If you are a graduate student who feels a job with a monthly pay of 800 yuan (US$99.41) as unworthy of your talents, or who worries about the problem of your local permanent residence registration, there are two words: village official.

That's right: working as a village official can earn you 2,500 yuan on average. And even better, it comes with residence registration. Those hired as officials can get a registered Beijing permanent residence after two years at work, and other benefits as well.

Seems unbelievable? But it is sincerely true. However, the existence of such jobs is a non-spectacle compared with their unprecedented popularity among college graduates, especially those who will graduate from non-Beijing places but are competing for a foothold in Beijing.

It is reported that about 2,000 current college graduates (or those with higher degrees) will be hired as village officials from this July in Beijing's suburban districts.

Also, other sources said it had been planned to have about 8,000 graduate village officials work in Beijing's suburb area in three years' time to enlarge graduates' employment.

With a compulsory three-year commitment, the recently graduated village officials will be paid 2,000, 2,500, and 3,000 yuan over three years respectively and non-Beijing graduates will get a registered permanent Beijing residence after two years at work.

The benefits from the job seem appealing enough. But as some people worry, will college graduates, who are supposedly unusually lucky and future big business makers, feel comfortable working in small villages? However, the worries seem needless.

A graduate surnamed Zhang born in Beijing's urban area showed her confidence in the job despite a lack of life experience in villages. "I am still young and it is a chance, through which I could learn a lot from the very practical work," she said.

Another student, originally from Beijing's suburban area, was more geared for the job, saying: "I am a country native so I am familiar with village life. I am seeking the job aiming to earn some working experience to build up my qualifications in the civil servant entrance exams after I leave the job in three years."

A lot of other students of non-agriculture-related majors also expressed their intent to enrich their experiences and sharpen their abilities through a job as a village official. They said the experience of working in a village would help them get suitable jobs in the future.

However, the job does not always go according to the students' expectations. Most of the new village officials (44 percent) said various frictions among villagers rank as the main obstacle to their work.

Experts say a lack of professional knowledge is the main reason for graduates failing to establish good bonds with their fellow villagers.

A survey indicated that merely 4 percent of the young village officials have agriculture-related majors, while nearly half of them majored in science, literature or education, non-agriculture-related majors.

Concerned about the insufficient professional knowledge, experts warned that students should think twice before signing their names on the contract.

For one reason, what villagers really need are people who will sincerely put their hearts on villages' well being, but not those who intend to use the job as merely a springboard for "higher" positions.

For another, not all the graduates, supposedly future big business makers, are qualified for a "low" position as a village official indeed. The job requires a certain level of professional knowledge so it would be a waste of human resources to hire those unable to put their knowledge into practice.

So how do the villagers themselves feel about graduates serving as their villager officials? Another survey shows 45 percent of villagers conveyed their support for the new appointments while 2 percent gave a definite "no." With regard to the opinions of the current graduate officials, 13 percent of villagers said they were good enough while 11 percent think badly of them.

However, only a fraction of the current graduate village officials (5 percent) feel regretful of their decision while most of them said their jobs are satisfactory or very beneficial.

(China Daily February 17, 2006)