand overseas market and facilitate smooth development of cross-border e-commerce.
As a digital wave sweeps across the globe, shopping online has become a norm. Behind the scenes, a new profession is on the rise - cross-border e-commerce operators, the digital-era caravans on a modern Silk Road. They're marketers, logistics planners, legal experts, and product designers - all in one.
"About 25 percent of my time is spent on data analysis and review. Another 35 percent is spent on team collaboration. I spend 20 percent of my time following up on projects, and the remaining 20 percent goes into business optimization," said Gou Ling, cross-border e-commerce operator of Kupan Technology, an e-commerce company specializing in pet simulation customization.
"The real gap is in talent with a brand-focused and market-driven mindset - people who can adapt marketing strategies based on customer needs," said Lu Bin, general manager of the company.
According to China's Ministry of Commerce, the country hit its 2025 e-commerce workforce goal ahead of time - with over 70 million people now in the industry.
Universities have already taken measures to train their students to be talents required by the future market. "Our school emphasizes industry-academic integration. We partner with leading companies to bring in industry experts as mentors. Real-world challenges faced by these companies are incorporated into our courses and assessments," said Yao Yiyong, vice president of Tianfu College under the Southwest University of Finance and Economics.
"I remember that in my first year, we helped a company in Mianyang City list over 1,000 products on the Alibaba platform," said Li Jian, a student of Tianfu College.
"Our program exposes us to numerous competitions, and simulating platforms," said Cheng Yurou, another student.
"While it's easy to get started, truly mastering it requires more specialized knowledge. For example, you need to analyze a lot of data to understand your overseas markets. You should be able to identify where your product has the largest potential consumer base in different regions," said Chen Xian, vice dean of Intelligent Finance College under the Southwest University of Finance and Economics.
Chinese companies also have their own strategies to make response to the rising tariffs and ongoing trade tensions.
"We used to focus mainly on Europe, the U.S., and Japan. [However, with the rise in tariffs and ongoing trade wars,] especially with the U.S., I think it will be hard to resolve this in the short term. As a result, we are likely to shift more focus to other markets, such as Russia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East," Lu said.
"From 2023 to 2024, employment rates rose above 95 percent, and the 2025 graduates have already reached full employment," Yao said.
According to the latest customs data, China's cross-border e-commerce trade hit 2.63 trillion yuan (about 361 billion U.S. dollars) in 2024, up 10.8 percent year on year. From campuses to companies, young professionals are building digital bridges for Chinese goods to reach the world through code and creativity.
New profession rises to facilitate smooth development of cross-border e-commerce
