After four years of college life, the latest class of NIT seniors is graduating and heading out into “the real world”. Not that long ago, they all had to take an exam often described as the cruelest test in China – the College Entrance Examination, or ‘gaokao’. Afterwards, they faced a series of crucial life decisions regarding the pursuit of a higher education. In retrospect, some may regret their choices, while others feel lucky to have made good ones. Now, these students are facing yet another critical juncture in their lives – choosing a career. And, as we know, 2013 has been a tough year for job-hunting in China because of the sharp increase in the total number of college graduates combined with the economic slowdown.
Dong Hongcheng, a graduating journalism major, was impressed by his college experience: “How time flies! These four years seem like a dream to me now. I have so many fond memories, such as traveling with my classmates, running through the rain, and racing friends to the Administration Building late at night. During these four years, I have gone through a lot and I have grown up a lot. I dare say that I am not the person that I used to be. Moreover, I think the most significant thing about my college life was not my development as a scholar, but what I learned from extra-curricular experiences.” Dong added, “As for love, I think it’s advisable for everyone to have a boyfriend or girlfriend during their college years, and we should all have faith in the existence of true love. If we hold this belief firmly in our mind, we are bound eventually to find our ‘Mr. Right’ or ‘Mrs. Right’. I think this is the truth, and not so-called naiveté.”
Mr. Dong has already found a satisfactory job at a news agency. “I feel very confident about my job choice. The serious employment problem didn’t really impact me. I think it’s likely that graduates in Beijing, Shanghai or cities in the Pearl River Delta are being impacted more deeply than we are,” Dong said.
In fact, the employment situation in China’s developed areas is more serious than in the country’s more remote regions. To exacerbate the situation, prices for food and housing in urban centers are continuing to rise at an unprecedented rate. The combination of high unemployment and increased life expectancy in our society is creating a great deal of stress – both for China’s youth and for China’s older generation. Nevertheless, students remain optimistic in the face of these challenges, and hope to find well-paying jobs to begin their careers.
The NIT Post also spoke with Zhou Haixiang, a graduate of the School of Journalism. What sets him apart from his classmates is his military experience; he served in the army for two years, and he’s now preparing to graduate. Zhou reflected, “My two-year army experience made me more mature. It reinforced my personal will and improved my overall quality. Partly because of the difficult job market, I intend to start my own business after graduation. I can see light at the end of the tunnel.”
From our conversations with these new graduates it is evident that, although we may not be able to change our social situation, we can change ourselves. If we work diligently and prepare arduously for our future career, there will be nothing to worry about. In today’s challenging economic climate, college graduates can expect to encounter strong competition for the best positions. To succeed, they should be confident and remain optimistic.
