Wang Yuanyuan
MORE than half of Shenzhen college graduates prefer to support themselves by running online shops while waiting for a good job instead of taking a job with a low salary.
According to a recent online survey by a group of Shenzhen college students on Xiaonei.com, about 53 percent of Shenzhen college graduates thought operating an online shop was better than low-paid work and more than 45 percent said they would keep their businesses going to support themselves.
It is very difficult to find a job right now and even if we find one, it would not be our dream job.
We can make some money and gain experience at the same time, Huang Huiling, a student at Shenzhen Polytechnic in Nanshan District, said yesterday.
A joint survey conducted by several universities in Guangzhou last week found that more than 60 percent of Guangzhou university graduates had the same idea.
The average job for a fresh graduate pays only about 2,000 yuan (US$300) and I can make about 2,000 yuan in a week with my online clothes shop. I can also learn communication and marketing skills, so I think it is better than finding a 2,000-yuan-a-month job, Xu Ling, a graduate of Guangdong University of Business Studies, told a Chinese newspaper last week.
Opening online shops is also a popular part-time job for university students. It is very easy and costs very little. You can get started with just a computer, a digital camera and an ID card, Huang said.
According to statistics by taobao.com, more than 40 percent of online shops owned by individuals were operated by university students, said Lu Weixing, director of the public relations and communications department for the Web site.
They sell many kinds of things and they make between 1,000 and 4,500 yuan a month. A few can make more than 10,000 yuan a month, Lu said.
Teachers said, however, it would not be good for graduates to stay at home all day because they lost the chance to learn face-to-face communication skills and relationships at offices.
Opening an online shop is good for starting a business, but it is much different from doing business in the real world. It can help them gain more experience but it is not suitable for a full-time job. For long-term prospects, it would be better to work in an office and learn skills with colleagues and superiors. More work experience at so-called not-so-good jobs will give them a better chance to eventually get a dream job, said Huang Hongzhen, a Shenzhen University professor.
