"It's so hard to find a job in foreign companies nowadays," said Song Jingli, waiting in line to submit her resume to a campus recruiter for a state-owned petrochemical company.

The graduating senior, who majored in international communications at the renowned Peking University, wanted to join a foreign media group. But those jobs are few and far between as the world economy weakens.

"With my English skills and media education, an international media group would be my ideal choice. The global financial crisis has crushed my dreams."

The slowdown has chilled the dreams of many of the 6.1 million college-educated job hunters expected to graduate this year. Their prospects are dim at foreign companies and financial institutions, which are experiencing shrinking demand and shortages of capital.

Statistics from the Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU), where foreign companies have long been a favorite among its language graduates, showed employment opportunities with such companies down 15 to 20 percent compared with the average level inthe past few years.

Students like Song have had to turn their attention from big names and big cities to other possibilities. "I have been in contact with a college in a western province," said Song. "If it works out, I might become a teacher there."

Peking University reported a big increase in students who found their first jobs in non-traditional areas. Only 14 of its graduates became civil servants in towns and villages near Beijing in 2007. But there were 18 such cases in 2008, and another 111 graduates headed west, including the quake zones in Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces.

Chen Lijuan, a law graduate at Peking University, joined a village administration in suburban Beijing in 2006. She was elected as a representative for the municipal people's congress after one year's work.

"Many students see Chen as an inspiration for what one can achieve from a seemingly low start," said Chen Yongli, chief career counselor on campus.

According to counselor Chen, the number of graduates willing to settle down in relatively underdeveloped regions is expected to further increase in 2009. "More and more students begin to see the great career potential in these places," he said.

The State Council, or cabinet, announced a 4 trillion yuan (US$586 billion) economic stimulus package in November, determined to enhance investment in projects concerning rural development, infrastructure construction and green industry, among others.

"Programs to develop the western provinces, revive old industrial bases in the northeast and improve rural governance -- all these moves mean new job opportunities for new grads," said Liu Houguang, who's in charge of student development at BFSU.

At the same time, there have been a few "lucky ones" who did get offers from big-name companies in big cities. Zhu Jiayi was one.

Zhu, an English major from Shanghai International Studies University, knew he was headed to Deloitte, a London-based accounting company popular with Chinese college students, as early as last September.

"As the old saying goes, opportunities go to the prepared. They are definitely for the 'more prepared' this year," said Zhu.

He knew he wanted to head for Deloitte almost in his freshman year. To get an edge, Zhu had a double major: accounting and English. Also, he applied for a summer internship with the company before senior year.

"Knowing exactly what you want and having a plan to get it -- that's especially important nowadays. It also saves you time and energy in the job market," Zhu said.

As for Xiao Ding, who joined Deloitte's Beijing office, the company is the next-best thing to her dream job, investment banking.

"We finance majors suffer most from the global crisis, as most financial institutions in China have stopped recruiting people over concerns about market contraction," said the Peking University grad.

In contrast to last year, when most Peking University grads launched their careers in the investment field, most of her classmates have shifted their focus to other fields.

"What I want to do most, of course, is still investment banking. But I'll take the chance at Deloitte to learn more about accounting and wait for the market to warm up," Xiao said. Her choice, she said, was a "crisis strategy."

This is also what Song has in mind. "Hurting but confident" was how she described herself. "I will seize every opportunity and do my best. Things have to get better."

(Xinhua News Agency January 5, 2009)