Ali-Choudhrey's hard work did not go unnoticed. Six months into his job at TP-Link, he has already been promoted from sales executive to account manager.

But Ali-Choudhrey can only take part of the credit, as his career progression is inseparable from TP-Link's rapid overseas expansion. In the British market alone, sales revenue increased from $4.5 million (3.48 million euros) in 2010 to an estimated $24 million this year, according to the company.

The pride Ali-Choudhrey shows in witnessing his company grow is shared by Mel Lawley, 25, a senior internal sales employee at the Chinese lighting company NVC's UK subsidiary.

When Lawley joined NVC in March 2009, NVC UK Ltd was processing just 16,000 pounds ($25,600; 19,800 euros) of orders a day. But today, the average daily order has grown to 150,000 pounds. "The growth has been unbelievable," she says.

Lawley says that NVC has been the best job in her career because she got extensive support from her managers. Coming to NVC with no prior experience in the lighting industry, she was given training for a few hours every day for about eight weeks by her managers.

Entering the British market in 2007, NVC the Chinese newcomer competed head-to-head with Britain's 84-year-old Thorn Lighting and 34-year-old Dextra Lighting, and now already ships supplies to about 1,500 of the more than 3,500 electrical wholesalers in the UK.

Alongside the sales growth, the company's staff also rose to about 90 workers. Having proven her abilities, Lawley was then given the new challenge of managing a team of three sales employees, enabling her to share her own experiences with the more junior team members of the company.

The opportunities for personal development that Lawley got are more or less similar to what Paula Moffatt, 41, merchandising director of Chinese fashion brand Bosideng's UK subsidiary got.

Despite having 20 years of merchandising experience in Britain's fashion industry, Moffatt says she constantly encounters fresh challenges at Bosideng. For example, Moffatt's team of five employees is currently working on the launch of Bosideng's retail website, taking care of aspects like design, photos and technical details.

"It has allowed me as an individual to get into areas where I might not have the expertise. But because I have planning skills, I am doing it well, which is fantastic. In a lot of rigid and structured companies, we don't have such opportunities," she says.

On a day-to-day basis, Moffatt is in touch with Bosideng's designers and suppliers to make sure the right products arrive in store in the right quantity. She also collects and analyzes feedback on the popularity of each design.

"The hardest thing about merchandising for Bosideng is, there is no sales history. So we have to watch the sales closely, and make sure we don't continue to buy the designs that don't sell well," Moffatt says.

"This is a new lesson for me because for all the brands I've worked at previously, there was always a sales history. So if you had a green jacket last season that sold well, you can expect the green jacket this season to sell."

Opened in July, Bosideng's 35 million pound flagship store in central London has been a significant investment in Britain's depressed retail market.

Comparing Bosideng with her previous British employers, Moffatt says a key difference is the amount of trust Bosideng's senior managers place in her as the local expert to make the right decisions.

"When decisions need to be made in a British company, all relevant departments need to be consulted. But because Bosideng is growing so fast, we don't have time for that," she says.

She recalls an instance when decisions had to be made in one week to stock a store before its opening. Instead of allowing representatives from all departments to oversee the logistics operations, like any British company would do, Bosideng asked Moffatt to make the decisions.

"It feels like I have a voice. It feels like I have a presence and it feels like I am important," she says.

At Bosideng, Moffatt typically works about 13-14 hours each day, which includes about two hours of commuting time. "It's not because I have to, but I do it because I love my job. Every day there is excitement, because I never know what areas of responsibility might come in next for me."

The trust and pride that Ali-Choudhrey, Lawley and Moffatt express for their employers is a fitting demonstration that Chinese companies are responsible employers on their road to internationalization.

Their enthusiasm to work in a Chinese company reflects the rapid growth made by Chinese companies and affirms the quality of Chinese products in the global market.

"When I tell my clients that TP-Link's products are of high quality, I need to back up my words with enthusiasm, and I wouldn't have that enthusiasm unless I believed it myself," Ali-Choudhrey says.

Lawley feels the same. "I didn't know what Chinese companies would be like before I joined NVC, but I found NVC to be so professional, because there are certain standards to be fulfilled for everything we do to ensure the quality of our products and services," she says.

cecily.liu@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 12/07/2012 page6)