At 9 AM on Saturday, Deng Jie, a senior at Suzhou University,
joined the 365,000 people to sit the national civil service
examination.
The competition is going to be tough. Only one out of 35
candidates will qualify for an offer, and for some hotly sought
positions in the finance, commerce or foreign affairs departments,
the ratio is one out of 200, according to the Ministry of
Personnel. About 81 percent of those taking the exam are college
students about to graduate.
But Deng, who is majoring in international commerce, still wants
to try her luck because most of her classmates have signed up.
"I don't want to miss the chance for a stable and decent job,"
she said.
One of the reasons behind the exam "mania" is the lifting of a
ban on students without a Beijing hukou or household
registration to vie for positions in the central government.
The Ministry of Personnel said there should be no discrimination
against applicants on the basis of gender, appearance or marital
status.
"The tough examination situation reflects the intense
competition in the job market, especially for college graduates,"
said Ren Zhanzhong, director of the Beijing Career Guidance Center
for Higher Education Students.
With the number of graduates expected to reach a record 4
million next year 600,000 more than this year the situation will
become tougher, he said.
The Ministry of Education said that from 2006 to 2010, 27
million university graduates will enter the job market.
But most of them, who were born in the 1980s and are the only
child in the family, are reluctant to take on something as
challenging as running their own business, said Hong Xiangyang, a
Shanghai-based career consultant.
It is expected that the competition for civil service positions
will continue at a similar level of intensity in the coming years,
Ren said.
To find a better job, many students have tried every means to
impress potential employers, such as fancy business cards and
resumes. Some even offer to work for free.
"Most positions require working experience, which is what we are
short of," Deng said. "If the position is attractive, I am willing
to take it just for the experience."
Parents' hopes are another reason for the civil service exam
fever.
"I'm not sure whether I will like a job in government," Deng
said. "But my parents think it is stable and well-paid and
desirable."
Hong said such an idea is popular among parents.
"A job in the government appears stable, regular and
uncompetitive," he said. "Many parents want their children to have
a comfortable shelter."
(China Daily November 26, 2005)