CHINA, NATIONAL, SOCIETY: University Graduates Up, Salary Expectations Down
By Shi Rui and Wang Yan
Mainland undergraduates have dismissed overly high salary expectations in job hunting. Most set their expectant monthly pay this year between 1000-2000 yuan, according to a survey on 2006 mainland undergraduate employment.
Conducted by the School Department of Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China and the Peking University Public Policy Institute from April to May, the survey involved 3451 students from 16 universities from across the nation. The report viewed the expectation change as "university students have given up the unrealistic illusion of high salary and begun to judge their value rationally."
Mainland undergraduates this year reached 4.13 million, 22% more than that of 2005, which sharpens the conflict between the excess of job hunters and the lack of jobs. Until the end of May, more than half of the respondents had not settled with a job, and only 49.81% had "signed a contract" or "had clear intention but not signed yet."
Fu Xiao, a senior-to-be from Shanxi University of Finance and Economics, hoped to get a position in some commercial bank after graduation, and her salary expectation is among the average: "2,000 yuan will be fine, and most of my classmates share the same expectation. We hope the salary can be no less than 1,000."
Xu Jinzhong, who graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University in July 2006, now works at China Youth League School, department of international communication. His monthly pay is around 2000 yuan, "just the standard of a public official," Xu said.
"I didn't set a high expectation on my salary before job hunting. Any salary no less than 2000 would be acceptable to me."
Learning that 66.1% of undergraduates set their expectant monthly pay on 1000-2000 yuan, Xu explained: "Things are a little bit different in BFSU. Our major is foreign languages. Undergraduates’ salary in our department is no less than 2000 on average."
During his job hunting, Xu gave up a position in a real estate company, which offered him 2500 yuan per month, excluding extra commission. He thought his present job had better "future prospects," enabling him to meet more people and learn about protocols, which overshadowed its disadvantage in salary.
Future prospects offered by a job were listed as the NO.1 consideration in job hunting by 67.10% of the respondents, the survey showed. Extreme pursuit of individual development led to "volunteer working," that is, some undergraduates offered to work for their favored employers with no pay.
"It's understandable," Xu said, "If you do not have a financial problem, doing your favored job is a good choice," Sharing Xu's idea, Fu would also be willing to work without pay for a period of time if the company can provide her a bright prospect and large room for development.
"The emergence of 'volunteer working' reflects undergraduates' yearning for the chance of individual development, their complex attitudes towards personal ability and professional prosperity, and their helplessness facing the tight job market." The report commented.
Sources:
Fu Xiao, student, 付晓
Xu Jinzhong, undergraduate, 徐金忠
An earlier draft of this article by the authors appeared in the South China Morning Post July 18 -- the editors
Mainland undergraduates have dismissed overly high salary expectations in job hunting. Most set their expectant monthly pay this year between 1000-2000 yuan, according to a survey on 2006 mainland undergraduate employment.
Conducted by the School Department of Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China and the Peking University Public Policy Institute from April to May, the survey involved 3451 students from 16 universities from across the nation. The report viewed the expectation change as "university students have given up the unrealistic illusion of high salary and begun to judge their value rationally."
Mainland undergraduates this year reached 4.13 million, 22% more than that of 2005, which sharpens the conflict between the excess of job hunters and the lack of jobs. Until the end of May, more than half of the respondents had not settled with a job, and only 49.81% had "signed a contract" or "had clear intention but not signed yet."
Fu Xiao, a senior-to-be from Shanxi University of Finance and Economics, hoped to get a position in some commercial bank after graduation, and her salary expectation is among the average: "2,000 yuan will be fine, and most of my classmates share the same expectation. We hope the salary can be no less than 1,000."
Xu Jinzhong, who graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University in July 2006, now works at China Youth League School, department of international communication. His monthly pay is around 2000 yuan, "just the standard of a public official," Xu said.
"I didn't set a high expectation on my salary before job hunting. Any salary no less than 2000 would be acceptable to me."
Learning that 66.1% of undergraduates set their expectant monthly pay on 1000-2000 yuan, Xu explained: "Things are a little bit different in BFSU. Our major is foreign languages. Undergraduates’ salary in our department is no less than 2000 on average."
During his job hunting, Xu gave up a position in a real estate company, which offered him 2500 yuan per month, excluding extra commission. He thought his present job had better "future prospects," enabling him to meet more people and learn about protocols, which overshadowed its disadvantage in salary.
Future prospects offered by a job were listed as the NO.1 consideration in job hunting by 67.10% of the respondents, the survey showed. Extreme pursuit of individual development led to "volunteer working," that is, some undergraduates offered to work for their favored employers with no pay.
"It's understandable," Xu said, "If you do not have a financial problem, doing your favored job is a good choice," Sharing Xu's idea, Fu would also be willing to work without pay for a period of time if the company can provide her a bright prospect and large room for development.
"The emergence of 'volunteer working' reflects undergraduates' yearning for the chance of individual development, their complex attitudes towards personal ability and professional prosperity, and their helplessness facing the tight job market." The report commented.
Sources:
Fu Xiao, student, 付晓
Xu Jinzhong, undergraduate, 徐金忠
An earlier draft of this article by the authors appeared in the South China Morning Post July 18 -- the editors
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