As the number of university graduates mushrooms in China, so do these graduates' employment concerns.

 

Among the questions these graduates face is whether to struggle to find a job in big cities' overcrowded job markets or to satiate small towns' and rural areas' thirst for well-educated employees.

 

Several decades ago, the number of university graduates was relatively small and could not meet the demands of government institutions and State-owned enterprises. At that time, graduates were assigned to a post immediately upon leaving campus.

 

This past lack of graduates from institutions of higher learning has cultivated a mentality that believes such students would naturally and easily join the ranks of the government hierarchy upon graduation.

 

So, graduates particularly those from big cities take it for granted that they are entitled to jobs in big companies or government institutions, even though the assignment system was abolished years ago.

 

Accordingly, a change of mindset among graduates could be the key to making a smooth transition from campus life to working life.

 

At various levels, the government is taking commendable steps by encouraging fresh graduates to go to small towns and rural areas. This helps graduates to shift their mindsets and provides the well-educated workforce these areas direly need.

 

Such moves offer graduates advantages, as they are given more elbowroom to put into practice what they have learned.

 

They would have more opportunities to find pragmatic solutions to challenging tasks and to hone their problem-solving abilities. It is akin to another step in their education; such skills and aptitudes can hardly be learnt on campus but are essential to their future careers.

 

And working in such underdeveloped areas will help them extend their understanding and knowledge beyond their homes or campuses especially for those from urban areas. Such experiences would broaden their horizons and help them better plan their future careers.

 

(China Daily May 9, 2007)