We always think that if we are admitted to a prestigious university, we can get ahead and reach the peak of life. But reality has given us a heavy slap in the face. A few days ago, a friend who graduated from 211 University complained to me, saying that he was finally admitted to a prestigious school, but after graduation, he ran into a wall everywhere to find a job, and it was difficult to find a job with a monthly salary of 10,000 yuan. This makes me sigh: can't even 211 graduates mix up now?
Highly educated ≠ high salary: the "Waterloo" on the road to job hunting
Speaking of which, this friend of mine is also an ambitious person. In the four years of college, he worked hard. In addition to his excellent grades in professional courses, he also took various certificates and participated in many club activities. When I graduated, I was full of confidence, thinking that with the golden sign of 211, it was not easy to find a good job?
But reality gave him a slap in the face. Submitting resumes, interviews, and other notices, round after round, but he was always brushed down at the last moment. Some companies directly told him: "Your education is very good, but we think you may not be suitable for this position." Another company politely declined: "You are very capable, but we are afraid that you will leave soon." "
What made him most depressed was that during an interview, HR asked him directly: "You graduated from 211, why did you apply for this position?" The salary for this position may not be up to your expectations. Hearing this, my friend almost collapsed on the spot.
The sequelae of college enrollment expansion: surplus talent vs scarcity
Actually, my friend's experience is not unique. According to statistics, in 2024, the number of ordinary college graduates in the country is expected to reach 11.79 million, a record high. Correspondingly, high-paying jobs are not growing in parallel.
Some experts analyzed that this is the sequelae brought about by the expansion of colleges and universities. In recent years, higher education in mainland China has developed rapidly, and the number of college students has surged. But the problem is that the demand for highly educated talents has not grown at the same time. As a result, a large number of highly educated people are flooding the job market without finding a job to match.
I saw a news item on the Internet that a graduate of a 985 college ended up working as a general worker in a factory. The classmate said: "I'd rather be a happy general worker than a miserable white-collar worker." Doesn't that sound particularly heart-wrenching?
The harsh reality of the job market: the depreciation of academic qualifications vs skills are king
Faced with this situation, many people began to reflect: Do we attach too much importance to academic qualifications?
Indeed, many companies now pay more attention to practical ability rather than simply academic qualifications. I've heard that some companies would rather hire skilled workers with high salaries than college students.
Some time ago, I saw a report that the wages of ordinary workers in a certain factory had reached five or six thousand yuan a month. At the same time, the starting salary of many college students is still stuck at three or four thousand yuan. This contrast makes people have to sigh: Is academic qualifications really that important?
What's even more surprising is that the income of some Internet celebrity anchors can reach more than 100,000 a month. It makes me wonder: should we re-examine our career choices?
The way to break the game: reshape the concept of employment and enhance the core competitiveness
In the face of the employment dilemma, I feel that we can't just complain. The key is to adjust the mentality and reshape the concept of employment.
We need to be aware of reality. A high degree of education is indeed an advantage, but it is not a unique advantage. In the job market, soft skills such as practical ability, work attitude, and teamwork are equally important.
We need to put down our bodies and start from the grassroots. The experience of many successful people tells us that only by accumulating experience at the grassroots level can we lay a solid foundation for future development.
We must continue to improve our core competitiveness. In this era, technology updates and iterations are too fast. We must maintain a learning attitude and constantly update the knowledge structure in order to be invincible in the fierce competition.
The future is here, are we ready?
Looking back on the employment situation over the years, I can't help but think: perhaps, we need to redefine "success".
Success shouldn't just be a well-paid job. More importantly, find a career that you are passionate about and realize your self-worth at work. Perhaps, like my friend who graduated from 211, we all need to adjust our expectations and replan our lives.
After all, in these rapidly changing times, no one knows what the future holds. What we can do is to keep an open mind, have the courage to try, and keep learning. Only in this way can we find our place in this challenging job market.