Budding civil servants face up to the test

China's annual National Civil Service Exam kicked off October 15. A total of 679,000 people enrolled to take the exam by Monday morning. Earlier estimates suggested this year might attract as many as 2 million people for the exam. Traditionally, civil service jobs have been viewed as "golden rice bowl" jobs in China, so named because they guarantee a stable career path for young people. But competition is fierce, with nearly 4,000 applicants vying for some coveted positions. What are your thoughts on the civil service exam? Are there similar exams in your home country? Chen Ya'nan and Jiang Jie hit the streets to find out.

Tong Yatao, college student, China

There are three reasons why civil servant jobs are in such hot demand. Firstly, most applicants just want to give it a shot. Such jobs offer stability, welfare benefits and attractive prospects. Secondly, applicants such as fresh graduates can feel confused and therefore merely follow others by assuming that the majority's choice must be appropriate. Finally, tradition fuels this situation. There's an old Chinese saying that "officialdom is the natural outlet for good scholars."

Yang Huiyan, college graduate, Indonesia

The Indonesian government also holds civil service exams, but they aren't as popular. Many people do not have a strong desire to get a "golden rice bowl" jobs. Instead, they just want a job that can support their living. I think it is crazy for so many Chinese to take the civil service exam.

Nagano Secondo, college student, Japan　

In Japan, civil servant jobs are similar to other jobs. Every year only a few people apply for such positions. If you are a civil servant, you can only earn a relatively normal salary and have to publicize your family's accounts. If you are very rich, the public doubts the source of your income or assets. Some even call for authorities to investigate you. As far as I know, China does not have a similar system.

Ge Zhen, college student, China

I don't believe there's any job that can be described as a "golden rice bowl." Since more young civil servants are assigned to work at the grass-roots level, it is not proper to say civil servants have an easy job. Civil servants nowadays should be open to new social networking mediums, such as Weibo. They should have comprehensive knowledge of the world.

Qiang Shuli, manager, China

The jobs are stable because civil servants work in public institutions. So long as they avoid making major mistakes, their positions are secure. I'm not sure if being a civil servant is an easy job or not, but I feel that such workers encounter problems even in so-called easy jobs.

Andrew Randolph, teacher, US

I don't know much about civil servant jobs, but I guess they don't entail a lot of work. Working for the government is a secure job everywhere in the world. If you aim to have a stable job, then it is a wise choice. But if you want to earn a lot of money, then maybe working as a civil servant is not the best option.