考研之惑:夢想照不進現實 Postgraduate struggle大綱

The number of students enrolled in higher education across the country has been continually on the rise. Last year, 584,000 postgraduate students enrolled in universities nationwide – more than as much as a decade ago.
全國高等教育入學學生數量呈持續增長趨勢。去年，全國高校碩士研究生招生人數達到58.4萬人，大大超過十年前。

Last month also sees a record high of 1.8 million students taking part in the examinations for postgraduate entry.
上個月，全國碩士研究生報名人數達180萬左右，再創新高。

But media headlines in recent years have repeatedly focused on the grim job prospects for postgraduates.
而近年來，有關研究生就業前景黯淡的新聞不斷見諸報端。

Life seems to be getting harder for postgraduate students. Not long ago, a master’s degree was more or less a passport to a high-flying job. But in today’s more competitive market, it’s another story entirely.
研究生們的日子似乎越來越難。不久之前，碩士學位或多或少還是拿到金領職位的通行證。但在當今競爭日益激烈的人才市場中，早已今非昔比了。

In a survey conducted by the Graduate School of Education, Peking University and other agencies, since 2009 the employment rate of postgraduates has been lower than undergraduates for three consecutive years, according to the Voice of China.
據中國之聲廣播報道稱，由北京大學教育學院等機構聯合發起的一項調查顯示，自2009年以來，研究生就業率已連續三年低於本科生。

“Employers nowadays are looking for qualities beyond knowledge and technical expertise. They want ‘softer skills’ including communication, teamwork and initiative,” said Li Mu, a HR consultant at , a leading recruitment website.
“用人單位現在更多地關注求職者學術知識及專業技術之外的才能。他們看重的是包括溝通能力、團隊協作和創造力等‘軟實力’。”來自前程無憂網的人力資源顧問李沐（音譯）表示。

“Postgraduates should pay more attention to their skills outside of academia when they hunt for jobs.”
“研究生在求職時應更多的關注自己學術水平之外的能力。”

Zheng Pubo, 25, studied social anthropology at Shanghai University. Although he obtained his master’s degree one and a half years ago, he’s currently working as an operator at a call center of China Merchant’s Bank in Shenzhen. He described his job as “soul-destroying”.
25歲的鄭普波（音譯）就讀於上海大學社會人類學專業，雖然他一年半之前就拿到了碩士學位，但現在他卻只是招商銀行深圳某話務中心的一名接線員。在他看來，這份工作“十分枯燥乏味”。

“I tried applying for academic positions in universities, said Zheng, “but the feedback indicated that they wanted the applicants to be ‘research active’, which basically means having a dozen publications and well-defined research interests.”
“我試着申請過一些大學裏的教師職位，”鄭普波說，“但得到的反饋表明他們希望申請者‘在科研領域表現活躍’，也就是說，起碼得發表過多篇文章並有明確的研究方向。”

Zheng found his skills of little value outside the academic bubble. Employers often say that he’s overqualified or lacks experience in commercial activities. Eventually, he became completely disheartened.
鄭普波發現，他的專業知識出了自己幻想的學術圈外就基本沒什麼用了。用人單位總是說他學歷過高或缺乏從事商業實踐的經驗。最終，他心灰意冷。

Education and HR experts say that this kind of dilemma is caused by a lack of career planning.
對此，教育學者以及人力資源專家們表示，造成這種困境的原因是缺乏職業規劃。

“Before you decide to attend a certain postgraduate course, the main thing that you need to know is what you want to do and research, and how the course will benefit you,” said Shen Changyu, president of the Graduate School at Dalian University of Technology.
“在決定攻讀研究生之前，首先要了解的就是你到底想要做什麼，想從事哪方面的研究，以及這些課程會給你帶來什麼益處。”大連理工大學研究生院院長申長雨說。

“There is no point in doing a course that will not help you land the jobs that you genuinely want to do,” he added.
他補充說：“攻讀一些不能幫你找到自己心儀工作的研究生專業是毫無意義的。”

Postgraduates tend to have very high expectations regarding salary and benefits. In Beijing, the current average monthly salary for a college graduate is 2,000 to 3,000 yuan. But most postgraduates’ expectations are much higher than that.
研究生往往會對薪金和福利期望甚高。在北京，大學畢業生目前的平均月收入爲2000至3000元。但大多數研究生的預期遠高於此。

“I am hoping for at least 6,000 yuan a month with a Beijing hukou. Otherwise, my time and money that went into my study will be wasted,” said Li Ji, 25, a postgraduate majoring in accounting at the Central University of Finance and Economics.
“我希望至少6000元月薪並有北京戶口，否則，我讀研花的時間和金錢就白費了。”來自中央財經大學會計專業的研究生、25歲的李績（音譯）如是說。

Faced with such demanding expectations, many employers have shown a lack of interest.
面對如此高的期望值，不少用人單位興味索然。

But it’s important to get a foot in the door. “Gain some work experience first, which can help you understand the working world. Lower your expectations and bolster your confidence,” said Chen Yongli, a teacher at the Career Center of Peking University.
不過，先入行並站穩腳跟還是很關鍵的。“先去積累一些工作經驗，這有助於你更好地融入職場。降低期望值，同時增強自信。”來自北京大學就業指導中心的陳永利老師說。