China's students pay for internships in hypercompetitive job market

Unofficial brokers peddle scarce spots, raising concerns of scams and collusion

20241104N China job fair

Chinese university students attend a job fair in March in Anhui province. Less than half who graduated this year had job offers as of April. (Anhui News)

KENTARO SHIOZAKI, Nikkei staff writer

BEIJING -- Faced with an increasingly tough job market, students in China are paying brokers thousands of dollars to secure prestigious internships in hopes of strengthening their resumes.

Internship experience at a major corporation, or that lasted for three months or more, is considered a major plus when job hunting. But prestigious internships are extremely competitive, leading some students to pay unofficial brokers in order to secure a spot.

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