Getting with the program in the world of Chinese media

The appreciation and recognition of his colleagues and management was the main reason Li Jiazhi decided to accept a job with a company in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province.

The 25-year-old will be awarded his master's in journalism by Beijing Foreign Studies University later this month. His original plan was to find a job at an internet company, but he abandoned the idea after finding that the working routine of tech business wasn't a good fit for him.

"In 2019, I did content operation work as an intern at NetEase, then transferred to another online company to help operate livestreaming work.

"I worked around the clock with quite a high workload and pressure. It was tiring, and I found that it wasn't where my interests truly lay," he said.

"During my internship as a livestreaming operator, I was usually on duty till 8 pm or even 10 pm, and I had to follow several livestreaming anchors to help them open accounts and design posts for them.

"I didn't get back to my dormitory until very late. I felt that I hadn't gained any skills or knowledge from the internship, and even worse, I didn't have time to think about and plan my future career."

Li said he has felt confused about his future career during his time as a postgraduate student.

"I have sent resumes to many different companies aimlessly, regardless of my true interests," he added.

After experiencing some baffling internships, Li set himself the goal of getting a job with a media agency.

"The aura and the work cycle lured me. Working hours in media offices are rather flexible, which gives me more time to focus on one thing. I love writing, and love doing one thing at a time, which gives me a sense of achievement," he said.

However, it wasn't easy for him to get an offer from a media agency, especially those headquartered in Beijing, which is home to most State-level and top media.

"Many of my schoolmates and peers only want to land jobs in Beijing, specifically in State-level media. The competition is pretty fierce, but they won't be low profile because they'll hold a master's," he said. "Of course, I also wanted to work in Beijing, but Nanjing is still a good choice for me."

Li said that his interview with Xinhua Daily Media Group, a provincial outfit headquartered in the city, went smoothly.

"The whole process has been on a roll since I sent my resume in September. I did the interview in November and decided to accept the job offer in December," he said.

He recalled that the interview costs were quite high because the company insisted on an on-site interview rather than an online one, but he felt welcome as the management and interviewers showed him great respect.

"They cared about my ideas during our communications, which made me feel needed and valued," he said.

Li said the internship at Xinhua Daily also fitted his expectations.

"I did a three-month internship from February, during which time I had job rotations of proofreading, story editing and shooting videos. It was a nice experience, and I am looking forward to joining the company full time," he said.

Li added that a good educational background is important when seeking a job.

"Education is like 'hard currency' in the job market, as many companies and government bodies require job seekers to hold certificates from prestigious universities", he said.

"A person without a good educational background may be spotted by companies, but when you don't have ability or experience to outperform other people, then educational background matters a lot to job seekers."