Online recruitment is very popular among companies on the mainland, including top corporations such as P&G, the big four accounting firms, and e-commerce group Alibaba. But a lot of university students think the internet is not the best way to find a job. According to a survey conducted by the First Employment Forum for Chinese College Students, about 200 enterprises use the online application system to recruit staff. A report on www.sojump.com - a professional online survey website on the mainland - indicates 94.9 per cent of college students in Guangzhou fill out online job applications but many fail to find work. Some complain it is too tedious to fill in the forms, while others think their choice is limited because they are not from famous schools. Li Wen, a soon-to-be graduate from Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangdong, has sent hundreds of online job applications but there have been few replies. She says the process is time-consuming. 'There are lots of items to fill in and many open-ended questions to answer. Some applications take about 40 minutes, while some may need three hours to finish. I am exhausted after completing an application,' Li adds. Although she comes from a famous university, she is not very optimistic. 'I really do not know the selection criteria of enterprises. I log into my mailbox every day to check whether there is any good news. What's more, I revise my CV often, hoping I will be successful,' Li says. Su Miaoxia, from the Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, thinks many companies focus too much on prestigious schools. This means talented students from less-famous schools are left out, Su says. 'I have experience dealing with online applications. When I come to the section where I have to select my university, I was not able to find my school on the list so I have had to give up many times.' A human resources staff member from Amway, a leading manufacturing firm, says enterprises pay attention to applicants' potential. 'Every company has different standards for applicants. No matter which university you come from, we will choose you only if you meet all our requirements,' she says.
