Crowded job market leads to grads to adopt flexible approach

Some condemn them for wasting their education while others applaud

A graduate from a well-known university who has chosen to work as a garbage collector and seller, and who is making more than 10,000 yuan ($1,452) a month, has triggered heated debates online regarding what counts as a decent job for college graduates.

The woman, surnamed Huang, graduated from Zhengzhou University in 2018 and had three different jobs before becoming a full-time garbage collector and seller in August, according to the news website Btime.

Huang said that she has no interest in office work, which she found too competitive and both mentally and physically exhausting, even though collecting garbage is also tiring.

While she was afraid of being discriminated against at first, she later realized that an academic degree should not be a hurdle for people to do what they are passionate about.

Her choice became a trending topic on Sina Weibo, with some netizens rooting for her for "doing something she likes", and others wondering whether she had wasted her education and talent.

With a record number of college graduates entering the workforce in recent years, more graduates are choosing unconventional, more flexible jobs.

According to the Ministry of Education's Center for Student Services and Development, 16.9 percent of graduates chose flexible jobs in 2020, and 16.2 percent in 2021.

According to the news website chengdu.cn, a graduate of the Central Academy of Fine Arts is working as a manicurist in her hometown in Jilin province after graduating last year.

Making use of what she learned in college, the graduate, surnamed Zhao, turns her manicures into pieces of art. After she posted pictures on social media platforms, she was both praised for her beautiful work and criticized for wasting her education and choosing a business that is not sustainable.

Zhao said that she prefers low-pressure work and hopes that other people will stop looking down on certain jobs.

"As long as a job is needed, it is worthwhile," she said.

Although the criticism upsets her, she said that it does not influence her life or make her want to give up her job.

"It is my choice. Choosing to be a manicurist is no one's concern but mine, and I am supported by the people around me," she said.

Xiong Bingqi, director of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, said that the record 11.58 million college students expected to graduate this year are faced with a difficult employment situation and will need to make rational career choices.

Choosing jobs based on a degree is an outdated concept, and students should forget about their academic backgrounds and make career choices based on their abilities, he said.

Zhao Jiajia, a senior undergraduate student at Beijing University, said she also prefers flexible work and does not want a repetitive job such as working for a government institution, even if it is stable.

She worked part-time as a photographer during college and made some money. She has also thought about becoming a full-time photographer and has accounts on photo-heavy social media platforms Xiaohongshu and Douyin.

The COVID-19 epidemic stalled Zhao's preparations to launch a business, and she has not been able to attract many followers, so she has decided to pursue postgraduate studies in Spain.

"With rapid social development, new jobs keep emerging. College students nowadays have access to more information online, so they have more creative ideas for starting unconventional jobs," she said.