In recent years, the number of applicants for postgraduate entrance examination has shown a downward trend. In 2024, the number of applicants for the postgraduate entrance examination nationwide will be 4.38 million, a decrease of 360,000 from 2023. This phenomenon is consistent with the number of applicants, indicating that experts have a high hit rate for the number of applicants for the postgraduate examination. However, although the number of graduate students has declined, the reason behind it is helpless. This article will provide some suggestions and reflections for target candidates from the severity of the employment situation, the contribution of the postgraduate entrance examination to the employment competitiveness, and the salary and income gap.
The number of applicants for graduate school in 2024 has dropped by 360,000, a phenomenon that can be traced back to the dire employment situation. With the increase in graduates and the intensification of competition in the job market, the number of graduate students is also increasing year by year. However, many"Diploma Graduate"Instead of getting a better competitive bargaining chip, they wasted undergraduate employment opportunities, time, work experience, and money in the job search process. The practice of going to graduate school just to avoid employment problems has proven to be unworkable, which is a big reason for the decline in the number of graduate students.
Expansion: The increasing pressure on employment has made more and more undergraduates choose to take the postgraduate entrance examination, but this does not mean that they can all get better employment opportunities through the postgraduate examination. In fact, the competitiveness of "diploma graduates" is not necessarily stronger than that of undergraduates, because when applying for a job, employers pay more attention to practical work experience and ability. The postgraduate entrance examination only adds an academic background, but it does not represent a person's true ability and potential. As a result, many graduate students find that they do not gain a better competitive advantage in the job search process, but instead miss out on the opportunity to practice after graduation.
Table 1 shows that the number of graduate students graduating will continue to increase in the coming years, and the number of graduate students who will not find a job will gradually increase, which will undoubtedly increase the intensity of competition for jobs. In this case, if you are neither a top student nor a research-oriented talent, and your first degree is not excellent, graduate school will not increase your job competitiveness. Therefore, before making the decision to go to graduate school, you need to carefully examine your actual situation, and comprehensively analyze factors such as school, Xi ability, and strengths in order to make a decision that meets realistic needs.
Expansion: The cost of graduate school is often very high, and for those students who do not have the interest and ability to study academic research, graduate school is just a blind behavior. Even if you pass the graduate school entrance examination, there is no guarantee of getting a satisfactory job, because the job market also has certain restrictions on the demand for graduate students. Therefore, for most ordinary master's students from non-key universities, the employment situation is relatively embarrassing.
Table 2 shows that if you are not a top student, the difference between your starting salary and that of undergraduates of the same level will not exceed 2,000 yuan. This also means that even if you go to graduate school, you may never earn more than an undergraduate student in the same year. As a result, graduate school is likely to prove to be a cost-effective option for students whose starting salaries are not much different from those of undergraduates in the same class.
Expansion: In the context of the current job market, employers are more interested in practical work experience and skills. Graduate students do not have a significant salary and income advantage over undergraduates. In addition, graduate school requires a lot of time and energy, and for those students who have a clear career plan and employment needs, it will be a wiser choice to choose employment first and then graduate school. Accumulating experience and skills through work before going to graduate school will be more conducive to enhancing overall competitiveness.
In summary, although graduate school entrance examination is still an important option for some students, it is not suitable for everyone. Graduate school entrance examinations do not add much to the competitiveness of employment, and the salary and income gap is not obvious. In the face of the severe employment situation, we should assess the situation, recognize the reality, take the actual needs as the starting point, and make decisions that meet our own situation. For many non-academic students, choosing to work first and then go to graduate school will better enhance their overall competitiveness. The ultimate goal is to find a better job, and it is wisest to settle down early.