Internships help recent graduates find careers

As students gear up for their graduation ceremonies at the end of the month, tensions are rising among those soon-to-be graduates who have not yet received a job offer.

Landing a job this year is no easy feat. About 7.49 million students will graduate this year - a record high.

Sun Mengtao, a student who has majored in media studies at Anyang Institute of Technology, Henan province, sent more than 50 copies of his resume to no avail, backed up with 65 certificates he has earned.

"All of the positions I applied for are entry-level jobs," said Sun. "I have neither high expectations for employers nor unrealistic expectations for salaries."

Among the certificates he received over the past four years, there are six qualification certificates, five national level scholarship certificates, and 44 awards certificates he earned from computer science competitions and venture contests.

"I took part in many volunteer activities, and I also have experience working for the student union at our school," said Sun. "It seems none of these experiences helped."

Li Jinghong, CEO of Shixidaren, a human resource professional with more than 10 years' experience, said recent graduates often lack job experience. "We really hope that students can be well-prepared when they enter the workplace, as we have to take on the time and expense of training young college graduates."

According to a survey by Zhaopin.com last month, relevant internship experience is the most important factor in successfully landing a job - far more significant than strong academic performance.

The survey polled more than 58,900 Chinese students who will graduate from universities both at home and abroad.

"Not only can students increase their chances to land jobs through internships, but they also get a chance to test-drive a career before committing," Li said. "I would suggest that young college students find internships and get the most out of such a valuable experience."

Wang Yanfei contributed to this story.