Winter is freezing cold in the remote mountainous areas of Tajikistan. Work on construction sites is exhausting. The idea of being stuck doing this task for 11 months is not appealing.
Li Tao (not his real name), 23, knew that he would be sent abroad before he accepted the job offer two months ago. He chose a challenging position at a state-owned manufacturer rather than a cushy job.
“I wanted to learn and grow in a big company and to test myself with a challenging job,” said Li. “I hoped to become more competitive in the job market after overcoming hardships.”
What to expect
The workplace newbie is already under pressure learning engineering, contract law and business. All are new to the graduate majoring in Russian.
And Li has doubts about the challenge of working in Tajikistan. He wonders, “Am I ready?” If he can’t endure the hardships, he has made up his mind that he will quit.
Fresh college grads are expected to be enthusiastic about their jobs, but many appear uneasy and frustrated. Some even think about quitting after only a few months.
Zhaopin.com carried out a survey on Sina Weibo micro blog in August. Among the 133 respondents, 58 percent quit their first job within one year (43 percent within six months and 23 percent within two months).
What leads to resignations is the gap between grads’ expectations and the real work situation, according to Wu Chuyin, a commentator at Southern Metropolis Daily.
“College students usually expect too much from their first job, such as a satisfying salary, on-job training and quick promotion,” she explained. “But at the same time, they tend to underestimate the difficulties they are going to confront.”
Confident and adventurous, many young grads prefer to take up jobs in big companies where they shoulder a heavy workload and face stiff competition.
Meng Guang, a career consultant from Zhaopin.com, encourages grads to challenge themselves. But he warned that they shouldn’t take challenges with the purpose of job-hopping.
“Job-hopping is supposed to take place naturally when you reach the glass ceiling at your job. It shouldn’t be planned,” said Meng.
In his opinion, college grads need to hold on to their first job for at least a year. Before thinking about changing jobs, grads need three months to learn about the job they are in, another three months to know about the company, and then six to 12 months to know about their potential development in the company.
Meng added: “If you cannot stick with the job you have for long enough, how can you claim that it won’t improve?”
Put in the time
Chen Shiyun, 24, has worked at the reception desk at a five-star hotel in Guangzhou for a year. She found the work boring and exhausting and wanted to quit after six months. But she didn’t. She didn’t want to chop and change jobs. Hers was a full-time job rather than an internship.
However, she admits that she, like many other young people of the post-85s and post-90s generation values personal preferences. She keeps her eyes open for other job opportunities to do what she likes.
Meng, the career consultant, advises grads to reflect on their performances more often. “Complain less about what you are given. Don’t get overwhelmed by negative emotions,” said Meng.
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