IDEO China Young Talent Program - Spring 2019

The IDEO China Young Talent Program is a 3-month on-the-job learning experience for young talent who want to explore career opportunities in the exciting world of unlocking innovation through design.

Starting in March 2019, you will be immersed in the true spirit of design through client projects, one on one mentorship with seasoned IDEO designers and if you are exceptional, a long-term role designed for you at IDEO.

WHAT WILL YOU DO?

GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY
Main part of the program is centred around fast-paced projects at IDEO. Some of the past projects our young talents participated include redefining the mission of an international brand in China,painting a vision for the future kitchen, and designing a new venture from scratch. You will be expected to contribute along the entire design thinking process of a project.

ENGAGE A CREATIVE NETWORK
We believe that young talents are the most inspired when they are surrounded by people that could act as role models. You will meet a variety of talented individuals from the IDEO creative network, and have the chance to broaden your perspective by speaking with designers who come from wildly diverse backgrounds.

LEARN, REFLECT, AND SHINE
As a part of the program, you will have several mentors and guides to help you along your journey. We will provide a safe space for you to test out personal projects that showcase your passion and creativity, and share our personal experiences and insights on the IDEO culture, skill development, and potential career paths.

IF PROGRAM IS FOR YOU IF YOU ARE…

1. A CURRENT GRADUATE STUDENT AND/OR A COLLEGE GRADUATE WITH UP TO 5 YEARS OF WORK EXPERIENCE; ANY MAJOR!
While we got our start as an industrial design firm, IDEO now prides itself on hiring talents from a variety of fields to form our interdisciplinary teams. Don’t be shy if you are not from a typical ‘design’ background! We are excited to see both your craft and your personality through the resume, cover letter, and answers to your application questions!

2. PREPARED TO BRING YOUR WHOLE SELF TO WORK
We want to be inspired by you! You are someone who compels, even challenges us to look at the world through different lenses. If you have any unique skills, experiences, or points of view, please let us know! IDEOers are more than just designers, we are also documentarians, drummers, and stand-up comedians.

3. PASSIONATE ABOUT DESIGN THINKING
We are looking for young talents who understand the fundamentals of our methodology, and who are passionate about applying human-centered design to real-life challenges. Regardless of whether your background is in design, social sciences, literature, or finance, you should have a strong interest in using your skills to drive social and business innovation in China.

4. A GREAT TEAM PLAYER
We celebrate the strength of the collective rather than the individual; a fundamental factor that makes IDEO unique is having interdisciplinary teams on each project, and valuing each team members’ experience and insights every step of the way. We want to see that you are a story-teller, and an even better listener; an idea-generator, and an even better executor; a leader, and an even better collaborator. Show us how you have made others successful in the past.

5. NATIVE-LIKE CHINESE SPEAKER

6. LEGALLY ALLOWED TO WORK IN CHINA

HOW TO APPLY

Fill out this questionnaire in which you would input your basic information, attach your resume and cover letter, and answer the following two questions (all materials need to be in English)：

1. In written form: how do you envision your passion and craft coming together at IDEO Shanghai?

2. In 1-min video form: Tell us about the last thing that inspired you and why (please upload your video to any platform and provide us with the link in the questionnaire)

The deadline for submission is Saturday, January 5th, 2019. If you pass the first round of screening, you will be receiving an invitation from us by Thursday, January 10th, for a one-day immersive experience at IDEO Shanghai.

We look forward to hearing from you!