Leaving one's hometown and migrating to another place several decades ago might have been out of sheer necessity. Nowadays, however, it has become a very common phenomenon and an inevitable trend. People always strive for better opportunities. Children from the mountains want to see the world beyond, rural kids aim to move into big cities, young people from county-level cities rush to provincial capitals, and college students from second- and third-tier cities set their sights on first-tier cities. The rapid development of economy and technology has spurred the emergence of a huge labor market, while the increasing sophistication of information and transportation systems has accelerated the flow of talent at a speed comparable to high-speed rail. More and more people choose to leave their hometowns behind, stepping out of their homes with confidence. Returning home in glory is everyone's wish, but how many can actually stand firm in a foreign land? And how many obstacles await them in that unfamiliar city? 51job.com recently conducted a survey on the current status of people seeking jobs away from their hometowns, hoping to provide some reference for those currently working away from home or preparing to seek employment elsewhere.
A total of 2,140 people participated in this online survey, 63% of whom were male; 51% had a bachelor's degree or higher, and 37% had a junior college diploma; 26% had 12 years of work experience, 37% had 25 years of work experience, 27% had over five years of work experience, and 11% were recent graduates.
For job seekers looking for opportunities elsewhere, it’s not about money but opportunities.
The expected salaries in first-tier cities are not too high.
In 2010, 51job.com conducted a survey on white-collar workers' intentions to leave first-tier cities, finding that 70% of them planned or had already left these cities. This was once hyped by the media. So, has the charm of first-tier cities diminished? This survey shows that 41% of job seekers target Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen as their destination cities, still making them hot choices. First-tier cities are like a walled city: those inside want to escape, while those outside try hard to get in. Additionally, the East China region (such as Nanjing, Suzhou, Ningbo, Hangzhou, Hefei, Qingdao, Jinan, Fuzhou, Southern Fujian, Nanchang, Wuxi, Changzhou) is also an ideal place for job seekers from other regions, with 27% setting their destinations there. 10% chose South China and Central China (such as Changsha, Zhengzhou, Wuhan, Dongguan, Foshan, Zhongshan, Zhuhai). Coastal and riverine cities have always been economically developed areas. Economic development brings opportunities, so their popularity is unsurprising. Only 7% of people have no specific requirements for city selection.
Which objective factors lead you to choose a particular city for job hunting? In this 51job survey, the level of average wages in the city is not what people value most; employment opportunities are the primary condition. According to 51job Index data released online in April 2011, the top ten cities in terms of job demand were: Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Nanjing, Chengdu, Xi'an, and Shenyang, which coincides with the ranking of popular areas for异地job seekers in the current survey. The attention given to the development prospects, openness, and cultural environment of a city exceeds that given to the average wage level of its employees. It can be seen that today's异地job seekers are more rational when choosing their target cities, with a longer-term perspective. (See Chart 1)
Chart 1: Objective factors considered first when choosing a city for employment
Data source: 51job
When asked about salary conditions, 51% of异地job seekers indicated that their current salary levels were lower than their initial requirements. Only 4% received salaries higher than their expectations. The survey results also showed that the salary demands of异地job seekers working in first-tier cities were not too high. Compared to the East China region, the proportion of expected salaries above 8,000 yuan/month was similar, with half expecting salaries between 3,000 and 5,999 yuan/month. In contrast, the overall expected salary for异地job seekers going to Northwest and Southwest regions (such as Xi'an, Chongqing, Chengdu, Kunming) was lower, with a slightly higher proportion expecting salaries between 2,000 and 2,999 yuan/month. (See Chart 2)
Chart 2: Expected salaries of异地job seekers in various regions
Data source: 51job
Xiaoya graduated from university in 2010 and found a job in Shanghai. Her current monthly salary is around 3,500 yuan. Given Shanghai's average income and cost of living, such a salary can only meet basic needs. However, Xiaoya is still willing to stay here, even if she cannot afford much entertainment or dare to shop in malls. She can accept this salary. In Xiaoya's view, her immediate goal is to stabilize herself in Shanghai and gain a foothold. Even if the salary is low, as long as she can survive, it is fine. There are not a few异地workers like Xiaoya, and this mindset is more prevalent in big cities. For them, firmly sticking to their work and integrating into the city is the first step towards successful异地job hunting. However, career experts from 51job warn异地job seekers that the idea of staying just to make ends meet and planning to switch jobs after stabilizing is dangerous. Not only will it prevent you from focusing on your work, but it will also discourage your belief in continuing to look for jobs due to tight expenses. Additionally, a too-low salary may negatively impact your next job search, especially for recent graduates seeking jobs elsewhere. The quality of the first job often determines the future career direction and height of the job seeker.
The biggest challenges of异地job hunting come from the cost of living.
Accommodation problems are unbearable.
What are the greatest difficulties in异地job hunting? Through this survey, accommodation issues are the number one difficulty, followed by encountering exclusion, adapting to the cultural environment, household registration issues, adapting to the hardware environment, and dietary preferences.
In nearly half of the respondents' minds, accommodation issues truly cause them great distress. Especially in today's era of skyrocketing housing prices, even locals find it troubling, let alone these strangers without any background. Most people initially choose to rent to solve their accommodation problems, but currently, most landlords prefer long-term stable tenants, signing contracts for at least six months, paying two months' rent upfront and depositing one month's rent, which is already quite accommodating for those who have yet to secure a job. As for the cheap daily rental guesthouse market, it is mixed with good and bad, and some even pose serious safety hazards. The capsule hotel that gained much attention in Shanghai earlier this year was shut down due to lack of fire safety conditions. Of course, some lucky individuals can stay at relatives' or friends' places. This is an important subjective factor that 24% of异地job seekers consider when choosing a target city. Having relatives or friends around means they can lend a hand during tough times, preventing you from being all alone and unsupported. However, staying with relatives is not a long-term solution. Disturbing others' normal lives for too long might even cause resentment. Renting remains a major issue that cannot be avoided. You need to prepare human resources, material resources, and financial resources. The survey shows that 60% of异地job seekers say that renting is their largest cost. Especially in large and medium-sized cities, rent puts significant pressure on these newcomers with average salaries. For example, in Shanghai: 1,500 yuan can rent a 15 square meter room in a very old public housing unit in downtown Shanghai, but it would be shared with others; 800 yuan can rent an 8 square meter small room within the outer ring but outside the middle ring of Shanghai, possibly involving group rentals. In the survey, 30% of people can only accept rent not exceeding 20% of their monthly salary, 36% can accept rent being 20%~30% of their monthly salary, and 17% can accept rent being 30%~40% of their monthly salary.
Wang Yang, who has worked in Beijing for two years, still hasn't dared to tell his parents that he lives in a basement, and it's even the third underground floor. At the beginning of this year, because of a salary increase, he added 300 yuan and moved from a windowless room to a room with a window. Although he said it has a window, it only faces the corridor, and the air is still basement air, but at least he is no longer like canned luncheon meat suffocating in a tin. These hardships are something locals cannot understand. Unwilling to return to the small room and face the wall, he prefers to stay in the company and work overtime. The spirit of外地employees working hard often surpasses that of local employees. A company supervisor expressed that he prefers hiring外地employees, as life pressures force them to work harder. They regard the company as home and work as life. His local employee stated that the做法of外地employees puts him under great pressure, now reducing the number of times he goes out to eat or play cards with friends after work, and instead increasing his own voluntary overtime.
Being away from home, clothing, food, shelter, and transportation cannot be spared. We found in the survey of the current situation of异地job seekers that 40% of异地job seekers would have the idea of giving up异地job hunting due to excessively high living costs. A survey by 51jobBBS targeting forum netizens showed that 36% of异地workers' psychological pressures stem from high living costs, while the pressure from professional competition is less than half of that. As long as异地workers clearly define their career positioning plans, relying on wisdom and effort, adapting to the competitive rules of the workplace, geographical location is not a problem. Therefore, career advisors from 51job remind friends who are about to go to other places for job hunting to understand the living costs of the target city as detailed as possible, position their job hunting direction well, especially during interviews when negotiating salaries. Don't compromise blindly. Calculate all the costs of异地job hunting carefully, and be mentally prepared for the difficulties ahead. This way, you won't let living pressures hinder your career development.
Encountering exclusion from locals is also a painful point for some异地job seekers. Due to language barriers,异地job seekers encounter communication obstacles with local employees, making it difficult to integrate into the local circle, making them feel particularly isolated and strange. Actually, the openness of cities today is getting higher and higher, and discriminatory exclusion phenomena are rare. As long as outsiders let go of their concerns and dare to take the first step to communicate with locals, they will find that things are not as bad as they imagine. When Xiaole from Sichuan first arrived in Shanghai, she couldn't understand what her Shanghai colleagues chatted about casually. They only spoke Mandarin because of her when discussing work. Xiaole acted gracefully, occasionally saying a sentence of Shanghai dialect that no one could understand, and asking her Shanghai colleagues what it meant, causing everyone to burst into laughter. Gradually, she became close with the local colleagues, and her Shanghai dialect improved significantly.
Is异地job hunting necessarily about staying here?
74% of异地workers will return to their hometowns.
Bravely facing difficulties is a spirit, retreating wisely is a method. High living costs, lack of social connections, missing home and feeling lonely, encountering job-seeking traps, etc., are all difficulties faced by异地job seekers. In this survey, these are all important reasons that shake the beliefs of异地job seekers.
Of course, there are also reasons that lead异地job seekers to actively choose to return to their hometowns for development. For example, opportunities in their hometowns are gradually increasing. A netizen expressed that for the same position and salary, if I can get it in my hometown, why should I endure the hardship in this bustling metropolis? Returning home to work eliminates living pressures, gets me closer to my family, isn't that easier! The abundant social network in one's hometown is also tempting for these异地job seekers. Relying on work experience accumulated elsewhere and social connections built since childhood, returning to one's hometown might turn them into sought-after talents.
Additionally, 37% of respondents choose to return home for family reasons, indicating that the influence of family on异地job seekers is also very important.
Among all respondents, 74% expressed that they will return to their hometowns for development in the future, with the majority being those who work elsewhere for 3-5 years before returning home. Abang gives himself five years to strive in Guangzhou. Success or failure in five years, regardless of whether there is achievement or not, he will return home after five years to marry, have children, and respect his parents.异地job hunting is an opportunity for him to grow rapidly. Being a stranger in a strange land, even if he stays accustomed, he is just a familiar customer. Only returning to his hometown does he feel like the master, "My territory, I rule!"
Career experts from 51job: Choosing a career, location is not the most important.
To obtain a better development platform, changing cities and moving to economically developed cities is a normal thing in personal career progression. Whether choosing a career is successful, location is not the main contradiction. The key is to find suitable and competent work as a carrier to realize one's career value. Many异地job seekers are overly blind when seeking jobs elsewhere, following others without clear goals. A developed city doesn't necessarily mean it suits you. You might find a good job locally, but in a fiercely competitive big city, it might not be the case. Job-hunting failure shouldn't be blamed on the city, and frequent cross-city job hunting will only lead to repeated setbacks. Therefore, before choosing a target city, it is advisable to do a self-assessment first:
Professional advantage: The popularity of your major is somewhat related to the city and region. Is your major needed in that city?
Psychological quality: Alone far from home, everything needs to be handled independently. Besides dealing with work and life pressures, sometimes loneliness must be resisted. Can you handle it?
Social network: Relatives, fellow townspeople, classmates, all are members of your social network. Getting some city information from them is much more reliable and practical than randomly asking around.
Family support: To be far from family and live alone, if you can't get understanding and support from family and loved ones, it will severely affect the enthusiasm for job hunting and work.
Cost calculation: What is the consumption level of the target city? What is the target salary? How much is the monthly budget? These are not things to figure out later. Taking one step at a time will only put you in a difficult situation.
异地job hunting is no longer something that can be resolved with just a train ticket. Before heading off to seek a job elsewhere, it might be worth asking yourself again: Is this our only choice? (End)