站长收藏：A Basket of Small Things
Every year during the Spring Festival, it's a good time for job-hopping. Countless office workers can't wait to get their year-end bonus and are already restless, asking friends and headhunters for opportunities and getting ready for new jobs. The so-called difficulty in finding work at this moment turns into a lie akin to "crying wolf." But this year, the wolf has truly come. Do you still dare to job-hop?
Recalling the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the Chinese people merely perked up their ears to listen to the sound of the sea crying. Ten years later, a subprime crisis swept across America, and over here, everyone was chatting fervently online, watching from afar with great interest. Unexpectedly, almost overnight, the financial storm spread globally, export enterprises faced a cold wave, the employment market saw salary cuts and layoffs, and countless people began to mournfully sing a song - how could you bear to let my tears flow towards the sea...
Opening web pages, one sees alarming news: HP, IBM, Google, Yahoo, eBay, Goldman Sachs, PepsiCo, American Express, and other Fortune 500 companies have all implemented global layoff plans, leaving many people without their once-envied jobs. On October 20th, the United Nations International Labour Organization stated that the global financial crisis would lead to an increase in unemployment by at least 20 million, with the global unemployment rate exceeding 200 million by the end of next year.
The situation in the Chinese market is slightly better, but many companies have already raised the axe of layoffs. Online reports show that the Central Plains Group may lay off 4,000 people; Foxconn plans to reduce its workforce by 15%, and even PPlive, the network television company with fewer than 200 employees, intends to cut 10% of its staff to save costs.
There is an ancient Chinese saying: those who recognize the times are the wise ones. Even if the current job feels like chicken ribs—tasteless to eat but hard to discard—at least when many people can't even drink porridge, you still have some chicken to gnaw on, which is already quite good. No wonder Zhaopin.com's recent online survey shows that about 30% of office workers have postponed or canceled their job-hopping plans.
Of course, many interviewees also indicated that their personal job-hopping plans remain unaffected, taking action when necessary. These people are top talents who, no matter how the environment changes, never worry about not finding another job. I believe that the financial crisis is not a reason to stop job-hopping, but it will prompt you to prepare contingency plans before making the leap—firstly, assess the survival status of your current company and industry, whether it's worth sticking around or escaping before the storm arrives. Secondly, analyze the development prospects of the company and industry you hope to enter, judging just how much risk is worth taking. Finally, regardless of whether you jump or stay, you need to formulate a reasonable personal or family financial plan, preparing for the winter ahead.
For those with jobs, jumping or not jumping is optional; the worst choice is being forced into unemployment. However, for college students graduating next year, the simple desire for a job is shrouded in confusion. Affected by the crisis, HSBC, Citibank, Standard Chartered, and other prestigious foreign banks have adjusted their operations in China, either quietly laying off employees or freezing recruitment plans, causing many finance graduates to sigh wistfully at the prospect of working abroad. The massive layoffs in domestic and international IT manufacturing and internet companies have severely compressed the job space for computer science students. Airlines such as China Eastern and China Southern have reduced salaries and laid off employees, disheartening those aspiring to become flight attendants. It appears that competition for graduate school admission next year will be even fiercer.
With the crisis upon us, countless office workers have realized that no matter how impressive a company or high a position, economic depression and declining performance inevitably lead to layoffs—a market iron law. To live comfortably forever, one should either become a teacher or a civil servant. This view is supported by Zhaopin.com's survey data—in more than 5,000 samples, 21.9% chose "civil servant" as the most enviable profession, surpassing the second-ranked "professional interpreter" by 14.6 percentage points. Following closely were pilots/flight attendants and teaching professions.
In fact, those farthest from the crisis might still be the vast number of agricultural workers. Export enterprises in the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta regions have closed down, triggering a return migration of migrant workers. They travel home in groups, carrying large and small bags, managing to buy train tickets with seats due to missing the Spring Festival rush. Sitting around small tables, they munch on roasted chicken and drink beer while chatting happily. Their faces do not show heavy expressions but rather relaxed joy—although the financial crisis has cost them their jobs, it has given them the opportunity to return home and start businesses in different fields. At the very least, they can still farm, and life goes on like this.
Sitting in a corner of the carriage watching them, I suddenly thought: the Chinese are actually a very carefree nation—"if this place won't keep me, there's always somewhere else." Allow me to boldly add—"if nowhere will keep me, I'll go grow sweet potatoes."
Note: This article represents solely the author's own views.
Author's email: [email protected]
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