China chip makers scramble for semiconductor talent, showering fresh graduates with offers as peers in other fields face dim prospects
- In contrast with many industries, the semiconductor sector is facing a significant – and growing – talent gap
- With public and private money flowing into the chip industry, qualified graduates from top schools are getting multiple offers and lucrative pay packages
Despite having to do Covid-19 tests repeatedly, Wang Min, a manager at a Guangzhou-based car chip maker, took a train trip to Wuhan last month, hoping to hire graduates from a top Chinese university for his company.
Wang was late and came back empty-handed. “Students who will graduate from the school in July have already secured their offers,” Wang said. “We plan to go on our talent hunts in August or September for students who will graduate next year,” he added.
However, postgraduates with expertise in semiconductors and microelectronics are in high demand, and firms in chip design, new-energy vehicles, and internet services are all vying for them by offering lucrative packages.
Postgraduates who majored in integrated circuits, microelectronics or computer science from the top Chinese schools, known as 985 and 211 universities, can sometimes secure four or five offers before their graduation, according to semiconductor headhunters and industry professionals. These in-demand graduates are seeing pre-tax annual packages up to 500,000 yuan (US$75,000), along with other perks such as stock options.