Have you ever imagined that as long as you are admitted to a prestigious school, you will be able to sit back and relax in the future? However, reality has given us a slap in the face. Recently, the job search experience of a full-scholarship master's degree from Yale University has sparked heated discussions on the Internet. This girl named Lin Qi, after submitting nearly 1,000 resumes, failed to find a satisfactory job! Is this an isolated case, or does it expose the general dilemma of today's job market? Let's uncover the truth behind this shocking case together.
The dilemma of job hunting under the halo of prestigious schools: 800 resumes were lost in the sea
Lin Qi, a young man who seems to have a bright future. She graduated from Beijing Foreign Affairs University with a bachelor's degree in Japanese and was admitted to Yale University, one of the world's top universities, to pursue a master's degree in literature with a full scholarship. He is proficient in Chinese, Japanese and English, and has also interned at the Google Developer Conference and the Embassies. Such a resume, in previous years, is definitely a sweet spot that major companies are vying for.
However, the reality gave Lin Qi a blow in the face. In the five months starting in October 2023, she submitted resumes to more than 800 companies operating in the United States. To her astonishment, she only received a dozen reply emails! Half of them are from Japanese companies, and the other half are Chinese companies.
"Every day when I open the mailbox, all I see is silence like a sea of stones." Lin Qi recalled, "That feeling, like the sound you shouted with all your might, but you were locked in a vacuum, and there was no echo. "
Interview scene: mismatch between strength and opportunity
The interview opportunity that I was waiting for was not easy.
In the second round of interviews with a Japanese company, when the interviewer asked how to market a certain product, although Lin Qi had a clear idea, he did not know how to express it in Japanese because of a few key words, and finally fell short. "At that moment, I realized that academic qualifications and language skills do not equate to actual job skills." Lin Qi said with emotion.
When interviewing Chinese companies, Lin Qi felt even more uncomfortable. She described those interviews as "toxic." Interviewers tend to sit upright with serious expressions, giving the impression of being condescending and perfunctory.
"In one interview, all three interviewers wore black-rimmed glasses, and the eyes that came through the lenses were chilling." Lin Qi recalled, "They were always silent, as if they were conducting a silent stress test. "
What Lin Qi didn't expect was that the entrepreneurial experience she was proud of had become a "stain". The interviewers were quite dissatisfied with this, and repeatedly asked her if she "can't stand to work for others" and "work is just a transitional period". These doubts made Lin Qi doubt whether his choice in the past was correct.
A double-edged sword of academic qualifications: both disliked and looked up to
Lin Qi's job search road is full of contradictions and embarrassments. On the one hand, her high degree of education discourages some companies. A Chinese company called, with a little weakness and low self-esteem in her tone, asking if she would like to do some simple telemarketing work. After receiving an affirmative answer, the other party came to a pessimistic conclusion: "You graduated from Yale, and you are useless to us." Even if we admit you, it won't be long before you make the jump to big business. "
On the other hand, she is often looked up to. Some companies expect too much from her, and the questions asked during interviews are far beyond her capabilities. "I feel like I'm trapped in a strange circle," Mr. Lin said, "and my education is too high for small companies to dare to ask for; Lack of experience, large companies do not look down. "
The dilemma of international students: visas have become the last hurdle
For international students like Lin Qi, finding a job also faces a huge practical problem - visa.
The U.S. government stipulates that liberal arts students only have one year to find a job after graduation. If you fail in your job search, you must return to your home country. Moreover, liberal arts students only have one chance to apply for a work visa, and the probability of winning is extremely low. This means high costs and great uncertainty for employers.
"Time is like a sword hanging over my head," Mr. Lin said, "and every day I feel one step closer to being forced to return to China." "
At the end of the job search period, Lin Qi finally waited for an offer from a Japanese company. However, because of poor communication, I finally missed out because of visa issues. "At that moment, I felt like the whole world had collapsed," Lin Qi recalled, "Did the two years of studying abroad go down the drain like this?"
Returning to China to find a job: a mixture of hope and disappointment
After two years of studying in the United States and half a year of finding a job, Lin Qi finally chose to return to China. However, the path to finding a job after returning home is also challenging.
"A lot of domestic companies aren't interested in returnees," Mr. Lin said, "and they value actual work experience more than your academic qualifications." "
Lin Qi found that the knowledge and skills he accumulated abroad were not so popular in the domestic workplace. "I feel like a 'top student' who has been abandoned by the times," she said with a wry smile, "I have a diploma from a top university in the world, but I can't find a job that I want." "
Expert interpretation: the deep reasons behind the employment dilemma of students from elite schools
Regarding Lin Qi's experience, Li Ming (pseudonym), director of the career guidance center of a university in Beijing, said: "This reflects several common problems in the current job market."
- Disconnect between learning and application: "There is a gap between the training model of many colleges and universities and the actual needs of enterprises," Li Ming said, "and it is often difficult for students to directly apply the knowledge they learn in school to their work."
- Excessive worship of academic qualifications: "Society has too high expectations of elite students and ignores differences in individual abilities," Li Ming points out, "which leads to some elite students being either highly regarded or misunderstood when looking for jobs."
- Downward pressure on the economy: "In the face of poor economic conditions, many companies have scaled back their hire," Li explained, "which has made competition for jobs more intense."
- Policy restrictions for international students: "For overseas students, visa policy restrictions are really a huge obstacle," Li said, "and this needs to be adjusted at the policy level."
Future prospects: How to solve the employment dilemma of students from elite schools?
In the face of such a dilemma, how can we break the situation? The experts gave the following recommendations:
- Adjust your mindset and lower your expectations: "Students from prestigious schools should realize that academic qualifications are just a stepping stone, and real competitiveness comes from actual ability," advises Zhang Fang (pseudonym), a career planning expert.
- Emphasizing practice and accumulating experience: "During the school period, you should participate in internships and project practice to accumulate practical work experience," Zhang Fang said.
- Improving soft power: "In addition to professional knowledge, soft skills such as communication skills, teamwork, and ability to work under pressure are equally important," Zhang stressed.
- Plan wisely and be prepared: "Understand the target industry and company in advance and improve yourself in a targeted manner," advises Zhang Fang.
- Policy support: "The government should introduce more policies to support the employment of international students and create a better development environment for them," Li Ming appealed.
Lin Qi's experience may be just the tip of the iceberg. It reflects the deep-seated problems existing in the whole society in terms of education and employment. Only the joint efforts of schools, enterprises and governments can truly solve this problem.
So, what do you think about the employment situation in the face of such a grim employment situation? Feel free to leave a message in the comment section and share your views and experiences!
