china govt building.jpg (Photo : Reuters)
More graduates are still seeking positions in the Chinese government by taking the National Public Servant Exam or guokao.
The promise of a stable job and benefits continues to lure applicants in taking the exam. Although there is still a large number of applications annually, between 20 and 50 percent quit after applying for the exam, China Daily reported. In 2013, more than 1.5 million registered to take the guokao and only 99,000 took the tests.
Fresh graduates comprise a large percent of guokao takers because of lack of experience.
Guokao consists an aptitude test and an essay on policy. Passers of written tests will go through interviews and specialized tests given by different government departments.
As accounted, one reason why graduates opt to be civil servants is the stability of government jobs. Some see the benefits such as health insurance and year-end bonus, among others, as attractive.
Recently, South China Morning Post reported that the State Administration of Civil Service has slated more than 22,000 public service jobs in the central government; 2,000 of these will be based in the capital.
Party membership is not required to be able to apply to these jobs, said the administration.
The top three vacant posts will come from the foreign ministry, the Shenzhen General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection, and the China Banking Regulatory Commission.
Zhang Huisui, head of the team that created the guokao test app called Gongwuyuan, said that interest in taking the exam will only increase in the coming years because of the tightening job market.
Similar scenarios can be seen in developed and developing countries like the U.S. and India. Graduates choose to become civil servants because of economic slowdown and uncertainty in private employment.
