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A recent job fair in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region attracted a lot of unexpected attention, reported China Youth Daily on March 23, due to a job ad placed by a local foot massage company. The ad listed two positions, the first for a trainee secretary or accounts clerk with a monthly salary of 1,300 yuan (US$168) but it was the second that caught the attention of visitors. Remunerated at a rate of 2,000 yuan (US$258.5) a month, the company sought apprentices to study foot massage or scraping therapy (called Gua Sha, an ancient Chinese folk treatment in which a patient's skin is rubbed with a piece of jade). Unexpectedly, this opportunity attracted over 300 students who applied to become a foot-massager or scraping therapist.

An official from Xinjiang's human resources service center revealed that the capital, Urumqi, suffered from heavy employment pressure that explained graduates shying away from the former manna of state-owned enterprises and institutions. Instead of relying on traditional job-seeking avenues, services industries such as catering, marketing, hotels or health care represent new hopes for graduates trying to escape the dole queue.

Yang Baolin, executive director of the Urumqi Foot Massage and Healthcare Co Ltd, noted that the company had recently hired 20 university students, principally as foot masseurs. "Every day, we received lots of students seeking job advice," Yang said.

Some experts interviewed by China Youth Daily expressed their worries. Families and the state spend large amounts of money in developing university students. That "their career choices are simply a waste of talent" was the common complaint. However, this view was not unanimous. That "all trades need talents, and a university diploma only means a student has received higher education and doesn't mean he or she is a talented person" was a counter-argument.

"After 16 years of study, for a graduate to end up in the foot massage trade is not only a waste of talent but a blow to all university graduates," said Huang Wenguan, a senior student at Xinjiang University's Department of Journalism.

Yang firmly rejected these claims, responding that "graduating students can expand their skill-set while taking a part-time job here. A foot massage technician is always seen as a low-ranking member of society, but my enterprise views it differently. Every profession produces its own leading authorities. If you think highly of the services industry and yourself, you may distinguish yourself in this trade," Yang said.

Ju Yonghua now works as a sales agent in a chewing gum company after graduating five years ago. He thought the phenomenon was "very normal" since the number of graduates has increased the difficulty of finding work. Large and state-owned companies usually offer comparatively low salaries, leading students to choosing different jobs in return for "being adequately fed."

"For me, existence comes first, and aspirations second," Ju said. "Being a masseur isn't a waste of talent for a university graduate, because he or she must make a livelihood out of his or her skills. It is unrealistic to expect to attain the highest level in one step."

Liu Shihua, an undergraduate at Xinjiang Normal University's Department of Physics, expressed worries at his career options, reflecting Ju's opinion that salary is of prime importance: "Enterprises offer extremely low monthly salaries nowadays ranging from 500 to 800 yuan (US$64.6-103.4) only. Everyday, I shuttle back and forth between job fairs and come back home empty-handed, leaving me very disappointed," Liu said.

Upon visiting his hometown in Guizhou Province during the Spring Festival in February, Liu was scarred by what he heard, "Many of my childhood friends had no money and did not go to university, but they make good salaries by doing manual work. Those with technical abilities have even started their own shops and businesses. Compared with them, I am uncertain of my future," Liu said, adding "I wasted my entire university life."

China Youth Daily's research concurred since it found that university graduates no longer consider themselves among the elite. Now, rising unemployment fears have seen standards drop as any wage is snapped up. 

Li, an official with Xinjiang's human resources service center, said that a university diploma is an advantage but not a guarantee of a good position. "It is more important to transfer knowledge to practice," he said. "Some graduates dream of attaining the highest level in one step but they must first gain a solid foundation. Many successful people started humbly."

(China.org.cn by Li Jingrong, March 26, 2007)