Haigui's predicament in the job market : is there opportunity at the end of the tunnel?

Abstract

Driven by the desire for a bright future and a successful career, many young people in China are embarking on overseas odysseys to pursue higher education degrees in order to get decent jobs when they return to China. Those people who are educated abroad and come back with higher education diplomas are called "Haigui" in Chinese. Although they excel in their fields and are capable of the occupations that they dream of, most of them fail to get the jobs they so crave because of reasons beyond their control, such as the slump of the job market, unfair parental privilege, and the high density of Haigui in large cities. This story depicts the job-hunting experiences of four characters -- Ye, Zhang, Erin and Wu. (They requested not to use their real names for privacy concerns.) Their accounts showcase different facets of why Haigui employment in China is so dire. Until the job market in China improves and stops favoring nepotism, the number of Haigui will continue to rise as more and more Chinese students leave the country in search of better futures.