Beijing job fair attracts over 40,000 applicants

The first major job fair in Beijing following the Spring Festival was held on Saturday, attracting over 40,000 applicants for 25,000 positions offered by more than 800 companies.

The China International Exhibition Center hosted private enterprises, foreign companies, State-owned enterprises and State-run institutions offering job opportunities to both recent graduates and those expecting to graduate in the coming months.

Zhang Qiujian, director of the Beijing Talent Development Center, explained that employers were forbidden to post job requirements containing sexual or ethnic discrimination, such as "males only."

Although the new semester has not begun, some students returned to the capital early for the job fair. An English major at Beijing Union University said that she had not chosen a sub-concentration such as tourism English, so she was looking more broadly at positions. By 10 am, she had applied for five jobs.

A recruiter from Yonyou Enterprise said that applicants with at least five years of work experience can earn 30 percent more than those without. He also found that many new graduates were afraid to speak with recruiters while experienced applicants asked many detailed questions. Overall, he thought that the fair was filled with excitement.

"Graduates of all levels had opportunities and applicants had more requirements for jobs as well," he said.