I graduated last year but didn't find my current job until this past May. It's not that I wasn't looking hard. When I graduated I wanted to work in a bank, but the test was in August, so I only had a month to prepare. I didn't pass. My older sister suggested that I go to an airline and take a test to work in an airport ground crew. I registered for classes at a cram school, but then I heard from a classmate that ground crew work isn't very interesting. I thought it over and decided not to go through with it.
I sat around at home for a while. My parents didn't put any pressure on me. They just said that the most important thing was for me to first decide what I wanted to do. Both my older sister and I were really into baking cakes at that time, and there was an ad in the newspaper for an assistant cooking instructor. I thought that would be a good job, since I'd learn how to make cakes and make money at the same time. I got the job and stayed at it for about half a year.
There wasn't anything wrong with that job. The hours were short, and the pay was just enough for me to buy ingredients and utensils to practice at home. I gave away lots of cake to my family, friends, and even my sister's friends while I was working there. Everybody was really happy for me because I was doing something that I really liked. Now I can even make really difficult marble cakes!
A friend of my sister's kept bugging me early this year, though, telling me that I'd better get a real job quick or pretty soon nobody would be willing to hire me. I started getting nervous, but I didn't feel like looking for a job, so I went to the National Youth Commission and registered with their job referral service. To my surprise, I immediately started getting seven or eight calls and an average of three to five e-mail messages every day. Maybe it was because of what I majored in at the university. A lot of companies need people who know computers. But there were so many companies, it was exhausting to go to all the interviews.
My family agreed that I wasn't cut out for work that involves too much competition or pressure. I eventually decided to work as a computer programmer at a travel agency. The pay is pretty good, and it's not too tiring. I like it pretty well so far.
p.17
Wu Tsung-ting, age 24.
Graduated from university with a degree in computer science.
Currently employed as a computer programmer.