Internship, business trip, study tour, travel … Slow employment, how to ＂slow＂ out of the wonderful？
Internship, business trip, study tour and travel … … In the busy employment season, there are such a group of "laid-back" graduates who are not in a hurry to "work after graduation" or "work first and then choose a job". Instead, when faced with a variety of career choices, they temporarily put themselves in a state of uncertainty and slowly consider their life path. This emerging phenomenon in recent years is called "slow employment".
Unlike passive "unemployment", "slow employment" is often active. The survey shows that in recent years, the group of "slow employment" has gradually expanded. A big data report on the graduation destination of college graduates in 2016 shows that 4.8% of college graduates in 2016 chose "slow employment", and it is expected that this proportion will further increase in 2017.
Why do these graduates choose "slow employment"? What should we think about "slow employment"? Let’s listen to their stories together.
I would rather "get a job at the wrong peak" than "get into the wrong business"
On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, the streets of Beijing are full of flavor, and the number of pedestrians on the streets is much less than usual. As usual, Lin Zhiwei came to his company early and started his day’s work "steadily".
A year ago, when he graduated from college for more than half a year, he was still an "unemployed vagrant", working as an intern and investigating various possible entrepreneurial projects.
In June 2015, after Lin Zhiwei graduated from cfau majoring in finance, he did not take the postgraduate entrance examination, take the civil service examination, submit his resume or find a job. "I yearn for a free lifestyle. But I hadn’t decided which job was more suitable for me at that time, so I’d rather be with someone else ‘ Peak employment ’ I don’t want to go into the wrong line and make myself very painful. " Lin Zhiwei said, "I’m a native of Beijing, and my family conditions are OK, so I can have a ‘ Inspection period ’ , choose your favorite job. "
During the "inspection period", Lin Zhiwei gave himself the goal of recognizing himself and accumulating experience for free entrepreneurship in the future. This also means that everything should start from scratch and "cross the river by feeling the stones".
"The so-called ‘ Slow employment ’ Seemingly relaxed, in fact, the pressure is not less than that of working classmates. " Lin Zhiwei said that the biggest pressure comes from parents. Some of his classmates were admitted to prestigious graduate schools, some to national civil servants, and some to Fortune 500 companies. Compared with others, his behavior can be regarded as "the sword is on the side." Parents see in the eye, anxious in my heart, many times to persuade Lin Zhiwei to find a formal job, live in peace.
"My aim at that time was to find ways ‘ Drag ’ I have been mediating with my parents because I believe that I will have results soon. " Lin Zhiwei said. Today, watching Lin Zhiwei’s career improve, parents finally understand the significance of his exploration.
During the "inspection period" of more than half a year, Lin Zhiwei worked in for-profit organizations, educational institutions and coffee shops. "I tried some interesting jobs, inspected the market conditions, accumulated some experience, and understood what I was suitable for. This time has not been in vain. " Lin Zhiwei said, "Entrepreneurship requires capital, talents, technology and management. Many of my current contacts and business thinking were formed at that time."
In December 2015, after half a year’s investigation, Lin Zhiwei co-founded an educational technology company. In the following year, his company tried technology camp, drone professional training and online technology production program & HELIP; … "Although many projects have failed, our team has also gained experience. In any case, if you want to succeed in starting a business, you always need to keep trying and cross the threshold." Lin Zhiwei said.
At present, companies in Lin Zhiwei are trying in the field of maker education, focusing on designing their own unmanned aerial vehicles and robot teaching products. "People should have self-knowledge, know what they are good at and what capital they have, and rely on their own advantages to make money." Lin Zhiwei said, "It’s almost two years since I graduated. If I go back in time, I will do it again. I believe my exploration has not been in vain."
What’s the harm of slowing down before you start?
Compared with Lin Zhiwei’s "calm", Kym began to try "slow employment" in anxiety, and her "inspection period" for her career was earlier. Before entering the graduation season of her senior year, she decided to take a year off from school temporarily, so that she could not face the employment choice so urgently.
In April, 2015, when the students around us were preparing for the postgraduate entrance examination and employment, Kym, an English major of Chongqing University, who was about to enter the senior year, decided to "Gap year" and go to Disney World Theme Park in Orlando, USA for a one-year internship.
Kym’s "Gap year" refers to the gap year and gap year, which was originally a popular cultural concept abroad, aiming at encouraging students to experience different lifestyles before going to work. Nowadays, this activity has become a "new fashion" among college students in China.
"I was a little lazy when I was in college, and I didn’t have a clear employment plan. I was a little confused at the thought of finding a job soon." Kym said that he didn’t want to fall into the situation of "boiling frogs in warm water" again. The original intention of this internship abroad was to dig deep into his interests or what his future employment direction is.
In Disney, the living environment is different from that of the school. Kym no longer faces teachers and classmates every day, and "has to deal with the boss and colleagues all the time", which also makes her understand in advance that the company and the school are very different. "When you are a student, your personal achievements are not ideal and will not affect others. However, if you don’t do your job well in the company, it will affect your supervisor and your colleagues. You need to pay for your mistakes."
Looking back at this "Gap year", Kym feels that he has gained a lot. "I am a ‘ at home. Don’t touch the spring water with your fingers ’ My only daughter, no matter how tired she is after work every day abroad, has to take care of her life. More importantly, the internship experience has had an important impact on your career choice. " Kym said, "Many English majors choose education, but I find myself more interested in company operation. Maybe I am a ‘ Alternative ’ 。”
"After staying abroad for a year, I really fell behind my former classmates in employment." Kym said, for example, after coming back, many students have found jobs, and they are slower than others in all aspects. "But what does it matter? Everyone’s path is their own, not compared with others, as long as they are practical and valuable. ‘ Slow ’ What’s wrong with some? "
"Slow employment" does not mean "no employment", so we should choose "slow employment" rationally.
In recent years, there are more and more "slow employment" phenomena like Lin Zhiwei and Kym. Studies show that, unlike the employment concept of "after graduation" and "before choosing a job" of the post-80s generation, the phenomenon of "slow employment" is more obvious among the new generation of employment groups of the post-90s generation, especially the post-90s generation, and many graduates are not in a hurry to find jobs.
Why is the "slow employment" of college graduates gradually becoming a phenomenon? Some experts believe that, on the one hand, living conditions are better now, and many fresh graduates have no financial burden and are not in a hurry to find jobs; On the other hand, the news of starting a business is overwhelming nowadays. Some college students choose to start their own businesses, do e-commerce, or go out to travel or even be unemployed first, and slowly consider and plan their careers. With the development of the Internet, opening online stores, working in Wechat business and other employment methods can not only bring rich income, but also avoid working from nine to five. More diversified occupations give this group more space.
Some experts also believe that "slow employment" is not so much an active choice as an objective trend brought by the current employment situation of college students. In the face of increasingly fierce job competition, some college students "find jobs at the wrong peak" to allow themselves more time to accumulate strength, or to walk around and see more about the job market, which is understandable in itself and should be a right of multiple choices. Some graduates who take the initiative to "slow down employment" may be more mature than expected in terms of employment concept. For example, they will pay more attention to whether the major is right or not and whether the salary is reasonable. If they can’t find a suitable job at the moment, they would rather wait and see. After all, the cost of "entering the wrong line" may be great. Compared with the employment mentality of "all vegetables are found in the basket", this is actually a mature and rational performance.
Yan Tianhe, deputy director of the Employment Guidance Center of China Youth University for Politics, believes that the most important thing to look at the phenomenon of "slow employment" is to distinguish it from the phenomenon of "no employment".
“‘ Slow employment ’ Not ‘ No employment ’ Its starting point and foothold is the individualized development of graduates, and it is a kind of employment mentality that does not follow the crowd and blindly follows. At present, there are indeed two serious misunderstandings in the employment of college graduates. First, they blindly follow the trend, follow the crowd, take postgraduate entrance examinations, go abroad or take the civil service examination; Second, fear of employment, lack of basic development planning, and escape employment by all feasible means. ‘ Slow employment ’ It has avoided the first misunderstanding well, but it cannot fall into the second misunderstanding. " Yan Tianhe said.
"From the perspective of employment guidance in colleges and universities, I think we should strengthen individualized employment guidance and career planning education, and at the same time cultivate students’ self-cognition, self-planning and social cognition, so as to promote graduates to combine their interests and abilities with social needs more scientifically." Yan Tianhe said that it is only a matter of time before "quick employment" and "slow employment".
(Gong Yanbo and Song Liangyuan participated in the writing)
