How Graduates from Peking University Find Jobs

Author: Zeng Xiang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-10-01
Features: Graduates from Peking University also face the same problems and challenges as all young people across the country who desire success. By seeing how they strive and ultimately succeed, we believe everyone will benefit greatly. — Editors
This book includes insights from educators, such as the director of the university employment center; from initial recruiters, such as hiring managers from P&G, CE, and IBM; from successful industry professionals, such as Mr. Kai-Fu Lee; and from specialized job-seeking organizations, such as the head of ChinaHR.com. The wisdom of these individuals undoubtedly provides valuable guidance for graduates, offering them new and different perspectives on job hunting.
Lin Jiru, a renowned economist and director of the China Economic Research Center at Peking University, believes that the most important thing when choosing a job is to find a relaxed environment, a company willing to nurture you, a positive corporate culture, and a good boss. If these conditions are met, he strongly supports your decision to seek employment, as such a job can help you better discover your interests and develop yourself further.
Kai-Fu Lee, former global vice president of Microsoft and current head of Google China’s recruitment, notes that P&G has its own "competency model," which it uses to set its hiring standards. For example, P&G places strong emphasis on leadership, communication skills, decisive thinking and action, in-depth learning and understanding, and disciplined behavior. These seemingly ordinary principles are precisely what P&G values most in the recruitment process.
Zhang Chengguang, senior manager of talent acquisition and training for Greater China at P&G’s Human Resources Department, points out that GE not only considers the reputation of the university but also focuses on other qualities of students. Each year, GE conducts campus recruitment at 15 universities across the country (the list of these universities is available on our official website), but this does not mean we only recruit students from these schools—we simply choose them for presentations. We welcome all students who are eager to join the GE team, regardless of which school they attend, as long as they meet our criteria, we will hire them.
Wu Junlin, university cooperation development and recruitment manager at GE (China), believes that in life, one is constantly moving from being chosen to choosing. Through the experience and wealth accumulated during the "being chosen" phase, one eventually makes their own choices.
Ma Rui, currently employed at Meltwater Group, mentions that he received seven offers, all from consulting firms, foreign banks, and multinational companies. The pressure of the interviews was immense, so he has deep insights into the process.
Zheng Lili, currently employed at HSBC Bank (Hong Kong)’s Private Banking Department, notes that she did not attend a top university for her undergraduate studies and has a legal background. She did not perform exceptionally well at Guanghua either. As for work experience, it was even more modest—aside from a short internship at the People’s Bank of China Guangzhou Branch during a trip to Guangdong, she had no significant experience.
Kuang Lan, currently employed at HSBC Bank Guangzhou Branch, describes herself as inherently adventurous. Therefore, she decided to abandon consulting and signed with L’Oréal. She admits that she may have given herself an uncertain future, but precisely because it is uncertain, it is beautiful.
Xiao Mu, currently employed at L’Oréal (China), believes that anyone who has experienced the job search process understands the true meaning of "luck." In their understanding, "luck" is more about accumulating strength and seizing opportunities at the right time. She is a undergraduate student from Beijing Jiaotong University and a part-time double-degree student at the China Economic Research Center (CCER) at Peking University. It was this double-degree program at Peking University that gave her the opportunity to enter McKinsey’s radar.
Luo Yuan, currently employed at McKinsey (Shanghai), notes that to prepare for the upcoming job-seeking peak, Peking University Press has recently launched the book "How Peking University Graduates Find Jobs," hoping to provide guidance and help graduates find suitable jobs.
The book features firsthand accounts of job hunting experiences written by 30 outstanding representatives from the 2005 graduating class of Peking University. These 30 graduates, representing 24 departments at Peking University, openly share their challenging job-hunting journeys, analyzing the successes and lessons learned. The book aims to provide positive guidance and inspiration for university graduates and current students in their job searches and lives, as well as to influence career planning for all job seekers across the country. It offers enlightenment for those who wish to change their fate through hard work and hope for those who have temporarily lost their way.
The authors of the book have secured positions at companies such as HSBC Bank, IBM, General Electric, P&G, L’Oréal (China), Unilever, McKinsey (Shanghai), Meltwater Group, KPMG, King & Wood PRC, Credit Suisse First Boston (Hong Kong), Bank of China, China Development Bank, KPMG Huazhen Accounting Firm, King & Wood PRC, Nanfang Daily, Guangzhou Daily, the Ministry of Agriculture, the National Intellectual Property Administration, and the Beijing Bureau of Land and Resources.
These articles are deeply moving, primarily because of their raw and authentic honesty. Each one documents an extraordinary life journey and an extraordinary competition. Confusion, aspirations, disorientation, and choices—resilience in the face of setbacks, determination to fight, growth through stumbling, and the gradual clarity of the path ahead.
For eager graduates and job seekers, this book offers strategies. Each outstanding individual shares their experiences with unwavering honesty, generously recording the details of both failures and successes. Whether through profound self-reflection or proud summaries, their insights shine with wisdom for those who come after them.
From the macro to the micro, from emotion to reason, from mindset to technique, the book provides a comprehensive and all-encompassing interpretation of the job-hunting process, along with insights into the patterns of success at different companies. It offers invaluable advice for your job search.
For anxious graduates and job seekers, this book offers comfort. You will realize that your anxieties, frustrations, near-breakdowns, and feelings of being lost are so ordinary and common. You will discover that so many people are like you—trying, failing, getting back up, and striving again. Though their paths were fraught with challenges and twists, they ultimately found clarity and a brighter future.
To provide even richer guidance for the readers’ job searches, the editors of the book have also interviewed 11 high-profile figures and HR professionals. These interviewees include Kai-Fu Lee, former global vice president of Microsoft and current head of Google China’s recruitment; Fan Gongchen, deputy editor-in-chief of Sohu; campus recruitment managers from ChinaHR.com; and hiring managers from Colgate-Palmolive, P&G, IBM, and GE in China.