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Poll: Hot majors of past not getting jobs

By Wang Ying (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-06-27 07:36

Related Story: China starts world's largest exam

High school graduate Yang Caifeng has been racking her brains over which subject to major in college.

"I'm not sure if a popular major will secure me a good job four years from now," the 17-year-old from Shandong province said early this week.

Students and their parents seek out universities to apply to at a fair in Hefei, Anhui province, June 28, 2008. A record 10.5 million Chinese high school students are competing for around six million university places this year. [Agencies]

Yang said her farmer parents are unable to provide suitable advice, while her teachers always give "vague suggestions".

"I've learnt that students majoring in certain hot subjects still cannot find work after graduation," she said.

Huang Kaixiang, a high school student from Henan province, is being confronted with the same problem.

"Some of my classmates chose to apply for economics while others decided on law," Huang said.

"We are following popular trends."

But university graduates trained in popular subjects have instead found that they are the least desired among employers in a tough job market, a recent survey has found.

The poll, released last Friday by Beijing-based survey company Mycos HR, looked at the employment of graduates in various fields last year.

About 200,000 graduates nationwide were polled.

The 10 most popular disciplines that saw low rates of employment last year included computer science, law, English language, world economy and trade, Chinese literature, business management, electronic engineering, information management, accounting and mathematics.

Only 86 percent of law graduates found jobs last year, lower than the average 91 percent employment rate for graduates of various majors.

"Specialties offered by universities and colleges should be market-oriented and meet the needs of society," said Wang Boqing, chief researcher of Mycos HR.

Qian Jun, a senior student at Guizhou University majoring in computer science, said only five out of his 53 classmates found jobs late last year, while most graduates of mining and material specialties, who will graduate in July, had already clinched jobs late last year.

"When I entered college four years ago, computer science was the most popular subject with good job prospects," Qian said.

University students check out vacancies at a career fair in Beijing on March 5. Graduates are said to be facing a tough job market. [China Daily]

"That has become yesterday's glory," he said.

"As a result, most of my classmates have chosen to study for their master's or attend the civil service exam."

The Ministry of Education had already publicized the employment situation of bachelor degree holders from 226 specialties in the country last year.

The specialties with high employment rates last year included those in traditional industries such as machinery and manufacturing, as well as in emerging disciplines such as financial engineering.

"As the economy progresses, the demand for talent keeps changing, and once-popular subjects might be out-of-date years later," said Wei Qirong, a material engineering professor with the China University of Geosciences.

With the surging demand for energy and natural resources at home and abroad in the recent five to six years, previously unpopular fields such as geology, geochemistry and mineral resource exploration have become popular again, Wei said.

"The employment rate of graduates from our school's mining and geological engineering subjects hit 100 percent last year," he said.

Looking ahead

Though it is hard to tell what will be hot in four years, high school students are still trying their best to find clues to help them decide which major to take.

A number of private test centers in the country have emerged in recent years to cater to increasing demand for career development and counseling by high school graduates.

The tests cover a student's personality, career objectives, abilities and overall potential.

"The tests can help college applicants find their professional potential according to their ability," said Li Shunfu, a consultant at the Beijing-based Golden Hat Potential Evaluation Center.

Students in the United States and Japan often take similar tests before choosing a discipline in a university, Li said.