Let’s be honest, with 6.99 million college graduates in China swarming into a dim job market, it’s going to be tough. Figures from the Beijing Municipal Education Commission indicate that the employment rate of graduates in Beijing is now 33.6 percent, much less than the 89.7 percent 10 years ago. English majors, who are looking for jobs based on their language skills, face pressure from all sides.
坦白講，由于今年全國將有699萬畢業生涌入前景黯淡的就業市場，求職真是難上加難。北京市教委提供的一系列數字表明，今年北京市畢業生就業率為33.6%，遠遠低于10年前的89.7%。憑借語言技能來找工作的英語專業畢業生更是面對著來自各方的壓力。
In order to help students get the big picture of this year’s job market, 21st Century talked to three HR managers from leading companies to offer students inside information on what employers want. In addition, faculty members and experts provide an analysis of the prospects for English majors.
為了幫助畢業生來了解今年就業市場的整體形勢，《二十一世紀英文報》采訪了三位來自知名企業的人力資源經理，為畢業生“探聽”內情，看看用人單位最看重哪些方面。除此之外，大學教師和有關專家也對英語專業畢業生的就業前景給出了一系列分析。
Consumer products company
消費品公司
Chen Yankun in Shanghai
陳漢坤（音譯） 上海
HR manager, P&G
寶潔公司人力資源經理
As a foreign-invested company, English is one of the most essential skills for employees. We started requesting TOEFL and IELTS scores from applicants in 2012.
對于一家外企而言，英語是員工必備技能之一。我們自2012年起，便開始要求應聘者提供托福和雅思成績。
But despite our emphasis on English skills, we don’t have a preference for English majors. We consider applicants from all academic backgrounds and assess their creativity, analysis, teamwork and communications skills.
盡管我們強調英語能力，但并不會偏好于英語專業的畢業生。我們考察應聘者的綜合學歷背景，評估他們的創造、分析能力，團隊精神以及溝通能力。
It’s worth mentioning that with the overall English level rising in recent years, English majors are losing their edge. That’s one of the reasons why we’ve been hiring less English majors in recent years.
值得一提的是，近年來，學生整體的英語水平不斷提高，英語專業畢業生正在失去他們的競爭力。這也是近年來我們職員中來自英語專業的人數有所減少的原因之一。
Financial services
金融服務業
Li Ximing in Shanghai
李錫銘（音譯） 上海
senior HR manager, PwC （China）
高級人事經理 普華永道（中國）
PwC, one of the world’s largest professional service firms, hires 1,500 to 2,000 graduates nationwide and, based on last year’s figures, 7 to 8 percent of them will be English majors.
作為全球最大的專業服務公司之一，普華永道每年會面向全國招收1500到2000名畢業生，根據去年的相關數據顯示，其中7%到8%的雇員來自英語專業。
The upside of English majors is they have good English communication skills. The downside is that they often lack business analytical skills, mathematical skills and other specialized knowledge.
英語專業畢業生的優勢在于，他們具有良好的英文溝通能力。而劣勢則在于，他們通常缺乏業務分析能力、數學功底以及其他的專業知識。
At PwC we have no specific degree requirements. Intern experience is beneficial, but it doesn’t have to be with a major enterprise. What’s important is that students understand how a company works, reflect on their experience and acquire good learning skills.
在普華永道，我們沒有特定的學位要求。盡管實習經驗對求職有利，但不一定非要是一些大型企業實習。重點是畢業生要能夠了解公司的運作情況，反思自身的工作經歷進而提高學習能力。
Job hunters are suggested to have precise career planning. Employees who know what they want in their professional life are more committed to the job, which means the company can offer them more opportunities. A double major would be ideal for English majors to exploit their edge.
建議求職者要設立一個明確的職業規劃。那些職業目標清晰的員工工作時會更加投入，這就意味著公司可以為他們提供更多的機會。對于英語專業畢業生而言，考取“雙學位”是增加求職優勢的理想選擇。
Tourism
旅游行業
Jia Dongmei in Beijing
賈冬梅（音譯） 北京
HR supervisor, BTG Hotels Group
人力資源總監 首旅酒店集團
The tourism industry used to be a hub for English majors, due to frequently contacting foreign agencies and other organizations. But despite growing demand, the number of student applicants has declined in recent years. The reasons are twofold. First, the fierce competition among travel agencies and hotels is squeezing the industry, so entry-level employees cannot expect a competitive salary. Second, tourism is a labor-intensive industry, but most students nowadays prefer jobs in the office rather than bustling around outdoors. Most tour guides do the job out of a passion for traveling rather than money.
由于需要經常接觸國外機構及其他組織，旅游行業曾是英語專業畢業生的聚集地。但近年來，盡管需求不斷增長，英語專業求職者的數量卻在逐年減少。究其背后有兩重原因。首先，旅行社之間的激烈競爭再加上酒店對這一行業的擠壓，剛剛入職的員工不可能得到優厚的薪資待遇。其次，旅游業是一個勞動密集型行業，而如今更多的學生會選擇白領工作而不是在外面東奔西跑。很多導游做這一行完全是出于熱愛旅游而并非看中收入。
International trade
國際貿易
Deng （first name withheld） in Guangzhou
鄧同學 廣州
English department at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies
廣東外語外貿大學英語專業
The economy this year isn’t that strong, so it’s been tough for students to find jobs, especially with international trade companies.
今年經濟不景氣，這對畢業生求職很不利，尤其是那些國際貿易公司。
According to Nanfang Daily, international trade companies, one of the major employers for English majors, have lost their aura with the global recession hitting exports. At a job fair for export companies in Guangdong last year there were 30 percent less vacancies than usual.
《南方日報》報道稱，全球經濟衰退使得出口貿易遭受重創，作為英語專業人才的主要雇主之一，國際貿易公司已經失去了他們的吸引力。去年，在一次廣東省出口企業招聘會上，用人單位所提供的職位數量較以往縮水30%。
