Many Chinese parents who send their children abroad for further education expect their kids to find better-paid jobs than their peers after returning to the motherland, but the reality is increasingly disappointing, according to a survey cited by the Beijing Morning Post on Friday.
In the survey, the Qi De International Education Institution polled 7,800 overseas students from all walks of life in China who are currently working.
Monthly salaries for most of them are around 3,000 yuan (US$474.79), while about 71 percent earn salaries ranging from 3,000 yuan to 10,000 yuan (US$1,582). Only 15 percent make more than 10,000 yuan, the survey shows.
Before coming home, most of students thought they would land a good job or a higher position in a company, but instead about 58 percent wound up in common positions with average pay.
About 46 percent of the students are now working in private companies, 32 percent chose to work in foreign companies or joint ventures, and only 1 percent of them have become self-employed. Those who earn over 10,000 yuan per month are mainly company managers or executives.
"There are mainly two categories of overseas students: one is comprised of those who go abroad to study right after graduating in China, and the other is comprised of those who go abroad to improve themselves after working several years in China," said Zhao Zhengbao, an expert in employment counseling.
"It is natural that those with no work experience have failed to get well-paid jobs," added Zhao, "and the diversified quality of their overseas education is also a reason why they find different jobs."
No matter where you finish your higher education, be it China or abroad, the important thing is what your abilities are, said Zhao.
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