A very complicated topic. First, one need to differentiate between Local and foreign companies (including JV).
I personally have never been interviewed for a local company; therefore i cannot attest how it might be on first hand experience. However, from what i understood from persons who did have such an experience, there is always a motive behind the recruitment which can be beyond qualifications; aka looks... and the layoffs can happen very quickly.
I have only done an interview once in a Taiwanese company; and i was asked to do an intelligence and Chinese language test; which came as a surprise at the time. I obviously failed.
In foreign companies; the situation also differs depending on the one in question (origin; size; etc...). But i would say it would not deffer much from abroad. The interviewer might be an HR, your future manager, or the GM/CEO. It can be face to face, phone, skype, etc... You need to adapt to your interviewer; show that you are motivated and prove that you are the right candidate.
One other aspect would be whether the position is through a headhunter; or the company directly. Frankly speaking, over the course of one year; i receive around 20 job offers from headhunters; which is way above the offers someone would receive outside China. But after 10 years in China, i have learned that most are just fishing for CV's... as in most cases; i get 2~3 replies per year after applying through them.
If the headhunter happens to select you; then he would play an intermediate role to mediate between you and the recruiter. This might play positively on the package, etc... but also beware that the motivation remains the "commission" they will get if you are recruited... so yes they might hide important facts.
Apply only for positions that fit you. Unfortunately it always happen that we send CV's in all directions (lower position, lacking certification, experience does not match, etc...), Which actually is bad for you on two levels. First your image; as it would appear that you are desperate, unstable, not knowing what you want, etc... Second, you increase the chance of getting noticed by your company; especially if you applied for a position within the same sector.
Motivation is actually the most important point. In China recruiters receive many CV's, and go through them first to filter the best who they will interview. Which is why; if such person does not show real interest; the recruiter will be tempted to put the CV on the side as a backup. This is to say, a motivation letter is a must, even if it is a general one. Better a customized one for each job.
Of course; one should not be over enthusiastic, otherwise he might appear creepy or lose ground in the negotiation. In fact, the candidate need to be patient, but still show interest in the position; such as sending an email after a week or 10 days to esquire about the progress of his/her candidacy.
Beside this; the most important point remains the expected package; which is where most candidates get eliminated. One need to prepare in advance what to ask for; be smart in defining your expected package and be realistic. It is usually advised to refuse to give details of your expected or current salary; but i always answered such question...
Even if you receive an offer; it is also important to understand if you are "THE" candidate, or "A" candidate. If you are "THE" candidate, the company would do anything possible to have you on board; while in the later case, most likely they chose you as they didn't have the choice. This makes a huge difference for the short and long term, as the treatment would be different.
I would say that in terms of network; having professional connections might allow you to get some opportunities. I did have some candidacies considered through my connections; although they never materialized. However i would say an important point is to also have you network for advise regarding any position/offer. People might have insight which can give you an advantage.
One last point i will mention is that ALL the companies i have ever been interviewed in have glorified themselves; with no exception. Any company would like to project a great image as if everything is perfect, lure you in... except that in most cases; if you are a foreigner being considered for such a job; it is because you will have to deal with the mess that no one else is capable of dealing with (A sad fact).
Which is why, if your "to be manager" or the person you're replacing was not involved in the interviewing process; you should ask to meet him before going on board with the company in question. He might give you some insight on what to expect; and therefore have a more realistic view of how things are on the ground. Also if anyone from your network happened to have had an experience in or with the company; it would provide a greater insight.
OF course; do not approach employees from that given company without being officially allowed to through your interviewer or contact at the company. It often happens that i see candidates going out from the interview; then going to talk to my employees to get that "inside information". They are immediately disqualified.
I have personally never attempted to bring a gift or any type of the sort for an interview. On the contrary; if i was the interviewer; i would immediately eliminate such a candidate.
PS: Be sure there are no mistakes on the CV... especially grammatical ones...
