Mr. Shangkong | Young jobseekers losing touch with reality
Attitude of the young generation leads many HR managers to rethink the value of fresh graduates
A very strange phenomenon appears to be developing in the job markets in Hong Kong and Shanghai.
On the one hand, young jobseekers keep complaining about how difficult it is to find good jobs. On the other hand, employers often say hiring is not easy. What’s wrong?
The arrival of summer means the start of a busy internship season at many companies that will receive university students looking for work experience. For students in their last year of university study, such opportunities are often de facto paid jobs. If they do well, some could be recruited as formal employees once their internship is completed.
A job is not always about working happily with colleagues and … with people you like
Two recent internship cases that grabbed my attention can be considered typical nowadays. Young jobseekers often complain that employers are not patient or kind enough to offer sufficient entry-level opportunities while employers say they have probably been through enough uncertainties and difficulties when hiring.
One intern, in her last year of study at a university in Hong Kong, accepted an offer with a major financial institution but decided not to show up on day one after changing her mind at the last minute and deciding to join another firm that paid slightly more.
She didn’t even bother to write a formal e-mail or letter to tell the financial institution about her decision. Instead, she sent a brief message through the popular social media and real-time messaging application WhatsApp to say “sorry”.
In Shanghai, summer is the time when fresh university graduates busily try to secure their first jobs. In fact, many begin more serious internships at the beginning of the year, which have the potential to develop into a permanent job offer. One graduate performed pretty well during his internship so the company signed him up.