Civil service an attractive option amid economic slowdown

On the chilly morning of December 14, Chen Zao went to the China International Exhibition Center, where she competed with around 40,000 other college graduates for 14,000 jobs.

Chen took 10 copies of her resume with her. She gave nine copies to courts and procuratorates in Beijing, and left the last copy at the booth of Beijing Huaqi Technology Investment Consulting Co., Ltd (Huaqi). "Actually, I don't want to work for them," she confessed. "But it's a chance anyway. Maybe I will get an interview and get some practical experience for my civil service exam."

Chen decided to become a civil servant on the advice of her father, who graduated from college in 1982 and has ever since worked in a government organization in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian Province. "Life is easier for civil servants," he told her.

Another reason for Chen Zao's decision is that economic growth has slowed under the impact of the global financial crisis. Chen Zao's aunt, who had been involved in foreign trade in Fuzhou, was forced to close her company in November 2008. The aunt used to be Chen Zao's idol because she owned a BMW and a business worth tens of millions of yuan.

A total of 775,000 people took this year's civil service exam which qualifies them for 13,500 national civil servant jobs. That means 57 people were competing for one position.

"Look, I'm more comfortable than your aunt now," Chen Zao's father told her, and she decided he was right. So now she has set her heart on becoming a civil servant.

Chen Zao decided her best bet was to concentrating on finding a position in one of the Beijing's courts or procuratorates.

Her resume is impressive. She passed the national judicial examination and has had three papers published in major academic publications. She worked as an administrative assistant for two years in the School of Law in the Beijing Normal University, and was top of her class for three straight years.

Chen Zao has passed screening tests set by many judicial institutions, including the First Intermediate People's Court of Beijing, the Second Intermediate People's Court of Beijing, the No. 2 People's Procuratorate of Beijing, the People's Court of Haidian District, and the People's Court of Chaoyang District. Still, there is a long way to go. Before finally entering any of these institutions, she will have to take the civil service exam of Beijing on February 21, followed by professional exams set by her prospective employers, a final interview and a physical check-up.

What lies ahead for Chen is cut-throat competition. In 2009, the Beijing municipal government is planning to fill 2,707 job vacancies but has received more than 40,000 job applications from graduates. The Beijing Science and Technology Association received 454 applications for a single administrative post.

With companies going a tough time due to the global financial crisis, it is easy to understand why the civil service has become a popular choice for job-seekers. Faced with an uncertain future, a secure government job may well seem the best choice for young graduates.

Chen Zao is lucky compared with her peers. The public security bodies, procuratorates and people's courts are offering the largest number of job vacancies in 2009. Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau alone is recruiting 733 people, making it the biggest recruiter of all local government organizations. It is closely followed by local courts. The First Intermediate People's Court of Beijing, the Second Intermediate People's Court of Beijing and 18 district and county courts are recruiting 631 people in total. Chen Zao has applied to the People's Court of Chaoyang District and the People's Court of Haidian District. Each is advertising about 60 posts, twice as many as last year.

A source close to Beijing municipal government said the economic slowdown was affecting the job market. In the wake of the financial crisis, the local government instructed the courts to offer all job vacancies to recent college graduates.

Chen Zao said if she failed the exam, she would make do with her second best choice – a job in a state-owned enterprise.