Graduates are worrying less about catching the virus than the impact it will have on their careers as company-organised recruiting events on campuses across China are pushed back or cancelled amid nationwide bans on public gatherings to avoid the spread of disease. — Reuters pic
“Companies are recruiting fewer people than last year and competition will get even more fierce. I can’t be sure if I’ll be able to find a job,” Di Qingyu, a philosophy student at Nanjing University, told Reuters via WeChat. The proportion of companies seeking more than 500 new employees fell by more than half after the outbreak to just 2.2 per cent, according to a report from Zhaopin, a recruitment website.
One recent graduate, who wanted to remain anonymous, told Reuters her job offer at a tech startup in Beijing was cancelled after someone in the office caught the virus. The job was later offered again if she joined in mid March, but she isn’t sure if the company will keep its word. Joining the army, volunteering in China’s generally poorer western regions, or entering village-level government are among the career options that will be promoted, said Wang.
“As soon as businesses regain their strength, one position will be sure to see a hundred applicants,” it said.