Study Shows Rise in Off-beat Careers Among China’s Millennials, Gen Z
China’s Generation Z and millennials are keen on taking up new and unconventional occupations that match their hobbies and personal interests, according to a study published on Monday.
The career trend report conducted by Chinese video streaming platform Bilibili and Data Times, a data-driven youth research center showed that new, off-beat positions such as organizing consultants, product reviewers, pet food chefs, game developers and e-commerce live-streamers are becoming increasingly popular career choices among young job seekers in China, sparked by a wider demand from young people who seek to improve their quality of life.
Other jobs on the rise driven by emerging technology trends include blockchain architects, quantum engineers, drone pilots and short video scriptwriters, the report added.
There is also a surge in new “green” roles such as carbon emission managers and environmental impact assessment consultants that help companies lower their carbon footprint.
“Any personal passion, interest or life skill can be turned into a fulfilling, professional career for today’s young people,” the report noted, adding that researchers interviewed a total of 7029 participants aged between 18 and 35.
Nearly 60% of respondents said they would be keen to try a new type of occupation while almost 18% of respondents said they are either working full time or part time at a newly created job, the report said. Only 5% of participants said they were unwilling to take on such roles.
About 78% of respondents claimed that the most appealing aspect of these new occupations is the fact that they match their hobbies and personal interests. Another 40% of participants said they enjoy the freedom the new roles bring, the study’s data showed.
However, 77% of participants said they have concerns regarding the income of the new roles while 58% expressed doubts about the stability of these new occupations, the report said.
Most young job-seekers hope they can seek advice from mentors as well as opportunities to discover new technologies and upskilling courses, the report added.
SEE ALSO: What does the 2020 Bilibili Influencers Report Say About China’s Millennials?
China is focusing its efforts in developing top-level research and engineering talent in AI and high-tech related fields as the country looks to establish itself as the new global technology and science powerhouse.
A total of 130 Chinese universities received approval to establish four-year undergraduate AI-related majors last year, according to a report released by the Ministry of Education in March. Other popular majors include intelligent manufacturing and engineering, as well as data science and big data technology.
